Whitsunday Isaac Mackay (WIM) Region

Planning Group

Visioning Workshop - Outcomes Report

Together we can do so much - Community Commons Project

Volunteering Qld

Community Commons ProjectThis year seems to have seen the beginning of a perfect storm, where community needs keep on rising but the availability of funds to respond to those needs has declined or become increasingly competitive. This has put many big NGO’s under pressure, but for many of the community managed organisations who engage volunteers to help respond to grassroots issues in their local communities, the issues have been overwhelming.

A proactive group of 15 local community groups in the Whitsundays, Mackay and Isaac (WIM) have banded together with the support of the Coalition of Community Boards and Volunteering Queensland to explore how they can survive the ‘perfect storm’ and by working together, come out stronger.

•RegionalSocialDevelopmentCentre •BowenNeighbourhoodCentreInc. •YouthSpaceProserpineInc. •Mackay&RegionCommunityLegalCentreInc. •DomesticViolenceResourceService(Mackay&Region)Inc. •LowannaHouseInc. •ELAMInc. •MackayStreetChaplaincyInc. •MARABISDAInc. •KalyanYouthServicesInc. •MackayYouthConnectionsInc. •CollinsvilleCommunityAssociationInc. •YouthInformationandReferralServiceInc.(Mackay) •Moranbah&DistrictSupportServicesInc.(Isaac) •CommunityAccommodation&SupportAgencyInc.

This project will identify the community group’s needs at a local level, and Volunteering Queensland in partnership with the Coalition of Community Boards, will work to enable them to develop the capacity to effectively harness resources to gain traction on the initiatives they need to get results – long term results – for their community.

We are looking to demonstrate how this project could work in other communities, and while the groups involved will identify outputs that match their needs (such as baseline research, training, mentoring and models of collaboration); Volunteering Queensland will be seeking to demonstrate how capacity, involving volunteers, can be embedded in communities and maintained locally.

Queensland Community Foundation has funded this pilot project $130,000. ThisworkshopwasjointlyfundedbyMackayRegionalCouncilandQueenslandCommunityFoundation.

“We believe this collective has the potential to enable community service organisations to build the relationships and insights that will create legacies in the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac communities.”

Dr John de Groot, Chair Board of Governors, Queensland Community Foundation

“We are excited to make the most of this opportunity to work in partnership with Volunteering Queensland, and locally with the Regional Social Development Centre to develop the work of the Coalition to the point where our organisations can begin identifying ways for the sector as a whole to become more sustainable and effective.”

MrsCarmelDaveson,ChairofWIMCoalitionforCommunityBoardssub-committee

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Agreements reachedBy the close of the workshop, a series of agreements were reached, to guide the growth and development of the Coalition in the WIM region. The purpose of these agreements is to ultimately investigate and identify regional structuresthatmightworktobettermatchregionalresources,bothfinancialandhuman,toregionalcommunityneeds.

In order to move towards this, it was agreed that:

1.Aregionalapproachwillbetterserveourregionanditscommunityneeds,thanaState-driven 1. approach.

2. While maintaining our individual organisational identities and responsibilities to our own local 2. communities, we are prepared to work together within a collective regional structure to: •achievecollectivestrengthandthepowertoinfluence; •explore possible new approaches for the delivery of services and programs; and •identifyan appropriate model for the distribution of funds.

3.Itisnecessarytodefineandarticulatethevalueandimportanceof“community”andtoworkto 3. strengthenthepositionof“community”alongsidecurrenteconomic-values-drivenframeworks.

In order to create the essential foundations for the above, it was further agreed that we would:

4. Be willing to share information about our resources and assets, including funding arrangements, 1. financialpositions,andhumanresources,toprovidebaselinedatatoinformidentificationof 1. opportunities; provide an evaluative baseline for the project, and ultimately, provide a 1. regionaldatabaselineforsteeringgroup(asidentifiedinthecollectiveimpactmodel)

5. Bewillingtoseektoreconfigurethewayweprovidefront-lineservicesthroughthecreationof 2. synergiesandefficienciesforthegreatergoodofourregion.

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Actions to be takenFinally,itwasresolvedthatthisoutcomesreportshouldbepreparedbytheSecretariat,circulatedtoCoCBWIMRegionmembersforfeedbackandreview,thenforwardedtoallmemberBoardsfortheirinformationandadoption.

It was also resolved that a small working group be established to develop and scope and brief for the data collection project. That working group consists of: Lana de Kort; Dr Ann Ingamells; Corey Doran; Phoebe Tucker; Tania Leeson; and Carmel Daveson.  

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Background to the workshopTheCoalitionofCommunityBoardsWIMRegionPlanningGroup(CoCBWIMRegion)wasestablishedinJuly2013,asasub-CommitteewithintheRegionalSocialDevelopmentCentre(RSDC),withaninitialmembershipof5organisationsandasmallseedgrantof$5000.Duetotheconcertedeffortsofthose5,themembershiphasgrowntoinclude15organisationslocatedthroughouttheWIMRegion.InJune2014,theGroupsecuredsupport from the Queensland Community Foundation, coordinated by Volunteering Queensland, to identify issues impacting on participating regions, and advance their capacity to contribute actively to wider collaborations to address local community issues.

Membershiphasgrownsporadically,andnewmembersdonotnecessarilyjointhePlanningGroup.Thismeansthat members’ knowledge and understanding of the current position of the Coalition is uneven and may contain gaps.

Recently,thePlanningGroupinvitedallmembersoftheCoalition,intheWIMregion,tocometogetherforthreepurposes. These were: •toallownetworkingandrelationship-buildingamongmembers; •toensurethatallmembersofCoCBWIMRegionhaveup-to-dateinformationabouttheprogressofthe • Coalition, and the broad framework of the project resources provided by the Queensland Community •Foundation; and •todevelopashared“visionofthefuture”amongmemberorganisations.

ThegatheringwentaheadonFriday18thJuly2014with12ofthe15memberorganisationsrepresented.Inaddition,thegatheringwassupportedbyDrAnnIngamells(ChairoftheQueenslandCoalitionofCommunityBoards),LanadeKort(GeneralManager,VolunteeringQueensland),andRobertRyan(representingMackayRegionalCouncil).Afullattendancelistisviewableattheendofthisreport.

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Current issuesCarmelDaveson(ConvenoroftheWIMRegionalPlanningGroup)openedthegatheringwithawelcometoalland an Acknowledgement of the Traditional Custodians.

Eachattendeeprovidedashortupdateonthecurrentpositionoftheirorganisation,includinganyemergingorgrowing issues affecting the viability and/or sustainability of the organisation.

Table 1. Viability/Sustainability Issues experienced by Member Organisations 1. Finances and 1. administration

•Moreandcontinuingfundingcutsbygovernmentmakeithardertomeetneeds;•particularly as cuts don’t seem to be relative to the services needed or provided•Moreandmore“redtape”;lotsoftimespentonbusinessmanagementrather•than actually supporting people. “It’s all about “planning” and compliance, and •takes away from our core business.” •Increasingneedtofindalternativesfinancesegfund-raising,merchandising,•takes time away from core work•Increasingdependencyondonationsandfund-raisingtosubsidiseoperations•and services – again, not a stable reliable source of income

2. Role of volunteers & 2. unpaid work

• “Always doing more with less!” -senseofangeranddespairaboutgovernment’s•punitiveuseofwordslike“efficiency”•Staff doing lots of volunteer hours over and above paid work to try to meet need•Increasinguseofvolunteersforadminwork,cleaning,etc.•Increasingrelianceonvolunteerseventodelivercoreservices/programs•Increasingrelianceonvolunteerstoseekoutfund-raisingandmerchandising•opportunities

•ConfusionrestatusofACNCmeanslessenedcapacitytoplanforfuture•Peak organisations have deserted us; they are delivering services on behalf of •government and are now in competition for government funds•Lackof clear correct information means can’t plan properly for future•NGO’sbeingdrivenbyfundingagreementsratherthancommunityneeds•Advocacy, law reform, and feedback about unmet needs are no longer accepted •by government as legitimate roles for sector•Nocapacity to provide advice to government on how policy directions impact on •people’s lives•Governmentispushingoutcorebusinesstosectorwithoutsufficientresources,•andwithoutalsohandingoverdecision-makingandautonomy

•Outreachservicesarefailingbecausenoresourcesavailable•Involvement in community is reducing, and disconnection is growing•Governmentworkerspreventedfromengagingwithsectortofindoutreal•situations

•“it’s all becoming welfare-ised or corporatised; what’s happened to community?”•Loss oflocaldecision-making;novoicetoinfluencewhathappens;allsortsof•“gags”inplace•Taking away ownership from local communities

5. Growing influence of 5. large State and National 5. NGO’s

4. Unmet needs

3. Destructive policy 3. directions

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Volunteering Queensland & the Queensland Community Foundation ProjectLanadeKortthengavesomeinformationaboutVolunteeringQueensland’spositioninsupportingthestrengthofsmall to medium community organisations; and therefore the growth of the Coalition.

SheadvisedthatVolunteeringQueenslandisastrongadvocateforsocialparticipation;activelysupportingtheinvolvement of volunteers in the community sector. Volunteering Queensland has grave concerns about the shifts thatareoccurringwithinthesector,andtheimplicationsforvolunteering.Ensuringreciprocity,andsafetyforvolunteers is vital to nurturing a strong civil society. Where need is high, but resources low, committed volunteers areoperatinginorganisationsthatdon’thavesufficientresourcestoadequatelysupporttheirclients–soitstands to reason, these same organisations are struggling to support their volunteers. From the perspective of Volunteering Queensland, “strong community sector = strong volunteer participation = strong civil society”.

InLana’sview,VolunteeringQueenslandhasbeenstronglyadvocatingforthesurvivalofsmalltomediumcommunity sector organisations, as these are the major sites of volunteer effort in the sector. Avenues being pursuedbyVolunteeringQueenslandincludemeetingswiththePremier,relevantMinisters,andhigh-levelbureaucrats, and exploring alternative sources of funding for the sector such as philanthropy and corporate sponsorships.

Afterlotsofnegotiation,theQueenslandCommunityFoundation(QCF)hasgranted$118,000(exGST)toVolunteering Queensland to disburse through the Coalition of Community Boards. QCF is investing in the developmentofabetterfundingmodelthataimstokeeplocally-ownedNGO’s“alive”.SincetheWIMRegionalready has a working Coalition, the QCF believes it is the most appropriate location to progress this new approach.

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Elements to be exploredDrAnnIngamellsprovidedinformationabouttheCollective Impact ModelwhichhasemergedfromtheUSAandis being implemented through the Logan: City of Choiceinitiativeinsouth-eastQueensland.

This model generated a lot of discussion and attendees took some time to explore the elements of the model and their applicability to the WIM region.

AdiagrammaticversionoftheLoganmodelcanbeseeninAppendixA,andanexampleofalesshierarchicalmodel can be seen in Appendix B.

Basedonthese,attendeesresolvedthatanymodelusedintheWIMregionmustaddress(atleast)4keyelements: a)Theprocurementandequitabledistributionofresources; b)Research and analysis to identify service needs, priorities, etc; c) Facilitation and implementation of collaborative processes d) An operational/administrative structure

a) The procurement and equitable distribution of resourcesThe delivery of a range of services and programs to address social need is dependent on a sustainable resource base. That resource base must include money and people.

Giventheuncertainandrapidly-changingnatureofGovernment-providedfinancialresources,thereisagrowingurgency to identify, develop and maintain alternative sources of funds for the sector. The actual transfer of those funds into effective and appropriate services and programs is, in turn, dependent on the retention of skilled and knowledgeable practitioners working in paid and/or unpaid capacities.

The processes and practice of building this sustainable resource base is a core element that needs further exploration and development.

b) Research and analysis to identify service needs, priorities, etcAppropriate,well-structured,andthoughtfulresearchmustbeakeyelementofanymodel.Theresearchprocessmust be guided by rigour and independence, and must be collaborative in nature. Attendees are seeking a researchprocessthatcanbothinform,ANDbeinformedby,theregionalcommunity.Theresearchprocessmustalso inform whatever processes are put in place to procure and distribute resources through the region.

Initially, baseline data is needed to understand the level of resources currently existing in the WIM region, the ways in which those resources are used to address social needs, and to highlight potential opportunities for improvement.

In addition, a broad base of research is needed to identify the social needs in the region, how those needs should be prioritised, the most effective strategies/responses to meet those prioritised needs, and the level of resources requiredtoimplementthosestrategies.

Beyondallofthat,long-termplanningthatcopeswithdemographicandsocialchangesacrosstheregionisneeded so that resources and strategies keep pace with changing needs.

c) Facilitation and implementation of collaborative processesWorkshop attendees were unanimous in their agreement that the Coalition’s approach must continue to be collaborative in nature. While organisations may differ in many ways, attendees believe that skilled, attentive andresponsivefacilitationwillhelpaddressanydifferencesandleadtothecreationoflong-lastingandmutualpartnerships and collaborations.

The retention of organisational identity and autonomy needs to be honoured, while supporting organisations to seek collaboration and cooperation to respond to mutual concerns and issues.

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Therecruitmentandretentionofskilledfacilitators,theretentionofproject“drivers”,andthedevelopmentofleadershipwithinthecollaborationsarecentraltothesuccessofthiselement,andwillrequireconsiderableattention.

d) An operational/administrative structure It seemsalmosttobeacaseof“statingtheobvious”but…Any new and/or improved responses to addressing social needs in the region can be put in place without some form of operational or administrative structure to support and underpin that work.

Researchdataandoutputswillneedtobemanaged,stored,accessedanddistributed.Financialresourceswillneedtohaveappropriatefiduciaryoversightandbeproperlymanagedandaccounted.Acrossthesectorsandtheregion,organisationswillneeda“pointofcontact”andalocationforprojectstaff(evenifthatisavirtualone).

Attendeesidentifiedsomebeginningconsiderationsforthedevelopmentofsuchastructureincludingstrategiestoensureitsviabilitywithouttakingresourcesawayfromfront-lineprogramsandservicesacrosstheregion.

Others?It maybethereareotherelementsthathaven’tyetbeenidentified,andthatmayariseastheprojectandtheCoalition continues to grow and evolve.

And, of course, the structural relationships and accountability processes among the elements and across the region need to be determined and established.

Attendees were clear that this is a beginning.

Report prepared by Eunice Donovan, Mackay Regional Council; August 2014

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Workshop attendance listCoCB Member:RegionalSocialDevelopmentCentre

Bowen Neighbourhood Centre Inc.YouthSpaceProserpineInc.Mackay&RegionCommunityLegalCentreInc.DomesticViolenceResourceService(Mackay&Region)Inc.LowannaHouseInc.ELAMInc.MackayStreetChaplaincyInc.MARABISDAInc.KalyanYouthServicesInc.MackayYouthConnectionsInc.Collinsville Community Association Inc.

Represented by:AlisonJonesCarmelDavesonDeannaTinirauPhoebeTuckerNinaSwaraMerrilynRowler

JessicaBrakeCoreyDoranChris MallettAdrienne BarnettDorneWallaceTaniaLeesonCasandra Woodhouse

Local Govt Area:Mackay

WhitsundayWhitsundayMackayMackay

MackayIsaacMackayMackayMackayMackayWhitsunday

MackayRegionalCouncil

Volunteering QueenslandQueensland CoCB

RobertRyanEuniceDonovan(Secretariat)LanadeKortDrAnnIngamells

YouthInformationandReferralServiceInc.(Mackay)Moranbah&DistrictSupportServicesInc.(Isaac)CommunityAccommodation&SupportAgency(Mackay)

Supporting agencies/partners

Apologies

Convenor CarmelDaveson Mob:0408728952 Email: carmel@ehw.net.au

Secretariat EuniceDonovan Ph:49619469 Email:eunice.donovan@mackay.qld.gov.au

CoCB WIM Region Planning Group Contacts

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Appendix AAnexampleoftheCollectiveImpactModelasitisemergingintheLoganregion

Socialplanning process

Communities of the region

ResearchEvidencePracticeImprovement

Procurement Group

Steering Group

Backbone Structure

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Appendix BUsing the Collective Impact Model (Appendix A) discussed at the Visioning Workshop as a basis, the following representation of a ‘local’ version of the model emerged in discussions that occurred following the workshop. This version of the model will be presented for further discussion at future workshops for refinementandagreement;aswillthekeymilestonesidentifiedfortheCommunityCommonsProject.

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Collaboration:Real needs

+Voice

+Policy

Research:Baseline&Continuous

Funding:Peaks

PhilanthropistsGovernmentCorporate

Wider Community

Industry Governments (in particular,

local government)

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volunteeringqld.org.au/communitycommonsproject