How we work

Dodder Valley Partnership is all about working together; we rarely do things completely on our own. The issues we want to tackle are complex and multidimensional, so the solutions are too. We link, cooperate and coordinate; get people and organisations together to share information and avoid doing things that others are already doing. We participate in many local structures, such as the South Dublin County Development Board, the South Dublin Children’s Services Committee, West-Tallaght Rapid and the Tallaght Drugs Task Force.

A good way to describe the Partnership is as a neutral space. We work with people from different organisations in a way that allows them to develop creative and ambitious approaches “at one remove” from their own organisational restraints and priorities. To tackle a complex issue, for instance early school leaving or unemployment, we create a neutral space for stakeholders to meet, share information and develop joint services.

Important values and aspirations that guide our work are to be:

• Innovative and efficient
• Pro-active and responsive to change
• Cooperative, inclusive and empowering
• Challenging, progressive and persistent
• Encouraging ourselves and others to learn

Funding for our work comes mainly from the Irish government, via the Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. We develop additional funding lines on a project-by-project basis.