Single Conversation
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has introduced its 'Single Conversation'. The Single Conversation is the new way of doing business and will transform the way housing and regeneration are delivered.
The Single Conversation is the HCA's most important business process - it is the way in which they agree and secure delivery at the local level in support of national objectives. By working in an open and transparent way with local authorities and others they aim to become local government's best delivery partner.
Why the Single Conversation
The term 'Single' Conversation refers to its comprehensive coverage including the full range of housing, infrastructure, regeneration and community activities. It draws on the priorities for a local area as set out in key local plans and is an ongoing, evolving and dynamic process. It will always be a negotiation and have at its core, shared visions and objectives for places.
Guidance Framework
The HCA have provided a guide ~ Single Conversation, A better way to achieve positive outcomes for people and places. This Guidance document provides an overview of the Single Conversation. It is for HCA regional teams and our partners to use as an introduction to the approach and how the process works.
The Guidance Framework covers:
- What is the Single Conversation?
- What are the benefits of the Single Conversation?
- Who will be engaged in the Single Conversation?
- What is the strategic context for the Single Conversation and will it cover?
- What needs to be done before the formal Single Conversation starts
- What the Single Conversation delivers and the scope and context of the Local Investment Plan
- Local Investment Plans and Local Investment Agreements
- What is the timetable for the roll out of the Single Conversation?
It will be refined, tested and developed in the light of experience of delivery in the regions over the coming months. It provides the guiding principles as to how the Single Conversation will be implemented and delivered by the regional teams, recognising the need to apply the approach in a way that fits with very different delivery contexts and challenges in each region.
Local authorities will be required to produce documentation to present to the HCA in order to receive targeted funding. Targeted research and data gathering can be undertaken by our sister project, Housing Intelligence for the East Midlands HI4EM, to assist local authorities in the single conversation process.
DASH is able to provide commentary to accompany these statistics and therefore provide an accurate, timely and complete portfolio of information to local authorities. The provision of this service allows local authorities to follow the 'single conversation' route without having to commit their own resources and staff to such a degree as would normally be required.
In addition to the Guidance framework, further information about the development of Local Investment Plans and Agreements is also available:
Local Investment Plans - PDF (1.23 MB)
Local Investment Agreements - PDF (208 KB)
The HCA have also produced a series of Question and Answers to discuss some of the points which arise from the approach.
Regional teams will be carrying out Single Conversations. Over the coming months, they will be developing the approach in a number of areas and aim to have begun the process in every area by April 2011.