Collaboration Agreement

Purpose of this Collaboration Agreement

The purpose of this Collaboration Agreement (herein referred to as the Agreement) is to document a clear direction for future cooperation and collaboration between residents, government and non-government organisations, schools and businesses to achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s vision for Corio and Norlane.  Parties to this Agreement include the resident representatives and key stakeholders who are members of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board and its subcommittees.
This Collaboration Agreement aims to provide a clear and concise statement that:

• Documents agreed goals and principles;
• Provides direction for future cooperation;
• Recognises and represents the aspirations of the signatories, yet is not intended to create legally binding obligations for any person or organisation

and will contribute to:

• Strengthening the communities of Corio and Norlane

“Corio and Norlane is a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable community
that offers the highest possible quality of life for all residents.”

“To strengthen and grow our community together”

• To ensure that all residents continue to have a real say in decisions and solutions that have an effect on their homes, their surroundings and the community in which they live; this includes children, young people, older people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability and men and women;

• To provide the support and information needed for everyone to be involved in decisions at a level they are comfortable with, encouraging the bottom-up and top-down approach to ensure that decision making and planning processes remain connected to the community’s values, priorities and needs;
  
• To assist signatories to remain grounded in the operating principles of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board and to provide services (quality and type) that respond directly to the needs and priorities of local people;
  
• To continue the work of tackling disadvantage by facilitating or encouraging coordinated and collaborative whole of government and community activities that contribute to:
• Promote health and wellbeing
• Enhance education and training
• Lift employment and expand local economies
• Reduce crime and improve safety
• Enhance housing and the physical environment
• Increase access to services and the responsiveness of the Government
• Increase civic participation

In line with the State Government’s Whole of Government Targets, this Collaboration Agreement will continue to represent the infrastructure, processes and developmental goals that formed part of the Neighbourhood Renewal Year Eight Benchmarks.

Signatories will utilise the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Public Participation Spectrum which demonstrates the possible types of engagement with stakeholders and communities. In addition activities of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board will be guided by the following principles.

Guiding Principles of Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board

The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board acknowledges that all people living in Victoria benefit from the alleviation of poverty and disadvantage found in communities that are lagging behind the rest of the State. It makes sound social, economic and moral sense to not only redress disadvantage but promote a society that affords all its citizens the opportunity to participate in decision making and enjoy a high quality of life. Furthermore, the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board believes that the Corio Norlane communities have the capacity, through harnessing the strengths, assets and enthusiasm of the residents, service providers, schools, businesses and government agencies living and working within those communities to turn the current situation around.

The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board has recognised that a new and innovative approach is needed to reduce disadvantage and that this approach requires:

• tackling the multiple and interconnected causes of disadvantage;
• a focus on people and places, not just programs;
• ensuring that responses are whole-of-government and inter-sectoral; and
• that ongoing efforts are made to empower communities to be part of the solution.
  

The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board recognises that the best results will be achieved when the capacity building approach taken is driven by both top-down and bottom-up processes and that these results are achieved through the alignment of government policy and community priorities to achieve sustainable social, physical, environmental and economic development.

The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board operates in a manner guided by the following set of principles:

• Empower Communities
• Communities are unique and therefore require locally developed approaches to enhance the broader social determinants of health in a sustainable way.
• Build whole-of-government and inter-sectoral partnerships
• Encourages integrated top-down and bottom-up decision making and planning processes. The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board coordinates these approaches to ensure that decision making and planning remain connected to the community’s values and needs. This whole of government and community approach contributes to narrowing the gap of disadvantage between the Corio Norlane communities and the rest of Victoria.
• Recognises the importance of partnerships.
• Collaboration
• Tackles a number of the multiple and interconnected causes of disadvantage by consolidating the resources and ideas of residents, governments, businesses and community groups to address and improve conditions which affect the social determinants of health.
• Connectivity
• Organises responses around people and the places they live, work and play, rather than via separate organisational and program silos.
• Encourages integration and collaboration between major government and non-government funded initiatives to promote the achievement of best value and outcomes for the community.
• “Positive Advocacy”
• Community and partners learn the skills required to engage all tiers of government in a strategic and positive way to bring about the desired changes with a focus on collaboration rather than conflict.
• Opportunity
• Facilitates empowerment and encourages ownership of initiatives by drawing on key areas of international, national, state, local and community knowledge and expertise to ensure that objectives and operations of each of the major initiatives are aligned with and seek to deliver on community expectations.
• Good Governance
• Provides the established project management structures associated with each of these major initiatives with strategic advice, feedback and information that broadly reflects the views and aspirations of the Corio Norlane community related to the achievement of its stated aims and objectives. 
• Provides a mechanism for accountability and evaluation giving credibility to the governance structure and encourages active support.

We, the Signatories, agree to carry out our activities in relation to the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board in a manner consistent with the intent of this Agreement and the roles and responsibilities detailed within.  This Agreement should be read in conjunction with the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Terms of Reference, August 2008.
In signing this Agreement, we are demonstrating that we are committed to working together to achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s Mission of “strengthening and growing our community together”.
This Agreement recognises that residents are experts on issues that affect them, their neighbours and their community.  By drawing on the valuable experience of the residents of Corio and Norlane, this Agreement supports better decision-making by the government, community and business sectors and a greater level of shared accountability of residents, volunteers, paid staff and elected representatives serving this community.

This Agreement will remain a living document that, through regular evaluation and review, will continually seek to challenge and improve the existing opportunities and practices of resident participation. It will support the involvement of local people as active citizens and the strengthening of partnerships between Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board, service providers, businesses and all tiers government.

The purpose of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board is to promote whole of government and community co-operation, participation and investment in reducing disadvantage and promoting sustainable social, physical, environmental and economic development in Corio and Norlane.
The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board seeks to build the capacity of all key stakeholders to identify and respond to local issues and priorities. This is achieved through a coordinated and integrated approach that engages the community, service providers, all tiers of government and the private sector in designing and delivering sustainable solutions and strengthening the associated service provision and community infrastructure available to respond to these priorities.

Objectives

The objectives of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board are to:

• Provide strategic advice to each of the Corio Norlane focussed major initiatives to ensure that they achieve and maximise their social, physical, environmental and economic objectives.
  
• Provide a forum for two-way communication between the community (through Neighbourhood Groups and other Resident representatives), community agencies, schools, business, industry and all tiers of government.
  
• Review and provide advice on the design and implementation of key strategies, review project outcomes and ensure a focus on sustainable initiatives that improve the long-term wellbeing of the community.
  
• Review the findings of the Corio Norlane Neighbourhood Renewal Community Surveys and other relevant data to determine local needs and priorities.
  
• Communicate the Corio Norlane community’s priorities to all key stakeholders including the Regional Manager’s Forum (RMF) and inform/develop strategies for inclusion in the relevant local, regional, state and national plans.
  
• Review and provide strategic advice on reports and communication materials developed by each of the major initiatives to improve the transfer of information between the community and relevant stakeholders.
  
• Provide strategic advice to guide the ongoing community consultation activities associated with the major initiatives.
  
• Liaise with all key stakeholders regarding responses to local issues.  Encourage partnership arrangements that will strengthen the Corio and Norlane communities.

Government, non government organisations and the private sector

On behalf of government and non government organisations, we the Signatories to this Collaboration Agreement agree that we will engage with residents through varied methods of community engagement including information provision, consultation and collaboration to help achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s Vision.  
It is the intent of the Signatories of government and non government organisations to:

• Use the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s membership and governance structure, develop and implement a variety of methods of involvement so that participation is genuine, effective and at a level determined by residents and users of the service;
• Encourage and support the active participation of residents in all aspects of service provision including information provision, service planning, service design, management and review, and advocacy;
• Ask for resident’s views and consider any representations made before implementing any substantial changes in service provision (quality and type);
• Encourage and support the involvement of individuals, groups and the community as a whole;
• Work towards developing effective communication with the signatories of this Agreement and others when necessary;
• Provide accurate, honest and timely information to allow genuine opportunities and choices;
• Uphold the aims of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board and this Collaboration Agreement;
• Prioritise resources in a manner consistent with current government policy and congruent with community priorities;
• Facilitate and participate in an annual review of this Collaboration Agreement; and
• Participate in the review, development and implementation of a similar agreement in 2012.

Private Sector Signatories will support the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board and assist residents and other members to achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board Vision and Mission.

Residents of the Corio and Norlane Neighbourhoods

On behalf of the Corio and Norlane community, as Signatories we agree to participate in partnership to achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s Vision. 
It is the intent of the Resident Signatories to:

• Adopt and execute the role of Community Leaders to the best of our ability and share our skills and encourage others to develop their leadership skills;
• Freely give our views on the issues which affect our lives and our community;
• Promote the Vision and Mission of the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board and the activities of its partners within the community;
• Encourage others to participate in Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board initiatives, associated projects and activities to further the achievement of its Vision and Mission;
• Encourage other members of the community to participate in decision making and support them to navigate and understand the processes for doing so;
• Develop and maintain effective relationships that support effective communication with the signatories to the Collaboration Agreement and others when necessary;
• Participate in information exchange and consultation;
• Uphold the aims of this Collaboration Agreement ;
• Facilitate and participate in an annual review of this Collaboration Agreement; and
• Participate in the review, development and implementation of a similar agreement in 2012.

All Signatories

We, the Signatories, will work with each other and alongside the local community to achieve the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s Vision and Mission.  We will work together to implement, monitor and review the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board’s Healthy Community Plan.

The Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board Terms of Reference and the Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board Governance and Communication Structure further demonstrates its objectives and guiding principles and the relationships to other key initiatives occurring in the Corio Norlane area. Details concerning membership and participation, meeting procedures, rights and responsibilities of members and decision making processes are defined in its Terms of Reference.

Information

Information will be provided in ways that are accessible to all groups within the community. Information will be provided on appropriate matters.

Communication

All Signatories to this Agreement will adopt and facilitate communication processes and practices that are inclusive, effective and suitable to the particular needs of the target audience/receiver.

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