What capacities and capabilities are needed to deliver local and regional economic development?

by | Oct 17, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Hi folks – looking for some help. I’m working on a project where I’m trying to analyse the funding and resourcing environment for economic development and regeneration in the UK, against what I think are the essential elements of a government and administrative system.

I have these mapped out as follows, which a simplified model, based on my career experience. The basic premise I’m working on right now is – if these are all required to help ensure successful local economic development and regeneration – has the funding environment been configured to enable this?

Would you change anything or add anything else?

  1. Clarity of mission: coherent policy objectives
  2. Enabling machinery of government: that the MOG is a coherent system and is configured to meet the policy objectives
  3. Analytical and strategic capability: to identify, target, design and deliver responses that meet local needs and opportunities
  4. Resources and factor inputs: capital, infrastructure, technology, skills and labour required for economic outputs and production.
  5. Funding for services, activities and investments: to support local economic growth, development and regeneration
  6. Co-production: the relationships, shared understanding and partnerships to successfully collaborate and deliver
  7. Institutional remit, powers, responsibilities: to apply for, hold, and disburse government funds and to ensure due diligence, value for money, and to evaluate performance, efficiency and effectiveness.
  8. Institutional delivery capability: to design, manage and deliver actions and services to help develop and grow the economy
  9. Agility and responsiveness: to adapt and change to economic events, trends, and challenges as they emerge
  10. Long term framework and systems that can develop the capacity, capability, and approaches that are required to deliver positive change in local economies

I’m honestly looking for feedback here – it goes right to the heart of the current project, to appraise the funding environment of the past 10 years against what’s actually required to deliver long term development, growth and regeneration.

If I’ve been quiet on Linkedin – its always a reflection of a busy caseload for clients as well as some interesting pro-bono work occupying my time. I’ll have more time to reflect on some of these projects and issues after Easter.

Cheers

Glenn

About Glenn

Glenn runs his own consultancy, Mylocaleconomy. We help local leaders translate their economic ambitions into winning advocacy and solutions that get funded. We work all over the UK โ€“ from the Highlands of Scotland to Wales, Bristol, Teeside, North East England, Gloucestershire, London, Cambridgeshire and Sussex.

Glenn has 28 years of experience working in local and regional economic development and urban regeneration, including 12 years working in the public and non-profit sectors, 12 years as a consultant, and 4 years in academia.

We love challenging assignments, complex opportunities, and intractable problems. Our vocation is to help city, region and local economies succeed and for prosperity to be sustainable and shared.

Get in touch via LinkedIn messaging, call 07799880137, or use the contact form on our website.

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