Content

9.1

The Interim Chief Operating Officer submitted
a report providing an update to  the
committee on plans to establish a Sheffield Stronger Together
Partnerships Lab, to support the city to deliver the City Goals.
The report also requests approval for a three-year grant fund to
support mobilisation.
 
Lou Harrison-Walker, Kat Holland and Helen
Sims, members of the Sheffield Stronger Together Leadership Group
attended the meeting to outline details of the partnership’s
work and their support to moving to the next stage by implementing
this exciting model that will enable delivery of the City
Goals.

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That
Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

 

 

 

(a) indicates its support for the proposed
Sheffield Stronger Together Partnerships Lab, which will act as the
‘engine room’ that will enable delivery of the City
Goals;
 
(b) approves a grant of up to £824,000
from earmarked reserves spread over three years, from which
multiple grants may be awarded to support the delivery of the
Partnerships Lab; and
 
(c) to the extent that it is not currently
reserved to them in the Constitution, delegates authority to the
Director of Strategy and Communications to administer the grant
fund, including to agree the eligibility criteria for grants and
approve the payment of any grants from the fund.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

9.3.1

Committee are being asked to approve a grant
programme of up to £824K over three years to mobilise the
Sheffield Stronger Together Partnership Lab.
 
This will enable coordinated action across all
eighteen City Goals, via a central, agile space where collaboration
can thrive.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Alternative Option 1: Establish a Council led
Partnership Unit
 
This approach would form a more traditional
Council-led model with Sheffield  City
Council Policy Officers coordinating partnership meetings.
 
This model has been rejected as previous
Council-run Partnership Units have tended to focus on
administrative support to the partnership board rather than
supporting systems leadership. It would not reflect stakeholder
feedback that the Council should not be the sole owner of
partnership work and ‘crowd out’ space for other
stakeholders to lead and coordinate.
 
Another risk identified with this approach is
that alternative sources of funding would be lost, preventing SSTLG
from attracting philanthropic investment in the Partnerships
Lab.  

 

 

9.4.2

Alternative Option 2: Do nothing
 
Like Option 1 above but with no additional
resource.
 
This option would see the support for
Sheffield Stronger Together Leadership Group reduce over the coming
year and the support revert to the basic administrative activities
provided by the council.

 

 

9.4.3

Alternative Option 3: Commission support from
a third party
 
This option would see a third party
commissioned to deliver support.
 
The risks associated with this approach would
include the development of a transactional or contract-based
relationship, and the likelihood that the system doesn’t
develop its own capacity and knowledge.