Annual Review of the Cornwall Plan (2021-2022). Research into partnerships and collaborative working for the delivery of the Cornwall Plan

Abstract

In December 2020, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Leadership Board committed individually and collectively to work together to deliver The Cornwall Plan and formally review progress each year. This summary presents findings from research carried out by the University of Exeter to support an annual review of the Cornwall Plan. This work was commissioned by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIOS) Leadership Board as part of their commitment to formally review progress to deliver the Cornwall Plan in the year 2021. It also contributes to a larger project, funded by the British Academy, to explore new forms of goalbased governance in the pursuit of sustainable development. This research report provides an assessment of the partnerships and collaboration involved in producing and delivering the Cornwall Plan. The Cornwall Plan, published in 2020, is designed to represent a vision of Cornwall for 2050. The plan was formulated in response to broad engagement processes called ‘Let’s Talk Cornwall’ during which an estimated 4,000 people took part in either surveys, face-to-face events or by sending written comments. There are six broad ‘transitions’ within the Cornwall plan, which cover issues including housing, transport, carbon reduction, sustainable food and healthy communities. A key element of the Cornwall Plan is recognising that no one organisation can deliver these outcomes on their own, all partners have committed to support the cross-cutting outcomes of the Cornwall Plan with a shared ethos of Together We Can. The Cornwall Plan articulates a collective vision with the ambition to enhance the resilience, support problem solving of complex challenges, and increase fairness and sustainability in Cornwall. Our research was split into two main tasks: interviews with representatives from partner organisations and council teams (October and November 2021), followed by a workshop with executive officers and political leaders from the Leadership Board in January 2022. The findings from the interviews fed into the design and content of the workshop and our aim was to further interrogate ways to support partnership working and greater collaboration. The results of the interviews are presented first, and we then move on to a summary of the workshop, ending with some recommendations and reflections about the further development of this work.