Observatory

The Observatory builds on the Community Foundation’s tradition of influencing policy development and promoting community-based action.

It was established to: engage with community organizations, promote discussion and identify issues, challenges and opportunities for sustainability in the midst of an ever changing environment.

The focus of the Observatory’s work is on the promotion of economic justice to combat poverty. It aims to contribute to the strategic transformation of the community sector by:

• connecting community groups with local and regional policy agendas, and
• producing relevant, accessible, authoritative and influential policy intelligence.

It draws on the expertise of an Advisory Panel of community development practitioners, academics, and public sector representatives.

The Observatory is a funded by a Building Change Trust transformation grant. The Building Change Trust is a lottery funded consortium of which the Community Foundation is a key player.

Since it was established in 2009, the Observatory has:

• Undertaken research to identify community groups’ priority concerns and facilitated dialogue to consider solution focused responses to key issues;
• Profiled initiatives in the areas of: service commissioning and design and delivery, community planning, community development, and civic engagement;
• Held two  major sectoral conferences: Working Towards a Way Forward (March 2010) and Recession: Making the Best of a Crisis (September 2010); and
• Organized study visits with Development Trusts Association, The Young Foundation, Lambeth Borough Council, Coin Street Community Builders and Barrow Cadbury Trust.

Since April 2011, the Observatory has been facilitated by Iris Elliott.  To contact Iris, e-mail - ielliott@communityfoundationni.org or call 028 90245927 (ext 724).