UPDATE ON ROSCOMMON CDB
May 31st 2002

 

Launch of CDB Strategy

The Roscommon Arts Centre was a hive of activity on Friday the 31st of May 2002 when the future of County Roscommon was described as a vibrant county with an increased population, an enhanced quality of life, employment growth, high quality infrastructure and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The County will also have a safe, clean environment, a variety of recreational activities and excellent health and educational facilities, providing equal opportunities for all by the year 2012. This is the commitment of the 19 different organisations involved on the Roscommon CDB. The ten-year strategy is an integrated, sustainable and people-centred framework for the development of the county over the next ten years.

The Board is made up of representatives of all the key local and State bodies operating in the county, the social partners, and the community and voluntary sector. The board is facilitated and serviced by the Community and Enterprise section of Roscommon County Council.

This strategy or plan is different from other plans in two main ways. Firstly, it is more all embracing, that is it includes, economic, social and cultural development and secondly, it provides the broad county framework that acts as a backdrop for all the public services to design and implement their own individual plans. The role of the CDB is therefore to (1) facilitate the co-ordination and integration of services at local level, and (2) to develop and oversee the implementation of a ten year strategy for the county.

THE OPENING ADDRESS WAS GIVEN BY MR. JOE ALLEN PRINCIPLE OFFICER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WHO COMPLIMENTED THE 28 MEMBER BOARD ON THEIR WORK THROUGHOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS IN WHAT WAS A COLOURFUL, IN-DEPTH AND POSITIVE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF COUNTY ROSCOMMON.

Mr. Noel Fahey, Ambassador Designate to the USA and native of Roscommon was the guest speaker and he commented on the depth of commitment by the various members of the board and the hope that this document holds for the future of County Roscommon.

Rita Mc Nulty, Director of Community and Enterprise stated 'that the CDB is not about any one agency, group or organisation, it is about the county, about how we as service deliverers along with the community and citizens of the county work together to improve life for everyone who lives or visits here'.

Cllr. Kitty Duignan, Chairperson of the CDB and Mayor of Roscommon County Council stated that 'the launch here today marks the end of the preparatory phase and the beginning of the implementation of the strategy'. She praised the model of the CDB, which is 'to provide the structure for all to work together for the betterment of the county'.

 

Key Issues

Some of the key issues outlined in the strategy are;

• Development of the county's infrastructure (such as roads, transport, information technology and social and cultural facilities) to make it an attractive place to live, work and visit;
• Maintaining and growing the county 's cultural identity;
• Having pride in the county itself;
• A need to develop quality services to meet the needs of specific sections of society including older people;
• Enhancing educational facilities and services;
• Working with neighbouring counties to ensure balanced regional development in the West;
• Promoting County Roscommon as an area for investment by multinational companies;
• Capitalising on the growth of Athlone and Sligo while, at the same time, developing the county's towns, villages and rural areas;
• Prioritisation of a number of sectors for growth in the county including tourism, small-scale industries and enterprises, information technology based companies, agriculture including organic farming;
• Promotion of rural areas of County Roscommon to attract residents to the county;
• Improvement of housing, health and community facilities in the county;
• Expanding the availability of training and human resource initiatives;
• Maintaining and expanding the rail, road and rural transport system to facilitate commuting, business and quality of life;
• Preserving the natural environment in County Roscommon and ensuring its sustainability;
• A need to develop new initiatives should facilitate participation by youth and to stem youth out-migration;
• Development of County Roscommon should be sustainable, providing equality for all and social inclusion for those who are disadvantaged.

 

32 Key issues and 186 strategic actions and 422 practical actions make up the strategy and implementation plan. They incorporate an overriding objective to ensure environmental sustainability, social inclusion and quality of life. Details of the practical actions, the indicators, the timescale and the lead agencies delivering on the actions are provided in an accompanying document called the Implementation Plan. The implementation is the most important feature of this work.

All the CDB board members have made agreements in the strategy to address these issues and have made practical commitments about how and when they will do so. This means that over the next few months and years each of these organisations will deliver on commitments in conjunction with other organisations for this county.

 

Monitoring

The Board will undertake a monitoring and evaluation process to ensure that the strategy is meeting its targets and that appropriate changes are made as necessary over the 10-year course of the strategy.

Ms. Mc Nulty stated that 'the success of this ten-year strategy will be in its delivery, the actions on the ground, the improvement in life for everyone in the county. The nineteen member organisations of the Board have signed up to delivering on the objectives and action'. 'The detail of the strategy and the implementation plan will ensure delivery' she said.

The strategy has identified specific regional actions including transport, employment, telecommunications, education, training, sports, culture, health, environment, tourism and agriculture and these will be worked on in conjunction with our neighbour's in the West and Midlands.

Finishing up the speeches Ms. Mc Nulty congratulated all the board members for their participation and looked forward to them continuing the work that they have started.

For further information contact Rita Mc Nulty at (087) 6295453.

 

Implementation, Monitoring and Review
of the Roscommon CDB Strategy

The Role of the CDB

The Strategy will be implemented through the successful functioning of: -
1] The CDB Board who will meet four times a year
2] Its management and direction by the Implementation Groups.

The vital ingredient that will determine the success of the Strategy is the commitment of all the stakeholders. Ongoing Review of the Strategy will indicate the effectiveness of the progress and outcomes of the strategy. It will show if we are still on track, and if the objectives are adequately addressing the most relevant issues over the 10 years of the Strategy's lifetime.

The CDB has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the Strategy but as most Actions will be directly carried out by member agencies, it's role is largely a co-ordinating and monitoring one. As time progresses the CDB will also serve to provide a co-ordinated voice for the county. The Board will oversee the reports of the Implementation Groups. The Board will also be responsible for ensuring that emerging practices and policies that affect the overall development of County Roscommon are reviewed appropriately.

 

The Role of the Stakeholders

Key stakeholders are identified as the agencies, local government, local communities and social partners - reflective of the make-up of the Board. The role of the CDB is to co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the Strategy, but it is up to each individual member to ensure actions and tasks agreed by them are implemented within agreed timescales. Additional to ensuring delivery of the actions identified in the Implementation Plan, stakeholders have a number of responsibilities to ensure the Strategy is fully supported:

Stakeholders will adjust their existing strategies/plans in relation to the Strategic Goals and Objectives of the Strategy
Stakeholders will, if necessary prepare new strategies/plans on the basis of this adjustment
Mainstreaming of innovative programmes and actions contained within the CDB, into the operational strategies/plans of local and state agencies.

The extent to which the above is achieved will reflect adoption of the principle of taking an integrated approach within the county.

 

The Role of the Lead Agency

• Each lead agency decides how to carry out the practical action
• Adapt Agency work plan to accommodate delivery
• Co-ordinate planning and delivery with partner agencies
• Ensure information on progress is provided to relevant implementation group.

 

The Role of the Partner Agency

• Have directly in your plan/brief the remit to deliver on the objective
• Adapt agency work plan to accommodate delivery of action
• Commit the expertise necessary to the delivery of the action
• Commit the human resources to participate in the planning of action

 

The Role of the Implementation Groups

Each of the three Working Groups (social, cultural and economic) will be reconstituted as Implementation Groups that will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy. The new Implementation Groups will meet 3 times in the year i.e. once a year each to review progress made on the implementation of actions, including the identification of issues that affect the delivery of agreed actions. Progress reports will then be submitted to the CDB for consideration.

 

The Implementation Group will;

• Have detailed knowledge of the strategic and practical actions within the area
• Monitor and record progress on implementation plan
• Monitor Outcomes across cross-cutting themes
• Submit Progress reports to the board (template for progress report will be available)
• Involve board members
• Will be chaired by an active Lead Agency of the Strategy

 

Roscommon County Development BoardImplementation Groups
Theme 1 - A Vibrant Economy - Implementation Groups

	Key Issues	Objective
1.	Environment	To ensure a healthy, clean and safe environment for County Roscommon.
2.	Roads and Transport	Roads and Transport To ensure that the transport system is developed and upgraded to a level that can support increased economic, social and cultural development of the county.
3.	Energy, Power and Natural Gas	Energy, Power and Natural Gas To ensure that the county has an adequate supply of power and natural gas.
4.	Telecommunications Infrastructure	Telecommunicatios Infrastructure To ensure the provision of information technology infrastructure in the county that will cater for the telecommunication needs of businesses, industry, education, training and private households.
5.	Entrepreneurship, Manufacturing and Advanced Sectors	Entrepreneurship, Manufacturing and Advanced Sectors To develop an attractive environment for enterprise and enhance the entrepreneurial spirit in the county.
6.	Tourism	Tourism To ensure tourism becomes an essential productive sector activity through the implementation of the County Tourism Strategy.
7.	Agriculture	Agriculture To ensure the viability of agriculture in County Roscommon through value added agriculture production, organic farming and off-farm employment.
8.	Forestery	Forestry To protect, establish and manage trees and woodlands in county Roscommon in a sustainable manner that is socially acceptable, economically viable and environmentally sound.
9.	Foreign Direct Investment	Foreign Direct Investment To secure foreign direct investment for County Roscommon.
10.	Planning	Planning To ensure progressive and transparent planning systems in the county. To ensure future development plans, housing strategies and other local authority strategies take account of the environment and sustainable impacts of development.
11.	Rural Development	Planning To ensure progressive and transparent planning systems in the county. To ensure future development plans, housing strategies and other local authority strategies take account of the environment and sustainable impacts of development.

 

Theme 2 - An Active Inclusive, Welcoming Society -
Social Implementation Groups

	Key Issue	Objective
12.	Accommodation	Accommodation To ensure the provision of quality accommodation for every person in the county suitable to his or her needs, in a pleasant environment and at a price or rent they can afford.
13.	Health	Health To improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities so that everyone can reach his or her full potential.
14.	Education	Education To develop, improve and build on existing education and training services and facilities to eliminate educational disadvantage.
15.	Literacy	Literacy To increase literacy levels in the county to internationally accepted standards.
16.	Third Level Services and Facilities	Third Level Services and Facilities To ensure the provision of quality third-level education services and facilities.
17.	Adult Education and Life Long Learning	Adult Education and Life Long Learning To provide ongoing adult education and training and to ensure that quality life-long learning opportunities are available to all.
18.	Training and Upskilling	Training and Upskilling To ensure the development of a training plan for the county that includes up-skilling and re-training existing workers and those who are un/underemployed.
19.	Children and Family Friendly Work Policies	Children and Family Friendly Work Policies To ensure that children and their families have access to good quality, affordable childcare services and that family friendly policies and practices will be developed and implemented in the workplace.
20.	Children	Children To encourage and support children to be actively involved in shaping their present and their future.
21.	Community and Voluntary Sector	Community and Voluntary Sector To develop the capacity of the community and voluntary sector and ensure the provision of appropriate infrastructure to enable community development and active citizenship.
22.	Youth	Youth To develop Roscommon as a desirable county to continue living in and to enable young people to participate actively in their own development and in the development of the county as a whole.
23.	Social Inclusion	Social Inclusion To ensure that inclusion is an integral part of the design and delivery of all programmes and services and ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of social inclusion work.
24.	Safety	Safety To endeavor to improve the safety of all people in the community.
25.	Equality	Equality To ensure equality of access, participation and outcome for all

 

Theme 3 - A Rich Living Culture - Cultural Implementation Groups

	Key Issue	Objective
26.	Cultural Identity	Cultural Identity To develop the county's cultural identity.
27.	Cultural Infrastructure	Cultural Infrastructure To develop accessible infrastructure to support the development of heritage, arts and sport.
28.	Equality of Access	28. Equality of Access To develop policies which support equality of access for everyone to cultural activities for both passive and active participants.
29.	Capacity Building	Capacity Building To raise the capacity of people working in the cultural sector to access funding and other supports which will facilitate the development of culture.
30.	Awareness of Roscommon's Local History and Heritage	Awareness of Roscommon's Local History and Heritage To increase and promote knowledge of Roscommon's local history and heritage among the public agencies and visitors to the county.
31.	Co-ordinating and Planning Cultural Development	31. Co-ordinating and Planning Cultural Development To develop a more co-ordinated and strategic approach to cultural development in the county.
32.	Sport	Sport To encourage the development of all sports activities and support the development of new sports facilities.

 

Measuring Progress

The Board will prepare an Annual Report that will review the themes at progress and at emerging issues within the year. In measuring the progress of Actions, the Board will consider Essential questions on an ongoing basis to assess the strategy's success. These questions will enable us to establish whether the strategy is making a difference to the people of Roscommon and to review the strategy from a qualitative point of view. It will also equip the Board to determine whether new actions are required to meet the strategy's aims.

1. Are rural depopulation and the needs of an increasingly elderly rural population being addressed appropriately by the state and local agencies?
2. Are our towns and villages becoming more vibrant with increased micro enterprises, job opportunities and services?
3. Do the people of Roscommon have access to European standard, transport, environmental and health services?
4. Are sub-standard schools and colleges still a problem and do young people continue to have to leave the county to get access to higher education?
5. Is Roscommon linked into the international and vanguard telecommunications networks necessary for our economy to compete successfully?
6. Have we eliminated poverty and inequality in the county?
7. Do we continue to have a vibrant community and are the state and local agencies facilitating the development of the community sector?
8. Do we have access to affordable childcare and other social facilities and services?
9. Do we have appropriate and balanced industrial development including indigenous and international investment?
10. Is our cultural development grounded in the needs of the community?
11. Do we have a commitment to openness, fairness and equality?
12. Does the future of the county look positive given our role as the key socio-economic group in the county?

 

A national monitoring and tracking system is being developed which will enable all CDB's to track progress. This tool will be used to monitor actions.

In addition, evaluation will be conducted on the basis of consultation with stakeholders, feedback from implementing bodies and discussions with the Sub-structures of the County Development Board - including the Social Inclusion Measures Group. The CDB will also commission periodic 'Catchment Area Surveys' to measure the level of satisfaction residents have with life in County Roscommon.

 

Suggested Format for Monitoring the CDB Strategy

Board Meetings
Four Board meetings a year. Three of these will be theme based (social, 14 actions, economic, 11 actions, cultural 7 actions) and one will be a review meeting in preparation for the annual report. Each Board meeting will discuss the strategic actions associated with the theme being discussed.

Each Board meeting is to be preceded by one implementation group meeting. A social implementation group meeting precedes the implementation group meeting for the social Board meeting. Only the social implementation group members attend this meeting. Therefore, each CDB member has to commit to 5 meetings a year i.e. 4 Board meetings and one implementation group meeting for their topic of interest.

EXAMPLE

	Implementation Group Meetings		CDB Board Meetings
1.	November 2002 Economic Implementation Group MeetingOnly members of Economic Implementation Group attend this.	1.	December 2002 Board Meeting with Economic Theme
2.	March 2003 Social Implementation Group Meeting.Only members of Social Implementation group attend this.	2.	April 2003 CDB Board Meeting with Social Theme
3.	June 2003 Cultural Implementation Group MeetingOnly members of Cultural Implementation group attend this.	3.	July 2002 CDB Board Meeting with Cultural Theme
		4.	November 2003 CDB Board Meeting in preparation for Annual Report.

 

Implementation Group Meetings

The purpose of the Implementation group meeting is that each organisation with commitments in the CDB strategy can report on progress made. Each organisation discusses progress made on actions together with any problems or challenges that are being experienced. The implementation group sets the agenda for the following board meeting. The agenda would include an update on progress made, information sharing, difficulties that are arising and issues that the board need to discuss. Board members would potentially only attend one review group meeting and 4 Board meetings in the year.

 

Reporting

Each organisation has responsibility for filling in the monitoring or report sheet. Not certain if this will be manually or on line.
Each organisation puts the CDB strategy as an agenda item on their organisations board agenda.
Each organisation to include a report of their commitments to the CDB in their annual reports.

 

Members of Roscommon County Development Board

Cllr Eugene Murphy Scramogue Stokestown Co Roscommon	S.P.C. Chairs, Local Government
Cllr Kitty Duignan Cathaoirleach of Roscommon Co. Council Rathallen Co Roscommon	Cathaoirleach of County Council, Local Government
Cllr Michael Scally Sligo Road Ballaghaderreen Co Roscommon	S.P.C. Chairs, Local Government
Cllr Des Bruen Athlone Road Co Roscommon	S.P.C. Chairs, Local Government
Cllr John Murray Main Street Castlerea Co Roscommon	S.P.C. Chairs, Local Government
Mr. John Tiernan County Manager Roscommon County Council Courthouse Roscommon	County Manager, Local Government
Mr Malachy Beirne Town Commissioner St Patrick's Street Boyle Co Roscommon	Town Commissioner, Local Government
Ms Ann Flynn Chief Executive Officer County Enterprise Board Abbey Street Roscommon	Co Enterprise Board, Local Development>
Mrs Anya Greally Abbey Hotel Roscommon	Co Enterprise Board, Local Development
Mr. Pat Compton Aringa LEADER Clooncagh Stokestown Co. Roscommon	Arigna, LEADER, Local Development
Mr Michael Spellman c/o Mid/Sth LEADER Kilteevan Co Roscommon	Mid South LEADER, Local Development
Ms Patricia Murphy-Byrne Roscommon Partnership Co. The Square Castlerea Co Roscommon	Partnership Company, Local Devlopment
Mr Seosamh Mac Fhloinn c/o Roscommon Partnership Co. The Square Castlerea Co Roscommon	Partnership Company, Local Devlopment
Mr Frank Murphy Western Health Board County Hospital Roscommon	Western Health Board, State Agencies
Mr Tony Barrett FAS Island House Cathedral Square Galway	FAS, State Agencies
Mr Oliver Burke Teagasc Abbey Street Roscommon	Teagasc, State Agencies
Mr Larry O'Farrelly Roscommon VEC Lanesboro Street Roscommon	VEC, State Agencies
Mr. Victor Andrews Enterprise Ireland Mervue Business Park Mervue Galway	Enterprise Ireland, State Agencies
Mr. Chris Forde IDA Garrycastle Business Park Dublin Road Athlone	IDA, State Agencies
Mr Tony Dawson Ireland West Tourism Aras Failte Galway	Ireland West Tourism, State Agencies
Ms Marie Cullen Area Manager Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs Ballinalee Road Longford	Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, State Agencies
Supt Denis Bowe Garda Siochana Roscommon	Garda Siochana, State Agencies
Ms Pat O'Hara Western Development Commission Dillion House Ballaghaderreen Co Roscommon	Western Development Commission, State Agencies
Mr Pauric Burke Goff Street Roscommon	Employers and Business, Social Partners
Mr Seamus Conway Tulsk Castlerea Co Roscommon	Trade Unions, Social Partners
Mr Barry Caslin Oatfield Grange Strokestown Co Roscommon	Agriculture and Farming, Social Partners
Mrs Maud Brady 12 Karol Avenue Elphin Co Roscommon	Community North County Roscommon, Social Partners
Mr Gerry Murphy Moyvannion Kiltoom Co Roscommon	Community South County Roscommon, Social Partners