New TSN - the way forward

On 14 April the Office for the First and Deputy First Minister launched the long awaited consultation document on the future of New TSN.

It is the product of an evaluation of New TSN by Deloitte and Touche and a series of independent reviews by the Civic Forum , Democratic Dialogue , Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network and NICVA.

The deficiencies of New TSN are well documented, so what does the consultation suggest is the future for this much maligned policy?

Listed below are some of the significant changes that are suggested for a revised strategy.

• That it be named the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Strategy.
• A greater focus on the outcomes, rather than the processes used, to combat poverty and social exclusion.
• The overall strategic objective should be to improve the income and living conditions of the most disadvantaged.
• Set high level targets to measure progress eg eliminate child poverty by 2020.
• Three high level priorities:
  - build capacity for the labour market and take advantage of the market economy
  - increase employment opportunities and reduce barriers to employment
  - deal with financial hardship (financial exclusion).
• Measures and actions in these priority areas will have a different focus depending on whether they are aimed at:
  - all individuals in objective need
  - the most disadvantaged areas and communities
  - groups most at risk of being in poverty.
• A new Promoting Social Inclusion (PSI) group to tackle poverty and social exclusion experienced by lone parents.
• Use of indicators to monitor progress in the reduction of poverty and social exclusion.
• Strategy to be coordinated by a ministerially led forum of departments and sectors.

However, some of the proposed changes will maintain the status quo such as ‘skewing’ resources ie concentrating effort on areas that score highest in measures of multiple disadvantage. Some commentators will see this as a missed opportunity to create a dedicated budget to tackle poverty and social exclusion.

The consultation document cites two disadvantages to a dedicated budget:

• lack of flexibility in skewing mainstream public expenditure
• a limit on the amount of money available to approach social need.

So, it remains a matter for debate whether a separate budget would be more effective than the skewing of resources.

The consultation asks a number of questions about the proposed changes to the strategy, which can be summarised as:

• Is the proposed strategy of improving the income and living conditions of the most disadvantaged the right aim?
• Should there be a focus on financial exclusion or do other areas require closer attention?
• Are the priority areas appropriate for inclusion in the strategic framework ie building capacity for the labour market, increasing the opportunities and reducing the barriers to employment, and dealing with financial hardship?

Over the coming months, NICVA will be seeking members’ views in order to prepare a response to the document for the close of the consultation on 3 September 2004.

Views are also sought on:

• the inclusion of a Regional Poverty Action Plan, the forum that would coordinate the strategy
• whether or not the ‘skewing’ approach to resources should continue.

For an online version of the consultation document visit www.newtsnni.gov.uk or www.consultationni.gov.uk .

To read the full evaluation report by Deloitte and Touche and background research on measuring poverty and social exclusion visit www.research.ofmdfmni.gov.uk

Read NICVA's Briefing Paper on New TSN.

To read NICVA’s 2002 report on New TSN visit Re-New TSN: Now lets target social need .