Planning and reporting Current situation Accountability for funded service planning is demonstrated by centres through their centres’ CLSP workplans. centre’s The strengths of the current workplan template are its inclusion of: strategic statements a description of service area/catchment or focus a table showing the times and locations of services a staffing profile table. Centres then report bi-annually against their workplans in CLSP progress reports. Discussion Progress reports against approved workplans are useful because: they can successes and achievements demonstrate centres’ they can provide early warning of issues that may impact on service delivery capacity they provide centres with a stimulus and format for reflection on what they have done and what they need to do. Progress reports currently do all this in a format that allows for comparison of performance across time and against an agreed set of commitments; i.e. the CLSP workplan. Currently, CLSP workplans are inconsistent varying in format, clarity and quality. Often, the — outputs reported in progress reports are different from CLSIS data against the same activities and timeframes. Some centres are unable to identify which CLSIS reports they have used to source the data given in response to specific items in their progress reports. It could be useful to include the following elements in CLSP workplans: Key strategic statements in global terms, what the centre is there to do and achieve; – what change it is it trying to create or contribute to and its major strategic goals towards that change? Strategic statements for the planning period the objectives for the planning – centre’s period, towards that change. Priorities a summary of target groups, target locations and services to be offered to – those target groups and in those locations. Rationale a summary of the rationale and evidence that underpins these goals, – objectives and priorities. General and core services a table of service types, locations and times with service – targets for clients seen and advice or discrete assistance provided; a table of casework to be provided against types of law. Community legal education (CLE) an outline of CLE activities planned, including – target audience, topics and collaborations that will support these activities, and a
Planning and reporting Current situation Accountability for funded centres’ service planning is demonstrated by centres through their centre’s CLSP workplans. The strengths of the current workplan template are its inclusion of: strategic statements a description of service area/catchment or focus a table showing the times and locations of services a staffing profile table. Centres then report bi-annually against their workplans in CLSP progress reports. Discussion Progress reports against approved workplans are useful because: they can demonstrate centres’ successes and achievements they can provide early warning of issues that may impact on service delivery capacity they provide centres with a stimulus and format for reflection on what they have done and what they need to do. Progress reports currently do all this in a format that allows for comparison of performance across time and against an agreed set of commitments; i.e. the CLSP workplan. Currently, CLSP workplans are inconsistent — varying in format, clarity and quality. Often, the outputs reported in progress reports are different from CLSIS data against the same activities and timeframes. Some centres are unable to identify which CLSIS reports they have used to source the data given in response to specific items in their progress reports. It could be useful to include the following elements in CLSP workplans: Key strategic statements – in global terms, what the centre is there to do and achieve; what change it is it trying to create or contribute to and its major strategic goals towards that change? Strategic statements for the planning period – the centre’s objectives for the planning period, towards that change. Priorities – a summary of target groups, target locations and services to be offered to those target groups and in those locations. Rationale – a summary of the rationale and evidence that underpins these goals, objectives and priorities. General and core services – a table of service types, locations and times with service targets for clients seen and advice or discrete assistance provided; a table of casework to be provided against types of law. Community legal education (CLE) – an outline of CLE activities planned, including target audience, topics and collaborations that will support these activities, and a
vla-community-legal-services-program-reform-discussion-paper_0.docx