2013 has been a year of great learning experiences and challenges! I transitioned from from full time executive leadership back into consultancy. My unique offer was made even more special by having a lot of grounded experience running a LEP. As a result, I have a really good understanding of the current context and purpose of the work I do for my clients. When I went back into consultancy work in August, I didn’t think I’d be quite so busy! I’ve had to delay my budding music career yet again and put my plans for an alt.covers band on ice! Ok I joke (although I never did learn those Ramones covers I meant to), but I was glad to be put to task by a number of great clients, including London Stansted Airport; Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership; Hertfordshire LEP; New Anglia LEP; and the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor Consortium.
Here’s a bit more detail:

2013

This year there have been many great learning experiences. In summer I made the transition from full time interim CEO of a Local Enterprise Partnership into mainstream economics and strategy consultancy work. To be sure I learned a lot from my 18 months at Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, no less leading a new start-up economic development organisation from its initial ambitions into a functioning partnership and agency for change. The challenges were diverse and stretching, and included leadership, board development, strategy and delivery development, and dealing with government process. And then there was the huge challenge of corporate functions and administration on very thin resources, and, not least, managing relationships with a board of 14 and 12 local authority partners. Added to this was the urgent pace of HM Government’s intentions and funding packages for LEPs – and the necessary urgent response on behalf of LEPs.
The transition into more mainstream consultancy work has been very successful – I’d have to thank a number of clients who offered me work almost immediately after they knew I was leaving my interim LEP role – and they include the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor Consortium (LSCC), and Hertfordshire LEP.  The LSCC work proved really interesting and engaging – and you can view some of it here. It also led to some work with London Stansted Airport – which added a decent bit of variety to the mix. Then I was offered the opportunity to refresh the evidence base and analysis of the local economy for New Anglia LEP which was great.
In September I was offered the opportunity to be a Local Growth Advisor under the Local Government Association‘s Local Growth Advisor Scheme. In this scheme, the LGA provides £7,000 in grant funding for local authorities who have successfully bid for project support. I’m pleased to say that Athey Consulting was successful in being asked to help two local authorities with their projects – Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council; and Basildon Council.
At this point it seems appropriate to thank the associates who have worked with Athey Consulting to deliver projects and services to clients – including: Karl Dalgleish (KaDa Research), Richard Potter (Analytics Cambridge) and Hannah Lazarus. They have come in, often at short notice, and contributed significantly. Thanks!
Towards the close of 2013, I was completing a number of consultancy assignments for clients which included: London Stansted Airport; Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership; Hertfordshire LEP; New Anglia LEP; and the London-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor Consortium. I’m engaged in a range of projects from economic audits and analysis; strategic advice; research and development of innovative new funding models; the economic benefits of transport; and advice on projects, initiatives and best practice.

2014 What kind of year do we predict?

2014 will be another challenging year for local economic development organisations and practitioners. Local Growth Strategies and European Funding Strategies have been submitted to HM Government as initial drafts, and will be subject to further clarifications, queries, appraisal and change. Many local growth strategies are not so specific in terms of the details of how ambitions or aims will be realised – i.e. how the money will be spent and the outcomes realised. This will need to be sharpened up, particularly to access European co-financing.
Putting localism to the test in the year running up to the general election. As usual with public policy, once a policy initiative just starts to settle in, make sense and perform, its time to pick things up, shake them about, and review them – changing tack or fundamentally reorganising. Governments and oppositions like to move the goalposts around every few years. Localism will come under hard scrutiny – from all levels of government and all types of political interest. Localism, LEPs and other new intiatives should ideally be judged on a 10- or 20- year timescale, but realpolitik does not work like that. If governments of all hues should learn anything – its to remind themselves that any new structures take at least 2-3 years to bed in and start performing, and then we won’t see any big results until 5+ years. In the case of things like LEPs and Enterprise Zones – we couldn’t have expected fast results with no additional or (in most cases) reduced expenditure in these policy areas.

2014 and Athey Consulting

As 2014 progresses, we’ll  be focusing on our strengths and unique offer to clients. One of our major selling points is quality and commitment – we do work to very high standards. We work in this field because it was a career choice based on interest and commitment to helping local economies succeed. What we offer that many mainstream consultancies do not, is an ability to deliver high impact policy and media ready reports and outputs. And sitting behind the nicely presented and coherent agenda for change for your local economy will be robust, well-informed detail based on practical experience.
Future clients for 2014 include: Sustrans, Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council and the British Chambers of Commerce.
Wishing all our clients, colleagues and friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2014!