EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - How to develop a local charter? A guide for local authorities

How to develop a local charter? A guide for local authorities

Introduction

In October 2007, the UK government's 'Communities & Local Government' launched the 'Community Empowerment Action Plan', which aims to give citizens the means to participate in (local) decision-making. In order to achieve this aim, 'Communities & Local Governments' urges to develop more local charter agreements between local authorities and communities. This publication is a practical guide to designing charters that reflect local people's concerns and match their priorities to the resources available from councils and service providers. It sets out the key features of an effective charter as well as suggestions on how to overcome the risks and challenges involved in developing one.

Proposition

How to engage people in local decision making?

Description

A local charter is a voluntary partnership agreement between a community, the local authority and other service providers. It describes the service standards which people expect from the local authority and other agencies, as well as commitments from service providers, local groups and residents themselves to help meet local community priorities. A charter therefore gives communities an opportunity for greater participation and genuine engagement with the local authorities involved in decision-making. Charters give local people a direct role in influencing local services. They enable them to become more active in their local communities, and take on responsibilities themselves, so that they can actively contribute to improvements, rather than just being passive recipients. Charters will be developed by the local authority in partnership with other service providers and the community, usually through a community level organisation such as a parish council, residents’ association, or other neighbourhood groups.

This document provides ten features of an effective local charter:

A local charter should be an agreement between the local authority, other service providers and the community;
A charter is based on both community priorities and needs identified by service providers;
A charter identifies and clarifies the obligations of all the players;
A charter gives opportunities to tailor the provision of services locally;
A charter identifies local councillors, engages them in the process of developing a charter and clarifies their role;
A charter complements existing local documents and feeds into service plans and strategic authority-wide documents;
A charter empowers local people;
A charter is relevant to local people’s understanding of an area or neighbourhood;
A charter is a living document where priorities are set for a given period and then reviewed;
A charter is easy to read and written in plain English.

Contact info

Communities & Local Government
London
Phone: +44-20 7944 4400
contactus@communities.gov.uk

Publication date

25/02/2008

Article info
Organisation: Communities & Local Government

Links

For more information, please visit the 'Communities & Local Government' website

Download the 'How to develop a local charter' guide for local authorities (PDF, Eng, 473 kB)

Document type

policy

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation