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08 September 2009

Community Initiatives Committee Tuesday 8th September 2009 CRC Belfast Confirmed CIC/12/01/10/02

Present:                     Michael Wardlow, Dr David Stevens, Eileen Gallagher, Maura Muldoon (Chair), Eileen Gallagher, Hazel Francey (2^nd Chair), Stella McDermott

Observers:                 Peter Neill (CRU)

In Attendance:           Dr Duncan Morrow, Jacqueline Irwin, Paul Jordan,

Micháela Mackin, Frances Dennison, Damien McNally, Judith Hamilton, Lynsey Dunlop (Minute Taker)

           
Ms Roisin Montague, Ms Libby Keys, Drew Haire

           
Agreed CIC/08/09/09/01

No matters arising except for Strategic Review (coming back to this when Duncan arrives at stage 4.1)

• Budget increase of 5 % across the board
• Priority to chase Strategic Review as it has been with CRU since February
• Should the Review be taken from Research money as it has not been reviewed in three years?
• CRC could do an initial analysis and check with schemes about being Scheme Specific and do catchments between High Level questions and the questions already raised.
• District Councils and schools could be involved in this collation of information
• Cost originally £20,000 but has been suggested as between £25,000 and £30,000 ( £30,000 maybe more realistic if supported with programme money)
• Possibly creating this as a research piece to look at the state of the sector as a whole

• (Approx 15 additional applications on this time last year).
• There were a lot of applications with events focusing on 11^th July.
• Financially the scheme is moving very well for the year planning to close for the application intake in December.
• Challenges with the change from the 100% verification to an initial 80% payment with the remainder being released after invoices and evaluation forms have been returned. Returning reports and evaluations have been helpful most applications should be verified and closed by December.
• Supported Groups and their progress were then discussed

Questions for discussion:

What shared learning could be gathered from projects and the police?

There was a suggestion that a booklet based on Beacon Projects could be beneficial. Ray Mullan could be a point of contact

Is there was a database based on projects surrounding storytelling?

Rural Development is trying to collate that information. Jacqueline Irwin informed the Committee that Peace III are archiving that would be one of the possible areas they may have some information on as well as Hazel Francey mentioned Healing Through Remembering also.

Considerations and Identified Issues and proposed changes to this year’s Research Awards Scheme including:

·        Identifying the priority areas for research, increasing the level of award and changing the selection process.

·        That CIC identify specific areas of work that the Research Awards Scheme should focus on.

·        That the level of the maximum award is increased from up to £15k to £25k and that the current selection process is altered perhaps into two tiers.

·        That the application process changes to a submitted tender and that the select process has changed as the EU programme is no longer available for support and possibly this could change to 1 group made up from members of this Committee and relevant funding staff.

·        There were 5 research awards last year do we need a wider scope for more awards with more relevance.

• Should we make changes
• Should specific areas of research be looked at
• Changes to the application process in Oct if possible to do sub committee research Nov-Apr
• Identify key research to help inform policy and knowledge helping develop what the Committee does better. How do these issues will relate to the Council?
• Policing issue in deprived areas that the police cannot fill
• Link between government and communities and the need for meetings in alienated areas and if there would be any wisdom to be obtained from research.
• Case studies could be valuable as they and their research could encourage and inform future practice.
• Difficulty with this under Peace III if the titles of research were not clear as this could lead to grey areas.
• ‘Research Awards’ sounds like a grant when in fact that it should be a tender for research for specific areas.
• A welcome statement maybe appropriate encouraging research from all areas but would encourage research in particular areas that inform our work and remaining sectors.
• Research would need to be extremely focused and tactical and that a reduction of grants/awards should be considered
• Should there also be an Admin operational point of view.
•  Committee should set aside areas which would best benefit from this but that we should look at the difficult areas through Data Collection then figure the why and how at a second stage dependant on a wider culture beyond CRC doing scoping work regarding value, long term work that can inform this Committee and Peace III.

Maura Muldoon leaves and Hazel Francey takes over as Chair

Key Issues

·        Public expenditure has been reduced cutbacks are in place in EU and IFI.

·        Sustainability knowing what could best benefit groups and keep them running for the future

·        The differences between Public and Private sectors

·        Training for Trainers and teachers needs be discussed

·        What date is classed as ‘The Troubles’ 1968-1988, 1988 – 1998 or 1998 –present

·        Recruiting in rural areas for paramilitaries

·        Literary Review should be in place

·        Looking at the cultural, class and rural/urban divide issues

·        Shaping messages and policy addressing young people in under 25 demographic and the relevance for them in their ‘reality’

Agreed:

• Tender not grant – changing the structure
• Advertising with Welcome Statement
• Literary Review with gap filling analysis within the financial year
• Sub Group Committee to be formulated – starting Nov to be confirmed
• Looking at What and not just Why of the issues in place
• Youth Service should be involved in this research into Youth issues

Duncan Morrow Arrives – go back to Matters Arising - Strategic Review

Frances Dennison welcomed to the committee by Micháela Mackin

Points Raised:

• Frances in contact with Core funded groups during her initial 4 weeks
• Deadline for Renewal groups 30/10/09
• Deadline for new groups 27/11/09
• 2 Formal reviews requested and were both approved
• Core funding on target for the year
• Verification is slow only half way through due to knockdown effect due to Victim and Survivors and Small Grants schemes but should be completed by December.
• Finance Officer to take up post in October which should help speed up process.

• 6 evaluations completed with 4 outstanding
• Requests for an advisory panel made up with groups and Committee members due 15/10/09 – Discussion raised on who would be suitable candidates for this panel.
• Discussion based on matters based in paper CIC/08/09/09/04

Discussion based on matters based in paper CIC/08/09/09/05

Proposals:

• Additional Contribution towards running costs
• Development of Capacity – planning and practice development
• Management of Process discussed and agreed as payments have been split into quarterly payments and one month application deadline with recommendations of £5k to £10k would require committee approval

Live Issues meeting to be held 11/03/2010 In Armagh City Hotel

Victims Conference to be held 28, 29/09/09 in Slieve Donard Hotel

The next meeting to be held on 10^th December in the CRC Dungannon office from 10am -1pm.February meeting to be held on 11^th 2010 in the CRC Belfast Office from 09:30 -16:30