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Green Spaces Issue
Guidance Paper No. 10
Supporting representation within decision
making structures
Black Environment Network Sep’04
A positive climate for ethnic inclusion
The Duty to Promote Race Equality is now
in place. The trend within polic at the
highest level continues to urge all
organisations to make efforts to put into
place the representation of the interests
of ethnic communities in decision making
processes, in particular on committees
and advisory groups. In the near future,
there will be an explosion of
opportunities for socially excluded
groups to participate in policy and
decision making structures. Many green
spaces aspire to respond to the needs of
the local communities which they serve
and will therefore wish to put into
place. We need to address emergent
problems now so that these groups can
reap the full benefit of the
opportunities.
A framework to enable the representation
of socially excluded groups
The demand for representatives to come
forward to take the first seats
onsignificant committees and task forces
have already begun. At the same time, the
effect of a missing supporting framework
that will enable such representatives to
play a full role is obvious. Without the
offer of support, only the most confident
representatives will consent to attempt
to blaze the trail.
The characteristics of socially excluded
groups
Socially excluded groups, including
ethnic groups, are as a whole by their
nature not fully organised and
represented by a range of constituted
organisations. They are therefore often
seen as “hard to reach”.
The organisations which exist aim to
represent their issues and interests are
in the main seen as
‘unfashionable’ causes. The
result is that they are mostly
chronically unstable as organisations :
under-funded, overworked, under-staffed,
and under-resourced.
The organisations which represent
socially excluded groups are in constant
touch with their clientele and are
trusted. They are aware of current issues
and opportunities for development.
The enduring organisations which
represent socially excluded groups are
however mostly outstanding. The
individuals heading them and their staff
are in the main highly motivated,
idealistic, talented, and visionary.
The enduring organisations which
represent socially excluded groups tend
to be strategically small, and very
focused in their aims. Their delivery
usually stretches their staff to their
limits.
Many socially excluded groups are
minorities. The organisations which
represent them are in even smaller
numbers.
Issues arising out of the characteristics
of organisations representing socially
excluded groups
They are the key, the essential partners,
to developments regarding the involvement
of socially excluded groups.
They have particular developmental needs
to begin to play an extensively resourced
role re socially excluded groups because
they are modelled in the survival mode.
They are so small and tightly staffed
that to remove any member of staff
consistently, say two to three days a
month, has implications on the delivery
of their normal programme of work.
The experience of arrival, onto
committees and advisory groups, of
representatives of social groups who are
not used to participating in power
structures, is intimidating. It involves
a huge cultural learning curve.
Unsupported, the experience of being
newly included remains an experience of
social exclusion.
The small numbers of organisations are
asked over and over again to spread
themselves across an overwhelming number
of demands for their input. This scenario
is ultimately untenable.
The characteristics of the present
unsatisfactory framework for
representation of socially excluded
groups
Members of excluded social groups are
invited with the status of individuals
onto committees and task forces. There is
a denial of the fact that they have been
invited because of their position within
these organisations, that they are able
to draw on their structures and their
contacts with socially
excluded groups.
The constant requests to input views
which depend on consultation with
socially excluded groups impact
enormously on the associated
organisations which have to assist in the
identification of participants for
consultation exercises. These are
demanded with breakneck deadlines, a
scenario within which an organisation is
expected to drop everything it is doing
in order to deliver.
Organisations representing socially
excluded groups are held to ransom. Have
they not worked for long years hoping to
arrive at the corridors of power and
influence? Are they going to give up
these invitations to play a role to
change the lives of their client groups
for the better? Under such circumstances,
there is initially a huge effort made by
the more confident representatives of
socially excluded groups to accommodate
the work that comes with acceptance of
positions within committees and advisory
groups.
But, as the longer term effects set in,
many individuals and organisations will
not be able cope with the consequences of
overload. They are destined to drop away.
A call to
action to put into place a supportive
framework for the representation of
socially excluded groups
There is an urgent need to address the
resourcing of individuals and
organisations, and to provide support so
that they can play a full role in
representing the interests of socially
excluded groups.
The essential elements are:
Beyond bare expenses, to move towards
resourcing which covers the value of the
work delivered by individuals and
organisations representing socially
excluded groups in policy and
decision-making structures. If members of
such organisations are taken away from
their essential work, the organisation
must be resourced to backfill this work.
The development of support and mentoring
frameworks to support and nurture
individuals and organisations
representing socially excluded groups so
that they can be enabled to subsequently
and consistently play a full role in
policy and decision-making structures.
Examples of possible developments
include:
- Buddying and mentoring systems
within an organisation
- Systematically identifying the
incidental training and support
needs of these representatives,
with a budget and human resources
allocated to attend to these as
appropriate
- Inter-organisational support
group or network bringing
together members of socially
excluded groups newly playing a
role on committees and advisory
groups
- Sector wide recognition of and
response to these needs, e.g.
setting up of a support network
where individuals can share
experience, and where there may
be a fund resourcing training
needs
Moving into the future
At present, most of the time individuals
are offered mere expenses of travel and
subsistence and nothing else.
Under-resourced organisations are
constantly picking up the bill for
working alongside well-resourced
institutions of power. Without
considering supportive framework to
enable and maintain participation in
representation of socially excluded
groups, the explosion of demand for
representation of socially excluded
groups, which we are already
experiencing, is destined to fail.
For a relatively small investment of cash
and human resources, a huge prize for
social inclusion is waiting to be won.
Black Environment Network
UK Office
1st Floor, 60 High Street
Llanberis
Wales LL55 4EU
T/F: 01286 870715
ukoffice@ben-network.org.uk
www.ben-network.org.uk
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Guidance Paper 10
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