WHERE
C3 is a proactive partnership of 11 organisations in the west of England sub-region. C3 supports social economy organisations by promoting continuous improvement and quality standards.
The C3 project is funded by Equal 2004-2007 to design, test and evaluate tools that enable social economy organisations to embed a process for continuous improvement; there are three key stages to the process; self assessment, action planning and implementation. The C3 approach to performance improvement uses a process of facilitated self assessment using a range of tools (C3Perform, C3Quick Perform, C3Perform workshop) developed by the partnership and based on the EFQM Excellence Model.
Advisors from the following four partners provide facilitation: Black Development Agency, Cooperative Development Agency (BRAVE) Ltd, Social Enterprise Works, Voscur.
The Black Voluntary and Community Sector (BVCS) has a very different profile from the mainstream voluntary sector. The BVCS is younger and at an earlier stage of development, has fewer resources, lacks knowledge skills, is faced with barriers such as suspicion and mistrust, and is faced with institutional racism within the official structures.
In this instance the organisation is a small Somali refugee group. The organisation has recently agreed its constitution. The organisation has no current funding and is supported the Black Development Agency. The group is led by a charismatic individual of Somali origin who was recently disabled by a stroke. This organisation attracts many volunteers from the Somali community who share the aspiration to develop an organisation that supports Somali elderly in Bristol, UK.
The organisation is based in Bristol City’s inner city neighbourhood of St Pauls. This neighbourhood suffers from multiple social and economic deprivations. The organisation provides social welfare and leisure services to local families and youths in the neighbourhood and is also part of a delivery chain for Neighbourhood Renewal and regeneration.
Embedding performance improvement can support the growth of an organisation
WHY
Public structures, funders’ service providers have perceived concerns of the public purse and investment levels into BME small groups and emerging communities. They feel unsure about the sustainability and the lack of joined partnership working due to skills capacity and quality of services these groups are able deliver. Small investments for small projects raises the what, where next and how questions for BME small groups and emerging communities in terms of resources and forward planning.
The Somali community group needed to raise funds and approached the BDA for support. The C3 approach was used to help them draw up a development plan that was used to start a dialogue with funding bodies.
HOW
To draw up a development plan the advisor used the positive statements in two areas of C3Perform to identify the development needs of the organisation. The following process was used:
Step 1: Meet with key point of contact in the group to discuss concerns and agree the key areas to focus on (e.g. leadership-governance).
Step 2: C3 advisor prepares for the session by identifying which of the criteria in C3Perform link to the areas of focus identified in step 1.
Step 3: Delivery of session; advisor facilitates discussions with the organisation to extract key issues impacting on immediate problem and applies the C3Perform diagnostic to identify areas for improvement to overcome the presenting issue
Step 4: Undertake action-planning session and agree priorities.
Step 5: Liaise with relevant stakeholders, public service providers and funders for resourcing and sustainability ideas.
Step 7: Support the production an initial development plan. The Development Plan will need to include information in the following headings:
- Organisational Profile
- History and background
- Their services/projects
- Evidence of need for these services –connectivity and joined up actions adding value to existing services.
- Groups skills and capacity to deliver these services/projects
- Action Plan
- Existing and projected budgets
- Schedule existing and future aspirations
- for new projects listed against possible partnerships
- Researching and sustainability with as list of possible funders - Agree who and how the action plan is going to be monitored and evaluated.
Experience
The development plan gives the group a “road map” to enable some forward thinking, from this groups can start to establish a framework or structure. The plan also provides a starting point for discussions with funding bodies.
This has been successful and the BDA C3 performance improvement advisor feels it is critical that there is some mediation as well as solid commitments between public structures, funders’ service providers to work with BME small groups and emerging communities to provide quality projects/services to their communities.
Transferability
BDA has a very experienced team who work with BME small groups and emerging communities’ public structures, funders and other mainstream organisations. This experience of working with marginalised minority ethnic communities may be of use to Transnational Partners. The author of this article (BDA C3 Advisor) has described a process of how to use C3Perform tools within the context of working with the above named communities and working alongside public service providers and funders to set up mutual and equitable ways of working.
Contact Details
For further information and advice for using C3Perform when working with BME small groups and emerging communities: please contact
Rana Dildar Singh
Sector Development Manager
Black Development Agency
5 Russell Town Avenue
Redfield, Bristol
BS5 9LT
Tel: 0117 9396645
Fax: 0117 9396646
E-mail: dildar-at-blackdeva.org.uk
Website: www.blackdeva.org.uk