The motivation to form an Accord must start at a local level. Local communities can be confronted by common issues such as transport issues, residential issues and problem patron offences. So there is a common interest in identifying solutions.

Quite often, the need for an Accord emerges following concerns about particular issues, such as late night trading or premises in residential areas.

What area is to be covered by the Accord? The answer usually lies in geographical boundaries. For example, a police licensing coordinator may wish to develop an Accord for licensed premises in the local area command, a council may opt for an Accord covering their local government area, or another convenient area may be appropriate.

Whatever the area, it must be local, and easily managed by the coordinator.

Enlisting the right people and maintaining their support is critical.

It is important to seek involvement from people/groups who are impacted by the issues in your area. Consider including representatives from:

• liquor licensees
• Police
• Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing
• Emergency Services
• your local council
• business and community leaders 
• neighbourhood watch
• body corporate managers
• transport providers
• entertainment or sporting clubs and venues

The Accord will provide a forum for these stakeholders to share their views, concerns and expectations as you work together for solutions.

The establishment of a steering committee should be one of the first goals.

The role of the committee is to drive the development of the Accord - from idea to working group to implementing strategies.

Steering committee responsibilities include:

1. determining committee composition
2. determining the Accord area
3. gathering key data including a list of all liquor outlets by type, offences committed, and problem locations
4. identifying key local issues
5. identifying and inviting the participants to the Accord
6. coordinating meetings
7. ensuring inclusive communication across all stakeholders
8. coordinate promotion of the Accord
9. developing an evaluation plan
10. preparing a draft Accord document for review by participants
11. identifying strategy options for review by participants
12. coordinating strategy implementation

The steering committee seeks support from the Accord participants.

Be sure that Accord participants are willing to contribute time and resources to strategies. "There is no free lunch" and successful Accords are driven by equal contribution from all members - contributing ideas and contributing to the actions to implement strategies.

The second step in setting up and Accord is to nominate an Accord Coordinator.

The Accord Coordinator provides a central point of communication and management of the Accord. The coordinator should:

• ensure regular communication between the participants. This can be achieved by regular meetings, newsletters, and e-mails.
• monitor the Accord initiatives and report to stakeholders.
• coordinate the delegation of tasks to Accord participants.
• ensure the continuity and relevance of the Accord.

Liquor Accords focus on developing local solutions for local issues.

Strategies that are successful in one particular area might not be appropriate for another. For example, late night transport provided by way of shuttle bus and coaches is extremely successful in getting people out of an area with a limited taxi service. However, this strategy may be irrelevant in dealing with anti social behaviour during daylight hours in an area well serviced by public transport.

Each accord may have unique strategies to address issues specific to the geographical location and patrons who frequent that area.  Specific examples are outlined in the Liquor Accord strategy examples.

Accord members should seek and obtain separate legal advice on the implications of trade practices laws and other legal requirements before adopting liquor Accord strategies.

Accords should prepare a formalised Accord document that is signed by all the participants.

There is no need to prepare a lengthy and detailed document. The simple ones often work best.

Samples can be found on the Liquor Accords document samples page.

There is nothing secret about Accords. The more people who know what is going on, the greater the chances of success.

Promotion of the Accord is about letting people know what the liquor industry, government agencies and the community are doing to enhance community wellbeing. It also serves to get other stakeholders on board, including those who may have been cautious at first.

You should consider advising the local media outlets of the Accord and perhaps even provide them a media release or photo opportunity.

An Accord theme often provides a catch phrase that encapsulates the purpose of the Accord strategy.

Another way of letting people know about your Accord is to print Accord posters, stickers and drink coasters. Please note that the logos and promotional material used by other Accords may be copyright protected. You should always check before using any published material.

Although not expensive to manage and maintain, accords can be supported by a small subscription fee. A fee may be used to cover the costs associated with newsletters and promotional material.

Local councils and government agencies may provide additional support by way of a special grant. Alternatively, suppliers and service providers for your members may also provide sponsorship. Sponsors should be approved by all Accord members.

Like every stage of the Accord development and management, how you launch your Accord is up to you.

Some of the more formal launches have included the attendance of a Minister, local parliamentarians, senior government officials and industry leaders. These types of launches may be useful in attracting media interest to promote the Accord to the broader community.

Evaluating the Accord need not be onerous, but is critical. You need to know whether your Accord is successful and why. Evaluation can help gauge whether the accord needs refinement, and how this should be done.

Evaluation can involve just a telephone call to stakeholders. For example, keeping in touch with a licensee and getting feedback, asking the police if there is a reduction in alcohol related offences, and asking the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing if there is a reduction in liquor related complaints in the area.

The evaluation process should be formalised by way of developing agreed standards and leading indicators.

Successful Accords are often about eliminating the pitfalls and traps that impede success. Some of the more common mistakes include:

• making the Accord too formal and rigid
• selecting unmanageable or irrelevant boundaries
• establishing unrealistic objectives
• putting unreasonable demands on the industry
• irrelevant or superfluous strategies
• lack of leadership or drive
• lack of monitoring
• lack of feedback
• not including all types of licensees in the Accord