City Strategy Learning Network

City Strategy is a policy and delivery challenge to both local and national partners and DWP continues to encourage all partners to learn from each other and stimulate new thinking.

What the Learning Network does

The Learning Network:

• promotes the sharing of ideas, best practice, case studies and provides a learning opportunity
• influences national policies to ensure maximum impact on disadvantaged groups in areas with the greatest challenge
• facilitates partnership working and assisting in developing strategic leadership capacity
• ensures disadvantaged groups are represented
• stimulates new thinking
• provides a challenge role to national and local partners
• helps meet communication and information needs between DWP, other government departments, local partnerships and local and national government
• provides time for pathfinders to network
• ensures sessions are relevant to Scotland and Wales.

Who the Learning Network will be for

Core audience / Client Group:

• City Strategy Pathfinder areas
• Secretary of State and Minister of State
• Jobcentre Plus
• Scottish and Welsh Governments
• Other Departments; Department for Children, Schools and Families; Department for Business Innovation and Skills; HM Treasury.

But also for:

• Private and voluntary providers
• Internal DWP, for example “Skills and Commissioning”
• Representatives from disadvantaged groups, for example lone parents, disabled ethnic minorities, older workers, ex-offenders and the homeless
• Government Offices
• Non-City Strategy areas
• Project board members.

Learning Network news

DWP have appointed “Rocket Science” to run the City Strategy Learning Network after it was decided to extend the City Strategy for two years from April 2009.

• City Strategy Learning Network e-Bulletins (City Strategy Leaning Network website)

How the Learning network works

We will:

• have regular themed meetings, workshops and seminars that will provide learning opportunities, a chance to share ideas and network and will be rotated throughout the country
• engage with client groups to agree agenda and topics for discussion
• provide weekly updates via email, and on-going feedback
• survey areas and stakeholders on what they think they need and on their preferred means of communications
• provide regular feedback to DWP on policy issues and provide reports after Learning Network meetings