Smart allocation of budgets

In setting up the multipurpose spaces in Schools as Community Platforms, consideration needs to be given to how the cost of building, equipping, and maintaining the shared space will be managed.  Co-contribution to building and furnishing costs is easier to incorporate in the planning phase if the core partners are involved in the design and pre implementation work.

The operational implications of anticipated cost efficiencies such as a single reception function for multiple services should be explored to identify other needs such as additional systems training for staff and review of access protocols for information so that the necessary change management processes can be planned for.

 Seemingly small details like who pays for photocopying or the tea and coffee available in the shared space can affect early collaborative relationships if those that are delegated with implementation have not also been briefed or authorised by their organisation about the spirit and intent of the partnership and an openness to absorb shared costs.

The resources for the backbone or coordinator function needs to be included in the ongoing costings and should be a dedicated role adequately resourced in accordance with the scale of the project.  

Our Experience/Learning

• Resource sharing can be new and uncomfortable for people especially if they feel accountable for expenditure that they cannot control.  Partners need to find ways to respectfully manage this concern in the early stages.
• While reference to cost sharing arrangements should be included in documented agreement, there will be grey areas as this is a new way of working. An approach that starts from exploring what is possible rather than who should pay has encouraged innovation and collaboration.
• Absorbing shared costs into existing budgets is an area that needs authorisation and should be explicitly supported and addressed at the appropriate level. In the long run, larger partners have found absorbing some additional expenditure preferrable to creating complicated administrative processes for relatively small amounts.
• A flexible approach to co-contribution depending on the partners capacity to contribute is in place for the Colman Education Foundation sites.  In some cases where partners are receiving free access to space to deliver funded programs, they have been able to use funds they would normally use for room rental to add value to their program delivery by paying for onsite child minding. In other cases, co-location of a key service would not be possible if it added costs to that partner’s operating budget so co-contribution is not expected.