Fiona Mactaggart

The government framework for community capacity building, "Firm Foundations", is launched by home secretary David Blunkett today at a major conference. In an article for ePolitix.com, Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart explains its importance for government policy.

Building a healthy democracy means enabling communities to be in a position to help themselves, and engage more effectively with public bodies. It's called community capacity building. But how can we make it happen? We've been looking precisely at that question.

The government's community capacity building review began its life in 2002, involving government departments, local authorities and the voluntary and community sector.

It was followed by a consultation, building civil renewal, and by the end of March 2004 some 158 organisations had responded. Firm Foundations is the final report, drawing on the responses to produce a clear framework for government action to build the capacity of communities.

It doesn't mean new commitments of funding, but it does mean better use of available resources - money and people - based on a clear understanding of what already works and what else is needed.

Firm Foundations highlights the fundamental fact that the government can only achieve many of its ambitions for communities if communities themselves, and their citizens, are fully involved in the process.

Ensuring, then, that communities are backed, not run, by government means investing in the skills, abilities, confidence and knowledge of people and groups so they can play a full and effective role in the development of their communities.

Crucially, it also means that we invest in learning and development for public officials in how to engage more effectively with citizens.

Every sort of community is included here, whether geographical, neighbourhoods, parishes, faith communities and those with a common identity or interest in common.    

So what will the difference be? The report has identified four priorities for action. These are the "firm foundations" for change in the way the whole government supports communities through its policies and programmes.

First among those priorities is a much more comprehensive and coherent set of learning opportunities around community engagement. This is for citizens themselves and their communities, but also for professionals, practitioners and policy makers.

Second is the creation of strong and sustainable community "anchor" organisations that can provide a vital focus for community development. These can include development trusts or settlements, tenant management organisations or community associations, faith-based organisations or schools, and they could, for example, grow from New Deal for Communities Partnerships. Crucially, they will be rooted in their communities, not imposed on them.

Third, local action-planning is recognised as a valuable way to involve citizens and community groups in local decisions, giving people the practical means to influence their quality of life, and the confidence to do so.This is particularly the case where local plans are directly linked into community strategies and other statutory plans.

Fourth, the networks and partnerships that already exist at local, regional and national level will be better co-ordinated, with more collaboration. We don't need to create yet another layer of networking when we have good examples already doing the job: we need to make better use of the effort and resources we already have.

The Firm Foundations report speaks common sense. It is a refreshingly practical document which has endorsement from across government.

It is based on what we know already works, and on what communities themselves have told us is needed. All in all, it's a recipe that should ensure the strengthening of communities and that future policy in this area is based on firm foundations.