Community Development - Research and Analysis

The Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) is committed to empowering strong community supports, promoting community participation, and supporting the health and wellbeing of all. The aim of the programmes that come under community development is social inclusion and development. The publications here seek to review publicly funded projects, programmes and schemes to improve value for money in support of this aim.

Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provides capital funding to community groups in disadvantaged areas across Ireland for projects such as buying equipment (e.g. IT and CCTV equipment) or minor renovation of community centres. This review shows how CEP was formed from the amalgamation of two previous schemes - RAPID and CFS - and how these would fit under the new scheme.

• Review of Community Facilities Scheme and Rapid , Department of Rural and Community Development, June 2018.

Community Services Programme (CSP) is a wage subsidy for social enterprises, which co-funds the employment of manager and/or full-time equivalent positions. It's goal is to deliver social, economic and environmental services that tackle disadvantage. The Indecon report was a review of the scheme as a whole carried out in 2020.

• Review of the Community Services Programme, Indecon International Economic Consultants, February 2020

The Dormant Accounts Fund uses unclaimed funds from accounts in credit institutions in schemes that support the development of persons who are economically or educationally disadvantaged, or those affected by a disability. Funding disbursement is scheduled on a three-year basis and the below is a review of the 2013-2016 and 2017-2019 disbursals.

• Review of the Disbursement Schemes 2013-2016 and 2017-2019 and General Administration of the Fund, Department of Rural and Community Development, July 2018.

DRCD provides additional funding for library services to progress the actions of the public library strategy, on top of the main funding that libraries receive from their Local Authority. This focused policy assessment reviews how this funding was used between 2016-2020.

• Focused Policy Assessment – Library Development Supports, Department of Rural and Community Development, December 2022

Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are groups established in each local authority area, and are made up of people from public bodies who provide funding to the area, the local community, and members of the local authority/local authority staff. They serve to improve community development and give local government a more central role in local and community development. This review of LCDCs assessed the strategic and operational development of LCDCs and identified opportunities to strengthen and support them in the coming years

• Review of Local Community Development Committees Review of Local Community Development Committees, Department of Rural and Community Development, July 2019.

Pobal a not-for-profit company that works on behalf of Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development. As Pobal is a State Body, it must under go a Periodic Critical Review which examines the ongoing business case for Pobal, its performance and efficiency and effectiveness, and its governance arrangements.

• Periodic Critical Review of Pobal, Department of Rural and Community Development, September 2021

Philantropy provides integral support for social good in Ireland.

Indecon was tasked with reviewing the philanthropic landscape in Ireland, which was used as the basis for the National Philanthropy Policy 20214-2028.

• The Landscape of Philanthropic Giving in Ireland, Indecon, November 2021

Social enterprises are businesses set up to tackle social, economic or environmental issues. While they are driven by social and/or environmental motives, they engage in commercial activities to pursue these objectives and produce social and community gain. This research report identified what elements were necessary for the development of the sector to support its further development.

• Social Enterprise in Ireland: Research Report to support the development of a National Social Enterprise Policy, Department of Rural and Community Development and Social Finance Foundation, June 2018.

The Seniors Alert Scheme (SAS) funds the provision of personal monitered alarms to people of 65 or older, allowing them to continue to live in their homes.

The 2017 report is a review of how SAS was being delivered.

The focused policy assessment looked aqt the continued efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme in 2021.

• Review of the Delivery Model of the Senior Alerts Scheme (SAS) Report to Pobal, Telehealth Quality Group, January 2017.
• Focused Policy Assessment: Seniors Alert Scheme, Department of Rural and Community Development, October 2021

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) funds local engagement and partnerships that tackle povery and social exclusion in their area. Target groups include those living in disadvantaged communities, single parent familise, member of the Traveller and Roma communities, etc.

SICAP undergoes regular reviews and evaluations, a number of which are listed below.

• Evaluation of SICAP pre-employment supports, Economic and Social Research Institute, September 2020
• Valuing Community Development Through The Social Inclusion Programme (SICAP) 2015–2017 Towards a Framework For Evaluation , Economic and Social Research Institute, February 2019.
• End of Programme Report 2015 - 2017 , Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal, September 2018.
• Goals and Governance of SICAP 2015-2017 , Economic and Social Research Institute, July 2018.
• Profiling Barriers to Social Inclusion in Ireland, Economic and Social Research Institute, July 2018.
• Consultation Findings Summary Report, Pobal, October 2017.
• Good Practice for Working with NEETs under SICAP, Pobal, October 2017.
• An Exploration of (Area-based) Social Inclusion and Community Development Training Programmes in Ireland, Economic and Social Research Institute, October 2016.

DRCD fund a number of schemes under the theme of supporting disadvantaged communities across Ireland.

The review below looks at the Dublin North East Inner City Initiative, which supports the long term social and economic regeneration of the area.

• Overview of the Dublin North East Inner City Initiative , October 2019.