Engagement in the Post-COVID World

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses, community groups, councillors and MPs (and more) have had to learn how to engage in new ways. As we enter into a post-COVID environment, it is important to implement blended engagement techniques, applying the digital skills developed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guidance outlines the steps to follow to help ensure engagement remains consistent, accessible and far-reaching.

Renewable Powered Towns

This resource explores the opportunities Towns can take to work towards reaching net zero legislative goals. The options are set against a backdrop of the impact of supply constraints in the energy market so far. Through existing procurement powers, local authorities can reshape how energy is supplied to existing and future assets to meet their energy demands.  

Seminar 2: Project organisation, governance and assurance

‘Seminar 2: Project organisation, governance and assurance’ aimed to raise awareness of the organisation, governance and assurance challenges project teams are likely to encounter as they transition into project delivery.

In this seminar we covered:

• The importance of the organisational arrangements to project success​ and the need for a layered approach

• Governance types and who makes decisions for what

• Project assurance and reporting

Levelling Up webinar: In conversation with DLUHC

Description

The TFDP hosted a webinar with one of the joint directors of the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Carmen Suarez, to give Towns the chance to make the most of DLUHC’s Levelling Up approach, both during this period and in the future.

Seminar 1: Project initiation

‘Seminar 1: Project initiation’ highlights the importance of investing time and effort upfront in the Initiation Stage.

In this seminar we covered:

• The context for projects as they transition from the business case stage into delivery

• The inherent risks associated with capital projects and discussed what project teams should be doing during initiation to set themselves up for success

• Initiation Stage aims: to ensure that the project is established with clear reference terms, appropriate project controls, and has an approved single version of the truth

• How the business case forms the foundation for Project Initiation stage work

• Where the Initiation stage fits into the project lifecycle and various lifecycle methodologies

• What to capture in a Project Initiation Document

Media Relations

Whether you’re already starting to deliver your projects or are still working on your Business Cases, this guidance will take you through the key ingredients you need to deliver effective, compelling communications through the press.

This document will provide you with the necessary guidance to plan, prepare, and deliver proactive engagement with journalists, and the steps to follow if negative press is published about a project.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Performance Reporting Tutorial

The tutorial below provides a walkthrough for completion of the Towns Fund reporting template.

Communicating and Engaging During Delivery

Whether you’re already starting to deliver your projects or are still working on your Business Cases, it is key that you continue to put communications and engagement at the heart of your respective projects’ strategies and visions.

This guidance has been developed to help you maintain and progress your communications and engagement from Business Case to project delivery.

Demonstrating Market Failures

Description

This recorded session explores the concept of Market Failure in alignment with the Green Book definitions and other guidance, including economic theory. It looks at examples of different types of market failures, how to identify them and how to evidence them. The session presents a series of case study examples of where market failures have been identified and how they were demonstrated.

This recorded event is useful for Towns that are struggling to clearly define the market failures they are facing as part of their Business Case. It is also useful to inform the rationale behind some of the benefits which can be claimed in the Economic Case.

About the speakers

Danny Collins is Director of Economics at Savills with over 15 years experience of development consultancy, specialising in property market analysis and economic benefits assessment of major development projects, including new master planned communities, town centre studies, and infrastructure projects. Danny has particular expertise in developing the economic case for public sector investment projects.

Rob plays a lead role in Grant Thornton's Public Services consulting team. He brings particular expertise in the analysis of large quantitative and qualitative data, with the explicit purpose of deriving intelligent insight to inform service delivery, make the case for investment and to drive performance improvement.

How to engage with branding during delivery

As you move into project delivery, it’s important to adapt your branding to ensure you continue to engage with the stakeholders your projects are impacting the most. We have published this guidance resource for branding and project delivery to help you achieve this.

Project Delivery: Stakeholder and Community Engagement Q&A

Description:

This recorded Q&A session was an opportunity for all Towns to ask their questions on engagement, communications and consultation for project delivery.

About the speakers:

Charlotte Jordan

Charlotte is a motivated and collaborative strategist with extensive experience in communications, engagement and project management across a number of sectors. She designs and implements grass-routes engagement strategies and innovative communication approaches from Local Authorities to international institutions.

Charlotte was the Service Lead for Communications and Engagement during Stages 1 and 2 of the TFDP, delivering tailored and targeted support to 101 towns.

Laura Cunliffe-Hall

Laura specialises in strategic advice, stakeholder management and copywriting, adding value to projects with her sound understanding of public affairs and policy.

Laura has advised Towns on engagement, led engagement workshops and designed written guides, infographics and visual resources targeted to help Towns improve their communication with key stakeholders. These guides include how to engage with younger audiences, incorporate stakeholder engagement into a business case and how to best engage with seldom heard groups.

Monitoring & Evaluation: Performance Reporting Guidance

This guidance document details the monitoring and reporting process for grant recipients

Monitoring and Evaluation: Performance Reporting Template

MHCLG is required to carry out Performance and Assurance Reviews of any previous payments to places before releasing further funding. All Towns Fund places are required to formally report on their performance twice a year as per the Towns Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

• The current deadline for all Town Deal and FHSF recipients to submit their latest 6-month Performance Return is the December 2024.

• Early completion and submission of this template will be particularly helpful where an early decision on a FHSF extension is required. 

• Your latest Performance Return should report on all activity between 1st April 2024 and 30th September 2024.

• All resources are linked below, please thoroughly read the latest commissioning email for an overview of any updates to the process.

Towns Fund Communications and Engagement playbook

This communications and engagement playbook provides a comprehensive overview of the resources available to you on communications, consultation, community and stakeholder engagement through the Towns Fund Programme.  These resources can help you develop your Business Cases and enhance project delivery to support you in this next stage of the programme.

As you finalise your Business Case and look ahead to delivery, we know that you will need to engage communities about your plans and keep them informed as your project progresses. This resource guide provides you with links to a range of documents to help you do just that.

Town Deals Addendum

This reporting template captures April and May 2022 progress data on project(s) which received 21/22 payment in Feb/Mar 22. In this template, you only need to report on these projects.

Panel of Brilliant People presentation

In this recorded session, the Towns Fund’s ‘Panel of Brilliant People’ presented its findings to ministers, officials, and dignitaries at Westminster.

The panel was made up of young people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and towns right across the country – from Cumbria to Kent, Devon to Yorkshire and many places in between.

Led by Kate Willard OBE – TFDP Senior Advisor, business leader and Government-appointed chair to high-profile commissions – the panellists have used their personal and professional experiences as well as findings from interviews with Town Deal Chairs to inform a set of recommendations for how levelling up can work for everyone.

Guidance: Stage 2 Business Case Documentation, Templates and M&E Indicators

Towns are required to develop a Business Case for each project and submit summary documentation to DLUHC. This guidance covers the development and appraisal of Business Cases for Town Deals, and other requirements related to project development and submission of a Summary Document.

• Annex A: Project Confirmation Table needs to be approved and signed off by both the Town Deal Board Chair and the accountable body’s Chief Executive or the s151 officer before being submitted.

• Annex A1: Financial Profile should be completed to clarify the indicative financial profile of your Town and submitted to DLUHC when confirming projects, two months after receiving Heads of Terms

• Annex C: Summary Document template must be completed and submitted to DLUHC for each project, as soon as they are ready and within 12 months of agreeing Heads of Terms.

• Annex 2: M&E Plan template must be completed and submitted to DLUHC for each project, as soon as they are ready and within 12 months of agreeing Heads of Terms.

NB: Stage 2 ‘Business Case Development’ is now complete and all Town Deals are now in Delivery. Town Deal recipients were required to submit their business case documentation to the Department by the 31st of March 2023. All business case documentation was signed off by the Department by the 31st of July 2023. See the historic resources linked below for reference:

Pipeline Tracking Routemap

Having a clear strategic overview of proposed projects can put Towns in a stronger position to realise their ambitions. This portfolio view can be used in several ways, including to create consensus around possible future interventions and to engage with politicians, prospective investors and other key stakeholders to continue to bring vision to reality.

The Towns Fund Delivery Partner has designed this simple Portfolio Template and Dashboard to help you set out your pipeline of potential projects and to look at these through different lenses.

The spreadsheet includes a page with instructions and definitions to help you use the Template and Dashboard. You will also find a short tutorial video below.

Insights and look ahead from TFDP

Description

In this recorded session, the Towns Fund Delivery Partner at the first 18 months of the programme. Starting from developing successful Town Investment Plans through our support with Business Case development and project support, TFDP has learned a great deal from the Towns across the country. As that stage of the programme ended, TFDP wanted to share back with you insights from across the programme as you continue your journey to delivering transformational projects and programmes.

This recorded event brings together some of the TFDP leads to present:

• Insight from TFDP that can support Towns on your journey, moving into project delivery

• How to make best use of TFDP resources going forward (including business case resources)

About the speaker

Members of the TFDP team shared their insights during this session.

Net Zero Implementation Pathways: Cycling Infrastructure

The third in our series of Net Zero Implementation Pathways series, this document looks at the meaning of net zero in cycling infrastructure projects.

Road transport currently accounts for 22% of all carbon emissions in the UK and is a major contributor to poor levels of air quality. The UK will only meet its net zero 2050 target and address the climate emergency in a meaningful way if it supports a modal shift to green and active travel. This will be achieved by implementing the necessary infrastructure, schemes and monitoring frameworks in its towns and cities that promote convenience, affordability, and safety complimented with the shifts required in behaviour.