This list is by no means exhaustive, and we add to it regularly.

How is the City Office funded?

The City Office currently receives funding from Bristol City Council’s General Fund and from Bristol City Council Public Health. The remainder of funding is supplied by agreement from University Hospital Bristol and Weston (UHBW), North Bristol Trust (NBT), University of Bristol, University of West of England (UWE) and City of Bristol College. These agreements are in place until 2024.

How is the funding spent?

Currently, funding covers staff salaries and some small ongoing costs such as printing and website hosting.

How are members selected?

For five of the seven Boards, membership was refreshed in 2022 with the introduction of an Expression of Interest process, inviting interested parties to apply for a position on a Board. The Expression of Interest process was advertised widely to the city via social media and emails and received over 150 applications for the 90 places. These applications were then anonymised and graded by a panel (different each time) comprising people from external organisations and a technical lead from the council. The Terms of Reference documents detail what is expected of members, including a full code of conduct and an agreed term for membership (available on the One City website).

How are Chairs selected?

All Boards have two Chairs. Currently, Chairs are the Cabinet member for the theme area and a partner in another relevant organisation.

Who makes the Goals within the One City Plan?

The Goals were originally created by combining the business plans and strategies of hundreds of organisations across Bristol as well as thousands of suggestions from hundreds of meetings with Bristol based organisations. These Goals were further refined, after consultation, and then agreed and published in the first iteration of the One City Plan in 2019. There have been two further iterations of the Plan in 2020 and 2021. The second iteration (2020) updated the plan considering the Climate Emergency declaration and
the need to bring forward our carbon neutrality ambition in the plan. The 2021 iteration focused on updating the plan considering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who leads the delivery of the Goals in the One City Plan?

The Goals in the plan are led by members of the One City Boards and Board Support Officers.
Board Support Officers (BSOs) are subject matter experts usually drawn from related Bristol City Council service areas. The Goals are normally delivered by task and finish groups which draw membership from Board members and other organisations relevant to the delivery of the Goal. We invite any organisation that wishes to bring their skills, resources or expertise to tackling a Goal in a collaborative and constructive way.

Who decides on the format of Goal projects?

If a Goal is being undertaken by a Board, it will be co-designed from the outset by the members who are already working on projects relational to the Goal. They can also bring in other partners they recognise as having expertise in the area. If another organisation wishes to undertake a Goal of their own volition, they are welcome to do so, and can inform the City Office of this, though it is not mandatory. If Council officers or partner organisations wish to create a ‘One City Approach’ to a Goal or a theme, they can do so with or without the involvement of the City Office.

Who monitors Goal activity?

When the Goal relates to a discrete project, activity summaries are provided by Board Support Officers. Sometimes, however, progress is harder to quantify, with conversations and workshop sessions unpicking a subject leading to new relationships and activity that delivers after the Goal year. The definition of the project depends on the initial conversations of the Board and current activity in the city. The City Office monitor delivery against the goals and this is included in the City Office Annual Report. The Council monitors its own delivery and involvement in the One City Goals via its annual business plans.

How are communities involved in the One City Plan?

Community organisations are represented on the Boards if they applied and were successful in the Panel decisions. They are also represented by VOSCUR and Black South West Network and our ongoing involvement with their work. City Office regularly attends the Mayor’s monthly Community Development Workers conversations to engage with a wide range of different community groups across the city and have highlighted some of their work through the Many Neighbourhoods, One City project. City Office activity is ‘organisation to organisation’ focused but will collaborate with specific communities if the Goal or project requires.

Which organisations do you work with?

All our Board partners are listed on the One City website. We work with any organisation that strives to improve the lives of others.