EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Neighbourhood-oriented working evaluation

Neighbourhood-oriented working evaluation - Lelystad, the Netherlands

Introduction

In 1997, neighbourhood-oriented working was launched in Lelystad. Before this time a system of neighbourhood management operated, run by the housing corporations. Neighbourhood management placed particular emphasis on the physical management of the living environment and much less on social aspects. This led to a change of policy in 1996. Neighbourhood management was phased out and, in 1997, neighbourhood-oriented working was introduced. This report contains an evaluation of five years of neighbourhood-oriented working and an investigation into the future of the neighbourhood desk.

Description

What is the neighbourhood desk's role, what service-related tasks are carried out there, which functionaries work from the neighbourhood desks? After five years of neighbourhood-oriented working, the City Executive in Lelystad has commissioned an evaluation and a future picture to be made of the performance of the neighbourhood desks in 2010.

Conclusions

The whole organisation is responsible for the neighbourhood-oriented method of working. The City Bureau Neighbourhood-Oriented Working has the task of facilitating this development and to encourage and supervise the process. In addition, the neighbourhood desks serve as the neighbourhood's co-ordination point. Supply and demand are brought together. Everyone retains their own separate responsibility. This integral approach is co-ordinated by the staff of the neighbourhood desk.
The strategic starting points of neighbourhood-oriented working in Lelystad are translated into three production categories: made-to-measure policy; residents' participation; recording and monitoring the issuing of information and announcements.
The activities of the Bureau Neighbourhood-Oriented Working focus on 4 target groups: the neighbourhood's residents, members of the neighbourhood council, the City executive and the external partners such as the City Health Service and police.
The role of neighbourhood-oriented working is that of mediator and/or initiating agent. The working method of the Bureau Neighbourhood-Oriented Working increasingly focuses on avoiding the top-down translation of policy to neighbourhood residents. In the future, policy will be increasingly formulated bottom-up, based on the neighbourhood monitor, neighbourhood analysis, the neighbourhood programme and the "eyes and ears" function of the neighbourhood desk.
The future development of the neighbourhood desk is inextricably linked to the development of the neighbourhood-oriented working method. The method focuses on integration of the different policy domains and neighbourhood-oriented policy development.

Contact info

Bureau Neighbourhood-Oriented Working - administrative affairs section, City of Lelystad
wijkpost.waterwijk@lelystad.nl

Publication date

15/10/2002

Links

Bureau Neighbourhood-Oriented Working

Neighbourhood-oriented working evaluation (PDF, Dut, 465 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Citizens' participation