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The Minister for Community Development, Integration and Charities, Joe O’Brien, has today (6 November) officially published the Monitoring Report on the application of the ‘Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership Working with the Community and Voluntary Sector’ by government departments and agencies.
Undertaken within the framework of the government’s five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019 – 2024, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership Working with the Community and Voluntary Sector were agreed by Government and adopted on a whole of government basis in May 2022.
These values and principles provide a foundation for all consultation, collaboration and partnership working between those in the community and voluntary sector and government departments, Local Government and agencies of the State.
This report has been prepared by the Department of Rural and Community Development following feedback from attendees at last year’s Civic Forum. The report will be presented at this year’s Civic Forum taking place in Dublin Castle on 4 December next. Its publication also fulfils a commitment in Ireland’s Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2023 – 2025 to monitor implementation by all government departments on the use of the Values and Principles.
This report provides a comprehensive summary of the recognition and ongoing implementation of the Values and Principles by all government departments. It acts as a basis for all interactions between central government, as well as state bodies, for engaging and collaborative working with the community and voluntary sector.
The publication of the monitoring report, and continued hosting of the National Civic Forum, fulfils commitments in Ireland’s Fourth Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan 2023-2025 under the theme, “Engage more fully and more effectively with citizens about policies and plans that are going to affect their lives.”
Speaking today, Minister Joe O’Brien said:
“I am delighted to officially launch the monitoring report on the application of the Values and Principles for Collaboration and Partnership Working with the Community and Voluntary Sector by government departments and agencies undertaken by my department, and in consultation with all government departments and bodies under their aegis.
"In order to maintain momentum in relation to the application of the Values and Principles, I had written to all Ministerial colleagues requesting government departments, including bodies under their aegis, to provide a return demonstrating evidence of their use of the Values and Principles.
"I welcome the recognition of the Values & Principles across government departments and examples of engagement and collaborative working between the public sector and community and voluntary sectors, demonstrated in this report.
"This government greatly values the role played by the community and voluntary sector in the provision of services to all in our communities and this report demonstrates the levels of engagement that the sector has with Government across formulation and implementation of policy.
"Going forward, and to maintain best practice in this area, it will be the responsibility of all departments, on a whole-of-government basis, to ensure that the Values and Principles will be applied in a coherent and meaningful manner and reflected throughout all goals, objectives and actions in Statements of Strategy, as a basis for all interactions with the community and voluntary sector.”
The Department of Rural and Community Development was established to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland.
Its focus is on strengthening community resilience and social cohesion, supporting communities so that they are empowered to face current and future challenges.
The government’s five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019 – 2024, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, sets out a long term vision for government policy and support in relation to community and local development, and the community and voluntary sectors.
An action (1.2) was set out in the strategy to ‘Adopt an agreed set of values and principles for collaboration and ‘partnership-working’ at national and local level’ in order to provide a foundation for all consultation, collaboration and partnership working between communities, organisations in the community and voluntary sector and government departments, Local and Regional Government and agencies of the State.
The values and principles for collaboration and partnership working are the following:
Values:
Principles:
Through co-creation work led by the Round Table group, consisting of civil society representatives and representatives from government departments, Ireland’s Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan has been developed.
This plan contains commitments by five government departments to strengthen transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation in support of democracy and inclusive growth.