In December 2008 CRP’s Angus Kennedy was appointed a Local Improvement Advisor (LIA).  Angus is authorised to offer help and advice to Strategic Partnerships in the areas of Leadership and Partnership Development, Stronger Communities and Performance Management. 

Local Improvement Advisors have replaced Neighbourhood Renewal Advisors (NRAs).  Both Donald McIntosh and Angus Kennedy were NRAs.  LIAs are appointed by Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) under the umbrella of the Government’s National Improvement and Efficiency strategy. 

The primary role of an LIA is to provide advice and support services to Strategic Partnerships delivering Local Area Agreements.  The LIA’s role is to help Partnerships to do things by themselves, by offering face-to-face advice, helping them to marry their local knowledge of problems and solutions with approaches that have been shown to work elsewhere.