Archived decisions

Community Projects: Rationale for grants awarded by the Executive Member for Community Development and External Affairs

Strengths

Potential opportunity to make recommendations, either related to criteria used for awarding grants, or possibly to do with influencing re priority areas for funding/grants

Weaknesses

An exploratory exercise unless there are known problems or issues that need to be addressed

Opportunities

Possible to provide positive contribution to improving transparency in how HCC uses its resources to support communities

Threats

· May be political sensitivities that need to be negotiated

· May step on toes re use of influence by constituency members

Summary and selection criteria:

· Remit of Committee: Terms of Reference include: "...community development; developing sustainable communities; supporting..." Therefore it is within the Committee's remit.

· Not apparent / no evidence provided to suggest that this is an issue requiring scrutiny.

· On the basis of the last criterion, it is not a clear priority for scrutiny.

· Might have the potential for constructive impact IF a review found that such improvements were necessary.

Potential stakeholders:

Exec Member for Community Development and External Affairs, the Leader, Policy Unit

Background

Both the Executive Member for Community Development & External Affairs and the Executive Member for Policy and Resources give grants (allocations) to community organisations or for purposes associated with supporting communities in Hampshire.

During the financial year 2007/08 approximately £220,000 was provided against bids by community organisations. About £167,000 of this amount was allocated by the Member for Community Development & External Affairs or by a relevant county officer.

Bids or applications for grants have to be made against a set of criteria which are to be found on district local authority or the county council's websites. These criteria are included below:

If the Committee were to review the rationale used by either or both of the executive members, it would probably need to show that the criteria used are:

· Inadequate

· Have not been used effectively

· Have resulted in inappropriate grants being given

· Could be usefully extended by the Committee's recommended amendments to them

Conclusion

It is not clear that this topic needs to be taken forward unless Members have evidence that issues exist in this area. The criteria for funding (above) would appear to be valid and practical, unless Members know of a persistent weakness associated with them or how they have been applied.