ChangeUp

What is ChangeUp?

ChangeUp, a national Government initiative, was launched in late July 2004.

Government believes that the voluntary and community sector plays a crucial role in delivering public services and in building strong communities. The ChangeUp initiative is driven by the vision of frontline voluntary and community organisations playing their full potential in improving the quality of life of the communities they serve. To achieve this full potential Government is encouraging a review and reconfiguration of the support services available from all sources to frontline voluntary and community organisations. The work is led by the voluntary and community sector itself.

The Government's ChangeUp initiative "sets out a bold but achievable aim - that by 2014 the needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations will be met by support which is available nationwide, structured for maximum efficiency, offering excellent provision which is accessible to all while reflecting and promoting diversity, and is sustainably funded."

About the Regional Consortium

The Regional Consortium was set up by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) to help it deliver the ChangeUp Programme effectively and efficiently in the region. The Consortium includes members from both the statutory sector and voluntary and community sector, in approximately equal numbers, in addition to GOSE.

How is ChangeUp Delivered in the South East?

The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) has been charged with delivery of ChangeUp. GOSE has set up a Regional Consortium to plan and oversee the delivery of the programme. The Consortium includes members from both the statutory sector and voluntary and community sector, in approximately equal numbers, in addition to GOSE.

The Regional Consortium has agreed a Regional Plan that describes the programme of investment, fund-holders and outlines the method of local implementation in the South East.

The Regional Consortium has commissioned 20 local organisations, one per shire county and per unitary authority area, to form a consortium for its area and to produce a "local infrastructure development plan" (LIDP) by March 2006. This LIDP must be based on robust research of the support needs of frontline voluntary and community organisations. Local consortia have been issued with guidance but this is to be used flexibly.

5 Key ChangeUp Messages

The Regional Consortium has identified 5 key messages about implementation of ChangeUp in the South East. These are:

Helping frontline voluntary and community organisations - identifying and meeting their support needs more effectively and efficiently to enable delivery of public services.

Integrated delivery of support services - a co-ordinated and clear approach by partners working together in a way that makes sense to frontline organisations. This will be developed through Infrastructure Development Plans agreed by local consortia.

The need for change - recognising this is a 10 year programme of reform by all working in different ways to ensure a sustainable voluntary and community sector. Support is available to the sector to assist the changes

Meeting researched regional needs - the themes of ICT; funding and finance; BME and marginalised groups; and social enterprise will be incorporated into the local Infrastructure Development Plans.

Local control ensures local benefit ChangeUp is a national programme delivered regionally and implemented locally through local consortia. There is flexibility at the local level to ensure maximum benefit and sustainability in each locality.

Regional Representatives meet Capacitybuilders Chair

As part of transition programme from the Active Communities Unit and GOSE to Capacitybuilders the Chair of Capacitybuilders, Chris Pond, met with representatives of the Regional Consortium on Tuesday 14 March 2006 for a very full 2 hour meeting. Notes of the meeting can be downloaded.

The content of the regional messages to Capacitybuilders were based entirely on the external evaluation process to date to which all local consortia, and others, have contributed. Chris Pond was given a short summary of the early messages the evaluation. This summary also can be download.

An Evaluation of ChangeUp in the South East

An evaluation, commissioned by GOSE, describes the experience of the many individuals and groups who have been involved in ChangeUp in the region. The report's findings are based on one-to-one interviews, a regional networking event, and workshops and group sessions with people involved at all levels of ChangeUp in the South East. This includes those from central government departments (the Home Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), regional bodies and their representatives (GOSE, the ChangeUp Regional Consortium and the ChangeUp Co-ordinators), the local consortia, and both "infrastructure" and "frontline" organisations.

While these representatives naturally gave their own distinctive points of view, a number of common themes and messages emerged. The report summarises the hopes and concerns of the many experienced people who gave their time to participate in ChangeUp and in this evaluation.

The full evaluation report can be downloaded here. (5MB, PDF download.) Link opens in a new window.

A number of key messages about ChangeUp in the South East have emerged from the evaluation in the form of stories. These brief stories can be downloaded here.

Although the ChangeUp programme lasts until 2014, the evaluation concentrates on the first 12 months of the planning phase before any of the local actions proposed are implemented. The evaluation therefore concentrates on local and regional planning mechanisms.


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The Breakdown
The Bridge
The Chicken and the Egg
The Expedition
The Food Suppliers
The Relay Race
The Allotments
The Climber
The Messenger
The Outing
The Wacky Races
The Banquet
The Box
The Hub Craft
The River

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