Bristol

Objectives

To analyse and develop Bristol lifelong learning partnerships including the Learning Works group and provider networks to widen participation and contribute to community regeneration.

The Guide was to be used as part of a process to "self assess" the current learning partnerships. It was hoped that new targets would be formulated to progress partnership working towards widening participation and that good practice would be discovered through working with other Pathfinder projects. This project was focused on Strand One of the Guide.

Outcomes

The consultant met with the project leaders and attended partnership meetings evaluating the efficacy of the partnership with the Guide as a tool. A survey of partners unable to attend meetings was carried out. The model used in Bristol, of local learning networks assessing needs and co-operatively meeting them has given both small community groups and conventional providers a clear idea of neighbourhood priorities.

It was clear that there are layers of partnership requiring different strategies in terms of support and engagement. In Bristol the multiplicity of partnerships has been a particular issue and one where the Guide was lacking in advice and guidance.

The Bristol project has a number of key messages to add to those in the Guide. Their experience is leading them to look at the possibility of reducing the number of partnerships to deal with the time commitment involved in sustaining them. It is felt that different sizes of groups of partners are appropriate for different functions.

A process of mapping partnerships is being undertaken to reveal the relationship between partners with the understanding that such relationships may look different to different players. The problems of communication in partnership have been revealed by the survey carried out with some recommendations about newsletters replacing formal minutes as well as rotation of meeting times to allow better participation.

The projects in Bristol believe that it is important that the "mission" of partnerships should be clearly understood and that the partners should align their own mission statements to that of the partnership. Agreement should also be sought on Performance Indicators and evaluation strategy at an early stage. In the particular partnerships in Bristol there has been a need to maintain a focus an adult learning within a general lifelong learning agenda.