Welsh Government has failed to demonstrate the value for money of its £214 million Communities First programme
23 February 2010
The Welsh Government has failed to demonstrate the value for money of its flagship Communities First programme, according to a new report from the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.
Its inquiry found the scheme, which has cost 214 million pounds since its launch in 2001, lacked clear leadership from the top down, which was affecting delivery on the ground in some of Wales’s most deprived areas.
The Public Accounts Committee instigated the inquiry after a report from the Wales Audit Office in 2009 was critical of the way Communities First operated. It also highlighted two previous reports in 2003 and 2006 which contained similar concerns.
Chair of the Committee Jonathan Morgan AM said: “This is the fourth report to be highly critical of Communities First since its inception in 2001.
“The Committee heard that while the programme is operated with the best of intentions to help deprived communities, there still isn’t enough support and guidance from those at the top to help those at the coal face.
“We urge the Welsh Government to make major changes to the way this programme is run to ensure it meets the admirable aims it was set up for.”
During evidence sessions the Committee heard the Welsh Government was, in many cases, unable to demonstrate a direct link between Communities First and any improvement of standards in areas which had received investment.
It was also told officials needed to make better use of ‘programme bending’ to benefit Communities First, that is to say alter the criteria of other funding schemes to prioritise areas Communities First was working in.
The Committee made four recommendations in its report:
- The Welsh Government accepts the recommendations made by the Auditor General and provides details of how it intends to meet those recommendations.
- Reassessment of existing policies and, if necessary, amendments to better suit Communities First.
- More encouragement for local authorities and public service providers to focus on Communities First areas through programme bending and incentives.
- Better monitoring of outcomes to show investment of public money is returning tangible results for Communities First Objectives.