Original Tender Description
This tender process is seeking to identify a neutral intermediary organisation operating in the space between communities who have flooded, or who are at risk of flooding, and flood risk management authorities (RMAs), across the North West of England, supporting those authorities to increase the resilience of those communities to flooding and coastal change. The desired outcome of the service is to increase the resilience of communities to flooding and coastal change through engagement to inform, educate, and drive behaviour change. The initiative is funded primarily by the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Greater Manchester Combined Authority are leading the procurement process and will enter into the contractual arrangements with the selected supplier. The supplier will be required to work with and support North West flood risk management authorities as required: local authorities (of which there are 24 Lead Local Flood Authorities and 12 district councils); the Environment Agency; and United Utilities, as the primary water company. The communities to be supported include: Residents including homeowners and tenants; Businesses, including agricultural businesses and farmers. Communities vary considerably in terms of their characteristics (size, demographics, situation e.g. urban, rural) and needs. Many are in areas of deprivation which are generally harder to reach and require different approaches to engagement to meet their needs. The scope of the engagement needed is primarily in relation to flooding, flood risk and resilience and any measures or matters related to this. A smaller but important element of the scope includes broader coastal change and erosion which may require communities to adapt over time. Some support to coastal authorities is likely to be required, to support planning and implementation of community engagement, as well as developing online content relating to the coast. It is essential that the service provider maintains a neutral, constructive, and professional working relationship with all flood risk management authorities (RMAs). Following flooding incidents, residents and businesses may be highly emotional and urgently seeking explanations, often directing blame towards local councils, water companies, or the Environment Agency. Communities commonly expect authorities to "fix" the issue so that flooding does not recur. These circumstances can make engagement challenging, and careful handling is required. An independent and impartial third-party presence can play a critical role in reducing tensions and supporting the establishment of trust between communities and RMAs. Where this role is undertaken by a third-sector organisation (such as a charity or community interest company), trust can often be built more quickly due to the absence of perceived blame, commercial interest, or expectations of payment. It is therefore vital that the provider does not adopt an adversarial approach or position themselves as acting on behalf of communities against the authorities. Approaches that encourage confrontation, demand action, or assign blame risk inflaming emotions, damaging essential long-term relationships, and creating barriers to effective partnership working. Repairing such damage can require significant effort and time. For this service, we require a provider who will: act in a neutral, balanced, and mutually supportive capacity; help communities to understand the roles and responsibilities of the RMAs; support and complement multi partner engagement activities; assist communities in accessing information, without attributing blame or making demands for action on their behalf. The provider must also be able to navigate the political context of flood risk and resilience with sensitivity and professionalism, maintaining neutrality at all times. They will be expected to work constructively with a wide range of stakeholders, including RMA officers, local councillors, Members of Parliament, the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), the five sub regional Flood and Coastal Risk Management Partnerships, and United Utilities. The provision of a public access website is an essential element of the service which provides a continuous source of up-to-date and consistent information for communities to refer to as they progress along their resilience journey, as well as extending the reach of the engagement activity much further than will ever be possible through direct engagement alone. The Environment Agency holds the intellectual property rights over the content of the website. We expect the selected supplier to take over the management and ongoing development of the website and its content, building on the existing content which has been developed over many years.