Following some uncertainly in recent months regarding the direction of the Glasgow Compact, recent events have now taken a positive turn.
GCVS
recently shared with website readers our reservations about the level of
support that existed for the Compact. So we are happy to now record that the process has regained
momentum.
A productive meeting held in late April between GCVS Chief Executive Helen Macneil, GCC's Chief Executive George Black, and Jim Gray, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership Manager led to the first meeting - on 21st May - of the Compact Partnership Group (CPG), the strategic group that will oversee the implementation of the Compact.
This
re-inforced that there was indeed ongoing commitment by GCPP partners to take
forward the Compact in Glasgow, despite the difficult financial constraints
currently facing the public sector in the city.
An initial ‘scoping' meeting took place at the City Chambers with representatives from key public agencies - GCPP, GCC, NHSGG&C, Strathclyde Police, SPT, GHA - and with GCVS. Given the Compact commitment to ensure parity of representation between the public and voluntary sectors on the CPG, invitations will now be extended to other representative voluntary sector organisations to attend in all subsequent CPG meetings as equal participants.
The
meeting was positive and a number of early actions were agreed including the
need for:
- public sector organisations who have signed up to the Compact to consider and report back to the CPG on the implications and opportunities the Compact presents in terms of how they do business with the voluntary sector;
- a development session to be arranged forthwith for the CPG to identify key actions to be taken forward to support the Compact; and
- an independent Compact champion to be sought, to chair the CPG and ensure the Compact is successfully promoted and implemented.
A great deal of effort has already gone into developing
a Compact Implementation Plan. GCVS remains
keen to continue our participation alongside other key voluntary sector
partners - to deliver outputs that have meaning and value for the sector.
We
will keep you informed via e-interchange, our website and our networks about
how this initiative progresses. In the
meantime, should you have any questions about the Compact, please contact Liz
McEntee, Head of External Relations at GCVS.