Tag: economic development

Jul 12 2009

Factors driving area-based analysis

Derrick Johnstone presented on the theme of ‘Identifying the drivers behind the demand for area-based analysis: making the connections’ at the Association of Regional Observatories networking event in Birmingham on 25 June 2009. This provided an opportunity to reflect on our work in Educe on local analysis and research over the previous two or three years, drawing out key issues for regional observatories. Derrick’s presentation can be downloaded here.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=249

May 27 2009

Dudley recession and recovery summits

We were invited by Dudley Community Partnership in the Black Country to facilitate a ‘Recession Summit’ which drew together local partners to discuss the impact of the recession on the borough and appropriate responses, both short term and longer term. This led to the setting up of a task group, an action plan, and a request to Educe to facilitate a meeting between the local authority and bank representatives to explore the scope for collaboration.Derrick Johnstone was subsequently asked to facilitate a ‘Recovery Summit’ in December 2009, inputting on good practice in other areas and helping to draw together the next phase of partner action planning.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=237

May 26 2009

Local Improvement Advisor

Educe Director, Derrick Johnstone was recruited as a member of the national panel of Local Improvement Advisors (LIAs), specialising in leadership and partnership development, performance improvement, local economy/worklessness and data sharing. Support from LIAs was available through Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships to support local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships in improving public services and gaining efficiencies. Assignments, funded by Communities and Local Government, between 2009 and 2011 included:

  • data sharing to tackle worklessness: CLG/DWP pilot programme with Kent, Leeds and Liverpool
  • review of regional research and intelligence capacity in the East Midlands, and subsequent role in support of a follow-up regional project on customer insight and research (for the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership)
  • locality working in West Cumbria (for Allerdale, Copeland and Cumbria local authorities)
  • workshop facilitation to review progress by national partner organisations on recommendations made by the ‘Supporting Local Information and Research’ report (for CLG)
  • research into the use and impact of Working Neighbourhoods Fund (for CLG)
  • Customer Insight Skills Audit, for Humber Innovation Partnership
  • advising on the development of the Doncaster Work and Skills Plan

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=235

Mar 20 2009

SEEDA and Sub-Regional Working

The South East England Regional Assembly undertook a Select Committee (scrutiny) investigation into SEEDA and Sub-Regional Working. We were commissioned with Makesfive to prepare the Context and Issues paper, feeding into the Select Committee held on 16 January 2009.
The focus was in particular on how effectively SEEDA’s approach to working with a range of partners and partnerships at sub-regional level helps to deliver both the Regional Economic Strategy and address local needs and priorities.The South East England Regional Assembly subsequently published its report and recommendations (112KB. These sat within the context of implementation of the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR), and related to:
  • the need for greater co-ordination and alignment, notably through a joint approach to locality investment planning
  • extending the cross-organisational task force approach within SEEDA in tackling specific issues, including work around ‘priority places’
  • supporting and enabling co-ordination of local economic assessments
  • improving communications, including dissemination of research and evaluation and strengthening the use of the SEEDA website

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=230

Jun 08 2008

RDAs and Sub-Regional Partnerships

SEEDA/SEEP Review
Review of relationships between SEEDA (South East Economic Development Agency) and the 11 South East Economic Partnerships (SEEPs) to identify improvements and set up partnership agreements, in context of new core funding from SEEDA. (Project with Makesfive ltd in 2001). We were invited a year later to facilitate a review of progress and the extent of mutual benefits through collaboration.

Advantage West Midlands/ SRP Review
Review of partnership structures and relationships between Advantage West Midlands and sub-regional economic development partnerships (2002)

See also our subsequent review of SEEDA and Sub-Regional Working, for the South East England Regional Assembly.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=213

Jun 07 2008

City Growth Strategies

Advisory role as member of national Resource Team (2002-04) for City Growth Strategies (CGS) – a national pilot programme, funded by the Small Business Service of the Department of Trade and Industry (now BIS). CGS promoted a market-led approach to turning round disadvantaged areas, concentrating on economic potential rather than social problems. Key features included: giving business a leading role in strategy development; ensuring a robust evidence base; and capitalising on business clusters to drive productivity improvements and local prosperity.Treasury and DTI backing for CGS was inspired by Michael Porter and Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) in the USA. The national CGS programme sought to spread lessons from the pilots and draw on US ideas and experience.Nottingham, Plymouth, St Helens, and four parts of London were selected to take part in the first round in 2001, followed in a second round by Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Portsmouth, and three more parts of London.Overview of CGS prepared for Renewal.net ( pdf  83KB), plus case studies of Nottingham ( pdf  76KB) and St Helens ( pdf  84KB).

Permanent link to this article: https://www.educe.co.uk/?p=207