About Progress through Partnership (PtP)

What is PtP?

Progress through partnership is a peer led capacity building programme for Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) in the southeast.  The programme will offer support to LSP practitioners and partners to help them understand the opportunities effective partnerships offer and build the expertise to make the best use of them.

To ensure that the programme meets the needs of LSPs in the region it will take a lead from people striving to make LSPs work at a grass route level.  

Who are the programme partners?

South East Employers (SEE) and Shared Intelligence (Si), are the programme partners.  Slough Borough Council is the accountable body and a steering group of practitioners and partners from across the region has been established to direct the programme.

PtP is peer-led, and its success largely depends on the active involvement of practitioners in the region.

The programme will be led by a programme manager with the support of a coordinator and administrator, visit the 'Meet the Team' page to find out more about them.

South East Employers (SEE), the regional employers’ organisation and Shared Intelligence (Si), a dynamic and independent national consultancy bring considerable knowledge and understanding of the needs of partnerships in the region and the context in which they operate; as well as proven ability in delivering capacity building support.  Please contact Mark Palmer mark@seemp.co.uk for more information.

How is it funded?

PtP is sponsored by the South East Improvement and Efficiency Partnership ~(SEIEP), using the Capacity Building Fund grant awarded to the region by the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association. The initial budget of £750,000 funds the programme until April 2008.  £444,000 of this will be made directly available to LSPs to support their individual capacity needs.

What learning opportunities are on offer?

A flexible range of peer led learning platforms including:

• A self assessment and review process

• Seminars on topics identified through self-assessment eg ‘An LAA delivery seminar’

• Action learning sets

• Peer networking and mentoring support

• Case studies

• A core learning package identified as common to a majority of LSPs

• Access to a regional partnership network and support to sub-regional networks

• A system to allow LSPs to draw down funds for learning tailored to their specific needs

How will information be shared?

The programme will share information using a range of mechanisms including:

• Via the PtP Website

• Quarterly newsletter

• Bi-monthly newswire

• Annual conference

How will it be sustained?

• Sub-regional networks are expected to be self sustaining once established; several have already been established independently by LSP practitioners.

• Mutual support between LSPs, practitioners and partners will become self sustaining as mutual benefits and cost savings are identified.

Coordination of the programme is likely to be funded by a membership/subscription approach on a non profit basis.  This model is already successfully established by South East Employers and used to fund their existing services; members recognise the benefits of the resource and the efficiencies of scale a regional approach offers.