Corporate Plan 2008-2011

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Contents

1. Executive Summary 2

2. Review of Current Economic Position 7

3. Policy Context 10

4. Review of Progress against Corporate Plan 2005-2008 17

5. Corporate Objectives, Key Priorities and Themes 19

6. Working together to Deliver the RES 50

7. Evaluation and Performance Management 56

8. Organisational Change 58

9. Resource Plan and Estates Policy 59

Annexes and Tables 61

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The Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) exists to lead the sustainable economicgrowth1 of England’s Northwest. The region hasagreed a strategic vision, clear priorities and targetsthrough the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). TheRES also sets out the actions, which the region hasagreed are vital to delivering its vision at regional,sub-regional and local level. It therefore provides theoverarching context for all the Agency’s activities.

The Agency contributes to these RES actions directlythrough its own investment programme with partnersand by using its strategic influence and responsibilitiesto lead and align the work of private, public andvoluntary community sector partners with specificresponsibility for delivering specific actions.

The Agency’s role is to provide strategic leadership toensure that the region as a whole prioritises actions andachieves sustainable economic development throughimplementation of the RES.

The NWDA has made excellent progress over the period2005/8 against its previous Corporate Plan. This wasrefreshed in the light of the updated RES in 2006. Inparticular real progress has been made on a range ofthose actions which the region agreed would have themost transformational impact. This includes themediacity:uk development, the creation of Business LinkNorthwest, the opening of the University of Cumbria andthe launch of the Climate Change Action Plan. ThisCorporate Plan sets out the next stage of NWDA’sdevelopment, enhancing its strategic and commissioningrole and delegating delivery and project decision makingto sub-regional and local organisations.

This Plan is NWDA’s response to the changesannounced by Government in the ComprehensiveSpending Review and Sub National Review on EconomicDevelopment and Regeneration (SNR); in whichGovernment set out proposals to:

• Ensure that all localities and regions have the opportunities for sustainable economic growth.

• Encourage greater joint working across Local Authorityboundaries in sub and city regions.

• Ensure decisions are taken and delivery managed at the most appropriate level, with RDAs moving more toa programme rather than project approach and delegating more responsibility for project funding decisions to a range of organisations as appropriate.

• Integrate the range of regional strategies - economic (RES), spatial including transport (RSS) and housing (RHS) - into a Single Regional Strategy. Regional Development Agencies will have executive responsibility to work with partners and developing these strategies on behalf of each region. There will be an enhanced role for Local Authorities, who will be fully involved in strategy development, sign off, scrutiny and implementation of the single strategy. Upper tier Local Authorities will also have a duty to produce an economic review of their area.

The Government proposes that the economic growthobjective for each region should be to increasesustainably its trend rate of growth (measured in terms ofGVA/head) in comparison with its trend growth over themost recent full economic cycle. This objective will beembedded within the Single Regional Strategy.Government recognises that overall growth rates aresignificantly influenced by international and nationalfactors/decisions as well as investment decisions takenwithin the region.

1. Executive Summary

2

1‘Sustainable growth’ here and throughout this document refers toeconomic growth which can be sustained and is within environmentallimits, but also enhances the environment and social welfare, andavoids greater extremes in future economic cycles.

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In RES 2006, the region set itself an aspiration to growGVA (not GVA/head) above the England average. This isconsistent with but more challenging than theGovernment’s own target, particularly given the changein economic outlook since the RES was published. ThisCorporate Plan covers the period 2008/09 to 2010/11and sets out objectives and investments consistent withNWDA contributing its full part to achieve priorities andambitions agreed in the RES. It therefore sets out howthe Agency will:

• Continue to deliver the Regional Economic Strategy (RES)

• Contribute to delivery of the regional growth objective and Regional Economic Performance Public Service Agreement (REP PSA2)

• Deliver new responsibilities and duties arising from theComprehensive Spending Review settlement and Review of Sub-National Economic Development

Government has also changed the current RDA TaskingFramework and will instead monitor RDAs against thedelivery of their Corporate Plans. Government willmonitor the progress of regional economies against theGVA/head objective and five outcome focused indicators– GVA/hour worked; Employment rates; Basic,Intermediate and Higher Level Skills rates; R&D as apercentage of GDP; and Business start-up rates. RDACorporate Plans must show how they contribute to thisgrowth objective as well as to the principles ofSustainable Development and Economic Opportunity forAll.

The Northwest economy has performed well over thelast few years but all the evidence suggests thatmaintaining growth in the next few years is going to betougher for the region. The longer-term impact of theinternational credit crisis nationally and its impactsregionally; high energy and foodstuffs prices, and theirdisproportionate effect on the Northwest due to the sizeand nature of our manufacturing sector are all factors.Tighter controls on central government spendingnationally could also have a greater impact on theNorthwest due to the importance of public sectoremployment. The demographics of an ageing population,reduction of the working age population and the role ofinternational migration will also have major effects on theeconomy.

NWDA has agreed to high efficiency savings as part ofits CSR settlement and its overall budget will be reducedby around 5% per annum over the next three years. Thismeans that the resources available to invest insupporting projects and programmes will reduce fromtheir current annual level of £393m to £339m by2010/11. Given the growth objective set out above, thechallenging economic conditions and the reducedresources available, this plan has therefore beendeveloped to support tough choices over the next threeyears. A summary of the expected total income andexpenditure over the life of this plan is given below.

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2 This PSA is “To make sustainable improvements in the economicperformance of all English regions, and over the long-term reduce thepersistent gap in the growth rate between the regions”.

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Financial Year 2007/08 £m 2008/09 £m 2009/10 £m 2010/11 £m

Grant in Aid 393.4 391.6 386.5 377.4

EU Programme 8.1 212.2 86.5 72.3

Other 47.9 60.4 29.8 20.4

Total Income 449.4 664.2 502.7 470.1

Expenditure

EU Programme - 211.0 85.3 71.1

NWDA Programme 393.1 392.1 359.1 339.5

Overheads 51.1 55.8 52.8 52.8

Irrecoverable VAT 5.2 5.3 5.5 6.7

Total Expenditure 449.4 664.2 502.7 470.1

The Agency’s Board has therefore agreed 11 corporate objectives based on the RES and designed to improvecompetitiveness and productivity across the region’s Business, People and Places. They reflect the totality of NWDA’sresponsibilities, and focus on delivery of the specific actions in the Regional Economic Strategy on which NWDAleads delivery. These are summarised below:

Competitive Business

1 Support the development of internationally competitive sectors

2 Improve the formation, survival and growth rates of enterprises

3 Develop higher added value activity through innovation

4 Realise opportunities from globalisation

Competitive People

5 Develop leadership and management skills in the current workforce

6 Stimulate demand for higher level skills in the current workforce

7 Grow the size of the workforce

Competitive Places

8 Support the development of major employment sites and premises

9 Improve the physical conditions for private sector investment

10 Adapting to climate change and increasing sustainable resource use

11 Improve the image of the region to businesses and visitors

Income and Expenditure Summary

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Against each objective, this Plan sets out the specificrationale for our investment and the main outcomes weare seeking to achieve, along with high level details ofthe activity that will be delivered to meet theseobjectives. The Plan also highlights important sub-regional variations and a summary of the main outcomesand activities we are pursuing in each sub-region isincluded in section 5.

In setting out how these objectives are to be delivered,this Corporate Plan is clear that NWDA’s role is changing,moving away from direct delivery of actions to strategicengagement and commissioning. This will require animportant shift in culture and organisational skills andcapacity within NWDA. This Corporate Plan thereforemarks the start of a fundamental shift in our relationshipswith many partners. NWDA will work with partners toensure that delivery resources and capacity are locatedwithin the most appropriate organisation at the point ofdelivery. This delegation of project decision making willoccur within agreed strategic programmes set out in thisplan and may involve a range of delivery organisations,including Universities, Special Purpose Vehicles as wellas Local Authorities and Sub-Regions where appropriate.Delivery may continue to be regional where the evidenceshows this is most effective (e.g. Business Support), withappropriate sub-regional and local level involvement inthe design and commissioning of such interventions.

Change Programme

Change will be achieved through a major programmeover 2008/09 covering Agency systems, structures andskills. Specifically over the life of this plan we will:

• Ensure the integration of the 11 corporate objectives to achieve the best outcomes possible for the region by strengthening cross NWDA working in line with our corporate values (see below)

• Work closely with sub-regions and Local Authorities including through Local Area Agreements and emerging Multi Area Agreements to strengthen our arrangements for delegation to the most appropriate spatial level and move towards contracting with relevant organisations on a programme management

basis. In the light of Government consultation on SNR and plans for subsequent legislation, we will work withpartners to develop specific proposals about how increasing delegation, with a range of organisations may work in practice. During 2008/9 NWDA will also implement a programme management approach internally to support further delegation in future. This may also require capacity building work with appropriate partners to ensure that the right skills and systems are in place to enable delegation without risking reduction in effectiveness of the delivery of economic development objectives.

• Plan investments on the basis of the RES and priorities set out in Action Plans agreed by each sub-region which set out how the RES is delivered in those places.

• Work closely with NWRA to develop and support any successor arrangements, which ensure strong co-ordinated local authority involvement in discussing and agreeing priorities within the new Single RegionalStrategy and in scrutinising its delivery.

• Develop the new Single Regional Strategy (subject to CLG’s detailed consultation) working in close partnership with Local Authorities and Sub-regions, and specifically with NWRA and GONW through the Regional Strategy Team. We will develop and enhancethe role of the RES Advisory Group to become an important mechanism to support the development of the Single Regional Strategy involving a wide range ofregional and local private, public and voluntary/community sector partners. Subject to legislation, RDAs may become the regional planning body during this corporate plan period.

• Respond to the second round of Regional Funding Allocations, RSS partial review, Planning Bill, Housing Green Paper and work with the new Homes and Communities Agency, in partnership with NWRA and GONW as appropriate

• Manage the new ERDF programme through formalised partnership working and the Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC).

• Strengthen collaboration with ONE North East and Yorkshire Forward through ensuring the Northern Way takes an evidence based approach focusing on the agreed pan-regional priorities of transport, innovation and private sector investment

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• Work in partnership with all RDAs and Government Departments to deliver our RDA lead role responsibilityaround Skills.

• Support the delivery of Business Support Simplificationobjectives in the region.

RDAs have been given new responsibilities in relation tothe Technology Strategy Board, Economic Shocks andSkills Brokerage. This Corporate Plan outlines howNWDA intends to respond to these.

In delivering this plan, we will support the principles ofsustainable development and equality and diversity andeconomic opportunity for all which are embedded withinthe RES. The Agency is also committed to carrying outsustainability appraisals and Equality ImpactAssessments for all relevant activities and programmesand will expect delivery partners to take the sameapproach.

The need to grow the workforce and ensure higher levelsof economic growth and economic activity requires theresponse to the demographic change agenda to beconsistently embedded across all component parts ofthis plan. The Regional Equality and Diversity Strategy isrecognised as a transformational activity and we are fullycommitted to the proper implementation of theseagendas in an integrated manner through the RES andthe Corporate Plan.

The Corporate Plan has been subject to an Equality andDiversity and Sustainable Development appraisal and wehave incorporated the results of this within the CorporatePlan. We have also published the assessment includingour response and this is available to view on our website.

The NWDA is committed to the full use of evaluationevidence to inform its decision making and furtherimprove the effectiveness of future programmes. Wehave strengthened our approach to evaluation during2007 and will embed this within the organisation duringthis Corporate Plan period. We have developed a threeyear evaluation plan and toolkit covering all projects andprogrammes. By using evaluation to influence futuredecision making the Agency will further embed learningand ensure efficient and effective projects andprogrammes are developed in response to agreedregional priorities.

This Corporate Plan sets out our strategic plans andpriorities over the next three years. The Agency willsupport the implementation of this Corporate Plan bypublishing an annual Business Plan which will set outour plans for that year in more detail.

Our Values and Behaviours

Six core values and behaviours guide the way we workand do business with others. These are;

Motivation: Valuing staff by giving encouragement,praise and recognition, celebrating individual and teamachievements and successes and ensuring staff enjoythe work they do;

Openness: Communicating and sharing information;always operating in an environment that encouragestwo-way communication and stimulates debate;

Belief: Confidence and trust in what we do and why wedo it; applying ourselves professionally and withcommitment; taking responsibility for our actions byempowering decision making and delegating effectively;

Respect: Honesty in the way we work with and relate tocolleagues, partners and customers; In line with ourequality and diversity policies ensure we show respectfor others and have consideration for the views andbeliefs of others;

Integration: Including and valuing others across theAgency; successfully working within and across teams;ensuring integration with partners;

Excellence: Striving for continual improvement byencouraging creativity, efficiency and innovation andactively supporting personal development; encouraginga learning environment whereby activities are reviewedand improvements are identified and shared.

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2. Review of Current Economic Position

Headline GVA growth in the Northwest in 2006 was forecast to be 2.2%, close to that in 2005. Forecast growth isexpected to be stronger at 2.3% in 2007. Table 1a below illustrates the forecast growth over the Corporate Plan period;GVA growth is forecast to slow to 2.1% in 2008, before recovering to 2.2% in 2009 and to 2.5% in 2010.

However GVA/head growth has been a lot slower in the Northwest and the UK at just 1.5% and 1.8% respectively.Forecast of regional GVA/head growth, albeit, from a different source, are also lower than forecast for GVA asshown in table 1b below.

TABLE 1a: REAL GVA GROWTH WITHIN THE NORTHWEST (% pa)

2007 2008 2009 2010

Cheshire 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.9 Cumbria 1.7 2 2.2 2.5Greater Manchester 2.7 2.1 2.2 2.5 Lancashire 1.9 1.9 2 2.3Merseyside 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.3

Northwest 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.5UK 2.4 2.1 2.4 3.2

Source(s): Panel Forecasts, October 2007 and Cambridge Econometrics.

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3 These forecasts are not based on latest ONS Regional Accountsfigures (released Dec 2007) and latest ONS Population Estimates(revised August 2007)

TABLE 1b: GVA/HEAD GROWTH WITHIN THE NORTHWEST (% pa)

2007 2008 2009 2010

Cheshire 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.6Cumbria 1.5 2.3 0.2 1.5Greater Manchester 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.2 Lancashire 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.5Merseyside 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7

Northwest 1.7 1.9 1.6 1.8UK 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.4

Source: Experian Business Strategies Economic Forecasting Model3

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As mentioned earlier, as well as the growth objective of GVA/head, Government will also monitor progress of regionaleconomies against 5 other indicators. Baseline data for these 5 indicators is given below.

Sectoral growth in the region has been mixed with strong growth in construction related sectors, government/publicsector, transport and communications. Financial and business services are also expected to grow strongly in 2007.Current forecasts are predicting slower future growth, in line with the Government’s own projections.

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Source(s): Panel Forecasts, October 2007 and Cambridge Econometrics.

OutcomeIndicator

TABLE 2: NORTHWEST SECTOR OUTPUT

% growth pa

2007

2008

2009

2010

1.9

0.1

-0.3

0.7

-4.3

1.5

-0.9

0.3

1

0.9

1.2

1.9

0.6

2.6

2

1.2

2.5

1.5

1.2

1.2

2.7

1.8

2.3

2.8

4.1

2.6

2.8

3

4.2

3.4

3

4

1.7

2

1.9

1.8

2.3

2.1

2.2

2.5

Agr

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ture

Min

ing

and

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Man

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ng

Ele

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, Gas

and

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Dis

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ng

Tran

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unic

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Fina

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l and

busi

ness

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Gov

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and

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Tota

l

Description/Measure of Indicator(UK100)

NW Baseline All EnglandRegions Baseline

Productivity GVA per hour indices 91 102

Employment Employment rates, showing proportion ofworking age population in work (%)

72 % 74%

Enterprise

Note: It has now been agreed, in line with other European countries, that Enterprise should be measured by a new data seton businesses registering for PAYE. We will switch to the new measure as soon as statistics are available later this year.

Number of VAT start-ups per 10,000 workingage population

42 50

Skills Percentage of working age population with

a) Basic skills; b) Intermediate; and c) Higher level skills attainments

78% 44% 25%

78% 45% 27%

Innovation a) Business R&D expenditure as a proportion ofGVA (%);

b) Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D as aproportion of GVA (%)

1.8%

2.3%

1.3%

2.0%

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Employment in the Northwest is forecast to grow by justunder 0.5% in 2007 compared to a fall of 1% 2006.Falls in manufacturing and construction employment in2007 are forecast to be offset by increases in financial &business services, government and other services and intransport and communications. Overall employmentgrowth in the region is likely to slow further in 2008 and2009 to average around 0.25% pa, before strengtheningto 0.5% in 2010 as general recovery takes hold.

The main risks to the economy include:

• The longer-term impact of the international credit crisisnationally and regionally;

• High energy and foodstuffs prices, which have a disproportionate effect on the Northwest due to the size and nature of our manufacturing sector;

• Tighter controls on government spending nationally could have a greater impact on the Northwest due to reliance on public sector employment;

• Ageing population and reduction of the working age population could stem the current growth of the economy in the Northwest, although there will be significant opportunities from international migration

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The Government’s review of Sub National EconomicDevelopment and Regeneration (SNR) reported in July.The review sets out specific policy changes in someareas, whilst in others it signalled further consultation.SNR sets a policy framework for England as a whole, butreflects the existing direction which partners in theNorthwest have set and enables us to build on thestrong partnership and sub-regional approach which wehave put in place.

NWDA will take on a number of new responsibilitiesduring the corporate plan period arising from the CSRand SNR. NWDA will:

• Have responsibility for drawing up a single regional strategy covering economic, transport, housing, planning, social and environmental objectives bringingtogether the RES, RSS and RHS and will include a delivery plan and resources as set out below.

• Be tasked around outcomes (with no output targets) with the focus on a single overarching growth objective for the region – GVA per head.

• Reform its delivery moving more from projects to programmes and delegating decisions to local and sub-regional level, where appropriate, taking account of Multi Area Agreements (MAA) and Local Area Agreements (LAA) where they have been agreed and are consistent with agreed regional economic priorities.

• Work within a reformed accountability framework which will see the Regional Assembly cease in its current role and function by 2010 but will involve LocalAuthority scrutiny and accountability, and the role of the new Regional Minister.

This plan, and the Corporate Objectives we have agreed,incorporates NWDA’s response to, and implementationof, the findings of the SNR. It also reflects the wide rangeof other policy changes in the field of economicdevelopment such as the Leitch report, the nationalEnterprise Strategy, the new Planning Bill, Housing GreenPaper and the Eddington report.

The SNR signals a fundamental shift in the way we doour business. We will increasingly shift away from beinga delivery organisation to being a strategic organisation.Listening to our major partners, particularly in sub-regions and local authorities, we will ensure that prioritiesare set which align to the RES and let partners makedetailed project decisions. NWDA will retain importantdelivery functions around business support, whereGovernment has endorsed regional delivery models toensure maximum efficiency and economies of scale andsupport Business Support Simplification. SRP ActionPlans (SRAPs), Local Area Agreements (LAAs) and MultiArea Agreements (MAAs) are an important step in thisdirection and they have been, and will continue to be,influential in scoping our priorities in this Corporate Plan,which does not make project level commitments. NWDAwill focus on strategy and the management of deliverythrough strategic programmes to ensure outputs andoutcomes are achieved in line with the future region’sSingle Strategy. Achieving this will take time andconsiderable change, but we are very clear about thejourney that we are on. This Corporate Plan marks thestart of that fundamental change.

3. Policy Context

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Overarching Growth Objective

The Government proposes that the economic growthobjective for each region should be to increasesustainably its trend rate of growth (measured in terms ofGVA per head) in comparison with its trend growth overthe most recent full economic cycle. As set out earlier, inRES 2006, the region set itself an aspiration to grow GVA(not GVA/per head) above the England average. This isconsistent with but more challenging than theGovernment’s own target, particularly given the changein economic outlook since the RES was published.

This Corporate Plan sets out objectives and investmentconsistent with NWDA contributing its full part toachieving priorities and ambitions agreed in the RES,

although it must be recognised that NWDA action alonewill not enable RES aspirations to be achieved. Thesewill only be achieved by all partners aligning their activitywith the vision and priorities set out in the existing RESand future Single Regional Strategy.

As outlined above, as part of SNR, Government haschanged the RDAs’ Tasking Framework. NWDA’sperformance will be judged based on the progress wemake against the objectives set out in this plan. Theregion as a whole will be monitored against theGVA/head objective and Government will also measureprogress in the Northwest on the basis of 5 indicators:

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Outcome Indicator

1 Productivity GVA per hour indices

2. Employment Employment rates, showing proportion of working age population in work

3. Skills Percentage of working age population with basic, intermediate and higher level skills attainments

4. Innovation Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D as a proportion of GVA Business; Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D as a proportion of GVA

5. Enterprise Number of VAT start-ups per 10,000 working age population

Note: It has now been agreed, in line with other European countries, that Enterprise should be measured by a new data set onbusinesses registering for PAYE. We will switch to the new measure as soon as statistics are available later this year.

These are consistent with RES targets and indicators andall are priorities for action within the Northwest. It is ourintention to monitor progress against these indicators aspart of the RES monitoring process, and this will includesub-regional data wherever possible. It must also berecognised that action in some of these areas (e.g. basicskills) while important for the region and a priority in theRES, will be delivered by partners other than NWDA (e.g.LSC). We will continue to work through the RegionalSkills and Employment Board to support delivery of basicskill and level 2.

GVA/head is the current nationally accepted measure ofeconomic growth, although Northwest partners areconcerned that it does not present a full picture ofeconomic activity and wellbeing within the region. Thereare also important limitations in its use and calculation.There will also be a range of circumstances in which thisGVA/head objective should be reviewed and we suggestthat these should be as follows:

• A sudden shock to the regional economy e.g. industrial crises or natural disasters, which have the potential to create substantial economic dislocation and impact severely on business;

Description/Measure of Indicator

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• At the time of Government Spending reviews;

• When the Regional Economic Strategy (in due course,the single Regional Strategy) is produced or updated;

• When the Office for National Statistics revises historic data series.

Developing a Single RegionalStrategy

GONW, NWDA and NWRA have worked closely withpartners to ensure close alignment between the RES,RSS and Regional Housing Strategy, through theRegional Strategy Team. Government has now askedNWDA to lead on the development of a single regionalstrategy. The Northwest has agreed that it will move asquickly as possible to a Single Regional Strategy and isintending not to update the RES in 2009, but to movestraight to a single strategy, in 2010 (subject to thenecessary legislation).

NWDA will work closely with the NWRA and GONW todevelop this Single Regional Strategy and work withNWRA on successor arrangements to the RegionalAssembly. Local Authority engagement is particularlyimportant to NWDA and the region given the housingand planning elements of the new single strategy andLAs strengthening role in economic development.Ultimately, economic growth is driven by the privatesector and their engagement in the production of aSingle Regional Strategy will be vital. Alongside workingwith LAs, we will also enhance the role of the RESAdvisory Group to become an important mechanism tosupport the development of the Single Regional Strategyinvolving a wide range of private, public andvoluntary/community sector partners, including theHighways Agency, the newly formed Homes andCommunities Agency, Environment Agency, NaturalEngland, LSC, NHS, HE/FE and Jobcentre Plus to ensurethat their work informs, complements and contributes tothe priorities to be agreed in the regional strategy. Wewill seek to ensure that the 3rd sector plays anincreasing role in delivering RES Objectives working inpartnership with other regional and national bodies to

ensure this sector has the capacity to rise to thischallenge. On housing issues we will also liaise closelywith the National Housing Planning Advisory Unit asappropriate.

NWDA, NWRA and GONW have agreed the productionof a single and common evidence base to develop thesingle Regional Strategy, and also to inform the PartialReview of the Regional Spatial Strategy due to occur in2008.

Existing research on health, housing, transport, spatialand land use planning will be integrated into thiscommon evidence base over the next twelve months,reducing duplication of resources and the potential forconflicting evidence bases.

An SNR transition report issued by Government inDecember 2007 stated that 2010 would be the earliestdate at which the RDA's could take on the newresponsibilities for the Single Regional Strategy.Government has promised a detailed consultation paperon the issue in 2008. During the summer of 2008,subject to the national consultation on SNR, we will, withpartners, develop specific proposals around thetimetable for, and format of, a Single Regional Strategy inthe Northwest.

The Agency will retain its responsibilities as a SpecificConsultation Body and a Statutory Consultee under theterms of the current planning legislation. It will continueto contribute to the development of SustainableCommunity Strategies, Local Development Frameworks;other strategies for regeneration; consultation on majorapplications; the Partial Review of RSS; the ProposedChanges to RSS; the review of the Regional HousingStrategy; the Government's Housing Green Paper andHousing Growth Points; the proposed review of RegionalFunding Allocations for transport and housing; theGovernment's “Towards a Sustainable Transport System”reforms; and the reforms anticipated in the currentPlanning Bill, including National Policy Statements andthe proposed Independent Planning Commission.

In line with the SNR proposals and Local Transport Bill,the Agency will seek to develop effective workingrelationships with the region’s transport authorities andoperators. We recognise the benefits of working in close

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partnership on strategic regional issues which relate tothe future development of a Single Regional Strategy.This will help to support a more integrated approach totransport planning across the region. Working togethershould also help to deliver those RES actions whichseek to develop the region’s transport infrastructure,linking areas of opportunity and need, and supportingthe strategic development of the region’s economy.

We will put in place major research projects tostrengthen our understanding of the linkages betweenelements of the single strategy and fill gaps in theexisting evidence. A summary of the main areas ofresearch underway is included in Annex 1 and includesimportant research priorities agreed with regionalpartners on demographics, worklessness, environmentalconstraints, the link between housing and economicgrowth, and the link between skills and productivity.

This updated evidence base will:

• Stimulate debate and discussion in the development of the next strategy.

• Re-visit the economic factors identified in the RES looking in depth at the evidence available, monitoring progress against outcome indicators and using wider evidence nationally and regionally.

• Identify the need for investment to meet market failures and revisit the challenging questions the region should be seeking to address.

• Identify the comparative advantages and opportunitiesthe Northwest region possesses as a basis for developing the strategy.

Setting NWDA priorities forinvestment

The RES sets out the Region’s twenty-year economicstrategy, together with specific actions required by allregional partners over the period 2006-9. It sets theframework for the regional, as well as sub-regional andlocal action and therefore provides the strategic contextfor all the Agency’s activities. The NWDA has an overallleadership responsibility to guide the region indevelopment and delivery of the RES and to ensure thatprogress against the RES is delivered, monitored andevaluated.

Progress in implementing the RES is carefully monitoredand a full report produced on an annual basis, togetherwith a report on progress with Transformational Actionson a six monthly basis. The first full annual reportshowed good progress with most actions, although aneed to avoid regional complacency if the rate ofprogress required for closing vital economic gaps andmeeting RES targets is to be achieved.

The RES recognises the importance of our Core Cities tothe economic performance of the region and as part ofthis we need to pursue actions which will ensure thatpotential “agglomeration” benefits in these cities arerealised and that the “spillover” effects of growth in thesecities leads to growth in surrounding areas andeconomies. This will be particularly important at a time oftighter economic conditions across the country.

The RES sets out agreed specific actions under 5 broadareas. RES Transformational Actions for which NWDA hasa major responsibility or input are set out below. OurStrategic Objectives have been developed to ensure thedelivery of these actions and have been informed by thelatest progress monitoring data and our knowledge ofcurrent and future economic conditions.

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As a growth-focussed strategy, the RES provides asound, well evidenced, basis for the region’s approach toits overarching growth objective. The region hasexamined the factors, which are most likely to influenceGVA per head, and has defined a small number ofrelevant outcome indicators for each priority area orfactor in the RES based on its potential contribution toGVA.

We will monitor these indicators and component parts ofGVA as they change in order to understand the overallimpact on the economy and, as part of the development

of a Single Regional Strategy, we will review theseindicators and agree any further targets the region wantsto set.

Each objective in the Corporate Plan includes impactmeasures (based on these RES outcome indicators),which will be used to enable NWDA to ensure that it iscontributing appropriately to RES delivery. Using existingdata and evaluation evidence, NWDA is also developinga range of outputs that would be most appropriate tocapture and monitor in order to assess whether ourinvestments are contributing to the delivery of these

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Business 1. Transform Business Link 8. Develop key internationally competitive sectors 9. Develop Mediacity:uk 12. Develop higher added value activity through innovation 15 & 16. Exploit the science base and R&D 23. Improve Business Resource Efficiency and Waste support 24. Develop Regional Climate Change Action Plan.

Skills 35. Develop world class management/leadership and corporate socialresponsibility/environmental management skills.

People and Jobs Stimulate economic activity in areas remote from growth: 47. Pennine Lancs; 48. Blackpool; 49. Barrow; 50. West Cumbria; 52. Develop employmentcreation in or near deprived areas, focused on HMR areas, Urban RegenerationCompanies, and Halton and Knowsley; Support and sustain conditions for growth in areaswith strong economic drivers: 54. Liverpool, Manchester and Preston; 55. Crewe,Chester, Warrington, Lancaster and Carlisle; 56. The Rural economy and the RegionalRural Delivery Framework.

Infrastructure 72. Grow Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon Airports. 80. Deliver designated Strategic Regional Sites.

Quality of Life 101. Improve the region’s attack brands and signature projects. 111. Deliver the Regional Equality and Diversity Strategy. 113. Economic benefits of the natural environment; 119. Invest in quality public realm, green space and environmental quality focused on thecities of Liverpool, Manchester and Preston; Tourism attack brand and signature projectlocations and key arrive points; HMR and URC areas; Rural Service Centres.

RES Transformational Actions: NWDA Responsibility

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outcomes. In line with delegation of decision making tothe most appropriate level, NWDA may contract withpartners for the delivery of a range of outcomes oroutputs (related to a programme or programmes ofactivity, rather than individual projects). The outputs/outcomes we set for our programmes will form part ofNWDA’s contracting framework with delivery partners,often on a geographic basis and potentially linked to anMAA or LAA. This revised contracting framework will bedeveloped during 2008/09.

This will enable NWDA to link its investment to outputsfrom specific delivery vehicles and local and sub-regional organisations, through outcomes and ultimatelyto GVA/head (which has a 2-3 year time lag). This isparticularly important where outcome data is notavailable at the sub-regional or local level. This willenable NWDA to be confident that achievement ofoutputs by partners will contribute to achievement of theGVA/head target and to evaluate programmes on thisbasis.

Equality and Diversity

Promoting equality and valuing diversity is at the heart ofeverything that the agency does. Equality is not aminority issue for our region; it is important to everyoneand affects the majority of our local residents andbusinesses.

The BME population make up 5.6% of the region’spopulation, but is heavily concentrated in some of ourmost deprived areas. People of Asian origin have thelowest employment rate, whilst within this group those ofPakistani or Bangladeshi origin account for by far thelowest levels of economic participation of any ethnicgroup in the Northwest. Women are more likely thanmen to have no qualifications and this is reflected inmuch lower average earnings among women than men.The rate of self employment among women in theNorthwest is still below the national rate and below therate for men in the region. Just over one-fifth of theworking age population is registered as disabled –almost a million people in the region. Disabled peopleare over twice as likely as non- disabled people to haveno qualifications and to be economically inactive. Whilstsome disabled people cannot work due to the physicaland mental factors, others face organisational andattitudinal barriers to labour market participation.Employment rates for people aged 45-64 in theNorthwest are four percentage points below the Englandaverage. Those aged 55 and over are disproportionatelyemployed in lower-skilled occupations, lack qualificationsand earn less than other age groups.

Therefore there isn’t just a moral case underpinning ourapproach to equality and diversity but also a businesscase. If we are to secure the economic growth of theregion, develop an entrepreneurial culture and boostproductivity then it is essential that we capitalise on thediversity of the Northwest people and communities.

Equality and Diversity is therefore central to the region’seconomic success and our ability to ensure thateveryone is fully able to participate in our regionaleconomy and society. We will build on our successfulapproach adopted so far and systematically apply the

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use of Equality Impact Assessments to the developmentand appraisal of all programmes and projects supportedby the agency and ensure that we have corporatesystems and processes in place to integrate equality anddiversity into all our policies and programmes. Througheffective leadership and consultation, we will ensure thatour staff and partners understand the economicimportance of the equality and diversity agenda. We willalso pursue some projects that directly support theimplementation of the Regional Equality and DiversityStrategy.

The Agency has made good progress in this area,however an audit in 2007 identified areas forimprovement in our ability to ensure that there was asystematic approach to collating, monitoring andassessing the impact of our policies on the region’sdisadvantaged communities. This corporate plan seeksto build on the progress that we are making whilstaddressing issues raised within the audit. In particular,we have identified three key activities for 2008 whichwill, we believe, further our approach to equalities.

The activities are to;

• develop an agency wide Single Equality Scheme

• continue to mainstream equalities and diversity through ensuring that Equality Impact Assessments are routinely carried out

• invest in our newly formed Equality and Diversity Team

Sustainable Development

The Agency has a legal duty and is committed todelivering sustainable economic development andmeeting its legal objectives. This commitment is in linewith the Government’s ambition of enabling all people tosatisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life,without compromising the quality of life of futuregenerations. It is for this reason that environmentalissues and rural affairs have been integrated andmainstreamed into the corporate plan. The Agency is

committed to the principles of sustainable developmentin line with the clear UK Shared Principles of SustainableDevelopment set out in the RES and included in Annex3. The challenge is to promote sustainable economicgrowth, whilst also seeking to minimise environmentalimpact.

The NWDA in partnership with NWRA and GONW hasinitiated a new 'Northwest Sustainable DevelopmentGroup', setting out an agreed Terms of Reference andproviding secretariat and project development support forthe Group.

The Agency will continually improve our environmentalperformance by putting in place a carbon managementplan for the organisation, including assessment andmonitoring of the carbon emissions of projects fundedthrough the single programme. We will also pursue arange of projects which support the development of alow carbon economy, through improvingcommercial/industrial resource efficiency and wasteminimisation and also via the regional Climate ChangeAction Plan. As part of our ISO14001 commitment, wewill also lead by example and, where appropriate, expectour partners to adopt good practice, including adoptionof an accredited environmental management system. Wehave set a carbon reduction target for the organisationand this is given in Section 6.

Where feasible, we will exploit the opportunities availableto us in this area, identifying and supportingopportunities for sustainable business growth e.g.through provision of business support on green travelplans or siting business parks in close proximity to publictransport hubs etc. However, where the levers of controllie beyond the NWDA, we will use our strategicleadership and influencing role and research to positionthe region to mitigate and adapt to the environmentalchallenges we face.

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4. Review of Progress against Corporate Plan 2005 –2008

In the 2005/06 to 2007/08 Corporate Plan, we set outour Corporate Priorities and how these would supportthe continued delivery of the RES. That Corporate Planwas refreshed once the 2006 RES was produced, whichall partners agreed was the most focused and prioritisedRES to date. In particular we have focused on thosetransformational actions which the region agreed wouldhave maximum impact on sustainable economic growth.A more comprehensive overview of progress andachievements is detailed within the Agency’s AnnualReports and Accounts covering the Corporate Planperiod. These reports are freely available and are notrepeated here.

The previous Corporate Plan also recognised the importance of economic participation for all in achievingsustainable economic growth in the region. There were a number of notable achievements in relation to tacklingdiscrimination in the labour market, promoting enterprise to non-traditional entrepreneurs, supporting people backinto work and influencing policy on reducing skills disparities for equality groups. These are summarised in Annex 4.

Table 3: Total Outputs aggregated 2005/06 to 2007/08

Set out in table 4 below is a summary of keyachievements and examples of progress on delivery ofthe last Corporate Plan. The Agency has performed well,building on the improvements to our systems andapproach we have been implementing since 2003. Weare currently projecting to meet our output targets agreedwith central Government in the 2005 to 2008 CorporatePlan as set out in table 3 below.

In addition, the Agency was one of the first RDAs toundergo the IPA process and was assessed asperforming strongly; the highest grade possible.

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Output Indicator 3 Year AchievedAggregated Total*

3 Year TargetAggregated Min

Total

1. Jobs Created and Safeguarded 60,846 37,600

15,542 3,675

8,494 5,160

4,546 1,710

71,797 41,920

1,087 910

2. Number of people assisted to get a job

5. Investment Levered (£m)

60% 38%5a) % of Private Investment Levered

3. Businesses Created

4a) New Collaborations with the Knowledge Base

4. Businesses Assisted

933 7935f) Brownfield Remediated (Ha)

85,883 33,600 6. Skills Development

2,456 2,175 6a) Number of adults achieving at least NVQ 2

6,027 2,215 6b) Number of adults gaining basic skills

* 2007/08 achieved total is based on forecast outturn figures.

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Table 4: Summary of achievements and examples of progress

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BusinessDevelopment

mediacity:uk - project at Salford Quays, including the BBC’s decision to move 1,500jobs to the site; Successful launch of Business Link Northwest to deliver the BusinessLink service in the Northwest and support the national business simplification agenda forBusiness Link with minimum interruption to businesses; Opening of the National Bio-manufacturing Centre at Speke, flagship Daresbury Science and Innovation Campusand the launch of the Cockcroft Institute. The Agency’s investment in the LiverpoolSchool of Tropical Medicine’s new Centre for Tropical and Infectious Diseases leveredin a further £25 Million grant from the “Gates’ Foundation” and has been awarded statusof Biomedical Centre in Infectious Disease by the DoH Health; Regional co-ordination ofDEFRA’s Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme; the Launch ofResponsibility Northwest In March 2006 - a £3m programme of awareness raising,benchmarking and mentoring for Northwest Businesses on Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR).

Skills & Employment(People and Jobs)

The Agency has been actively supporting the newest of universities, University ofCumbria the Nuclear Academy and a new University Centre for Burnley; Project Unityhas seen the creation of a major University to rival the best in the country; Worklessnessprojects delivered as part of the Northern Way programme have supported 2,159individuals resulting in taking 212 of them being taken off long term incapacity benefits andback into work and 133 people into training; supported three City Employment Strategiesnow up and running in Liverpool, Manchester and Blackburn. The leadership programmehas engaged with over 1,000 through the Northern Leadership Academy programme runby Lancaster University.

Infrastructure A number of significant project completions have been achieved; these include thecompletion of One Central Park in New East Manchester URC area, the opening of thenew Liverpool Cruise Liner Facility. The completion and opening of the new Arena aspart of the successful Kings Waterfront development in Liverpool. Completion of EdgeLane Improvement Programme, in Liverpool. Both Olive Mount Chord and ManchesterAirport Third Platform are under construction and scheduled for completion in December2008. Olive Mount Chord will significantly improve rail freight access to the Port ofLiverpool.

Quality ofLife/Image

Aligning the ERDF, ESF and Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)programmes in the region with the RES; implementing the Natural Economy Northwestprogramme to develop the economic benefit of the region’s natural environment. ThroughAgency stewardship, the region was the first to launch its Climate Change Action Plan,designed to reduce our carbon emissions and will deliver real progress towards a lowcarbon economy for the region. Success in attracting new major events to the region,such as Liverpool Capital of Culture, FINA World Swimming Championships, The TurnerPrize and improvements in the image of the region as a place to live, work and invest.

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5. Corporate Objectives, Key Priorities and Themes

Government is tasking the Agency with identifying ourcontribution to the Northwest single overarching growthobjective. As stated earlier, this Corporate Plan isdesigned to be consistent with the RES aspiration andthe Government GVA/head objective. This will bereviewed as the region produces its Single RegionalStrategy. This section sets out corporate objectivesdesigned to provide NWDA’s contribution to theachievement of a regional growth objective of this naturebased on the priorities set out in the RES.

We have set out the detail behind our objectives,including links to the RES and articulated the rationalefor investment, the outcomes we are seeking to achieve,the broad areas of activity we believe it is right to pursueto achieve those outcomes and the amount ofinvestment we intend to make. Each objective alsoincludes likely spatial implications or investments.

With partners we have undertaken a major study toidentify the market failures associated with each RESaction. This will guide our investment priorities, alongwith research about the regional economy, currentperformance information, and strong monitoring andimpact evaluation.

In developing our objectives we have applied theprinciples of sustainable development, equality anddiversity and economic opportunities for all, includingensuring that these objectives address the challengesfaced by the region’s rural economy and communities,and tackle the barriers faced by some of our underrepresented communities like women, disabled peopleBME and over 50s. In addition the plan has undergone asustainable development and equality and diversityimpact assessment. This approach will be maintained aswe develop the programmes and activities that willenable us to meet our outcomes both internally and withpartners by undertaking Sustainable Development andEquality Impact Assessment for all our activities. The Plantherefore takes an integrated approach to equality, socialand economic inclusion issues in the region through amainstreamed approach to their delivery.

As well as the eleven objectives set out below animportant challenge for NWDA will be responding to ourchanging role as set out in SNR. Ensuring this change isimplemented and that we develop the appropriate skills

and organisational capacity that we require willeffectively become a separate internal corporateobjective. We will draw up a detailed SNRimplementation plan which will set out the detailedactions we will be undertaking and the changemanagement processes will we need to put in place toensure its effective implementation.

Sub-Regional Priorities

The Northwest has developed economic developmentplans – Sub-regional Action Plans (SRAPs) for each sub-region, produced by business led Sub-regionalPartnerships working closely with partners. These plansset out how the RES will be delivered in each sub-regionand identify further sub-regional priorities.

As outlined earlier, increasingly the role of NWDA is oneof strategy and delivery management, ensuring thatpriorities are agreed at a local level which are consistentwith the RES. Within these agreed priorities, we will letothers get on with the detail of project decisions andmanagement, via delegation to the most appropriatespatial level. SRAPs have therefore been very influentialin scoping this Corporate Plan and setting ourinvestment priorities and policies. In line with NWDA’schanged role, this Corporate Plan does not makeindividual project commitments or allocations.

In the light of Government consultation on SNR andplans for subsequent legislation, we will work withpartners to develop specific proposals about howincreasing delegation will work in practice. During2008/9 NWDA will also implement a programmemanagement approach internally to support furtherdelegation in future.

The detail of programme and project investment levelswill alter as individual investments are developed andapproved, often within sub-regions. This will be basedon specific outcomes the region is trying to achieve ineach place to support the RES vision and overallregional growth objective. This will be supported bydevelopments such as Multi Area Agreements and Local

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Area Agreements where they have been agreed, forexample MAA’s in Greater Manchester, Liverpool cityRegion, Fylde Cost and Pennine Lancashire.

The section below gives an indicative view on how theobjectives and programmes set out in this plan willtranslate into priority actions in each of the Northwestsub-regions. The figure for total investment is indicativeonly. The exact nature of investment in future years willonly be finalised as specific projects and programmesare developed with partners.

Cheshire and WarringtonIndicative Total Investment £135 million

Strengthen Cheshire and Warrington’s position as astrongly performing sub-region and contributor toregional GVA, focusing on growth opportunities inChester, Crewe and Warrington through;

Maximising the economic potential of Chester,Crewe and Warrington by enhancing Chester’s roleas a regional tourism attack brand and commercialcentre, including unlocking major development sites,implementing new public realm, railway gateway andmaster planning elements of the Chester Renaissanceprogramme; working with partners to realise thepotential to attract private sector investment intoCrewe and Warrington, including Warrington towncentre master planning, Crewe town centre publicrealm and education facilities, and the Basford andOmega strategic regional sites.

Addressing key employability and skills priorities bysupporting, the sub-regional People and Jobsprogramme to reduce worklessness/raise skill levels,focusing on pockets of deprivation and theestablishment of new skills centres.

Improving business competitiveness and enterpriseby delivering effective regional business supportprogrammes, taking into consideration high growthvalue added sectors in Cheshire and Warringtonincluding pharmaceuticals, banking and professionalservices and innovation; delivering a programme of

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action in deprived areas through the EnterpriseGenerator programme, with specific initiatives aroundenterprise coaching, enterprise culture andimplementation of a Food and Drink Hub.

Strengthening Cheshire and Warrington’s quality ofplace to attract more visitors and private sectorinvestment by supporting Cheshire Year of theGardens and the RHS Show, Jodrell Bank and ChesterZoo master planning; enhancing environmental qualitythrough the REVIVE programme and work withpartners to develop proposals for the Weaver ValleyRegional Park; investment in key regional and sub-regional employment sites including Mid Point 18employment site.

Delivering these priorities will require building effectivestrategic relationships with the new Unitary Authorities(UAs) for Cheshire East and Cheshire West andChester, minimising the impact of the transition to thenew UAs on the delivery of key activities andprogrammes and working with the new Authoritiesand the Sub-Regional Partnership to build appropriateprogramme development and delivery capacity.

CumbriaIndicative Total Investment £155 million

To help the Cumbrian GVA growth to at least aRegional average by focusing on activity aimed at;

Support the expanding role of the University ofCumbria by continuing to support and promote therole of UoC to deliver high level skills across thecounty.

Reducing the gap in performance between theWest Coast and the rest of Cumbria throughinvestment in the implementation of elements of theSpatial Masterplan – Energy Coast; tackling andreducing pockets of worklessness; improving skillsand supporting the growth of entrepreneurialism;maximising the exploitation of opportunities in NuclearDecommissioning and energy related businesses.

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Building on the growth of Carlisle as the City of theSub-region by supporting key development sites inCarlisle City Centre; addressing fundamental businessand employment issues of low wage, low skillsbusiness sectors; build upon the tourism opportunitiesassociated with the historic city and Hadrians Wall.

Supporting the development of the Tourism offer ofthe Lake District National Park and across the widercounty through creating conditions for private sectorinvestment and strengthening the quality of thetourism offer.

Support the continued growth of Barrow byexploiting opportunities around the Waterfront; tacklingand reducing pockets of worklessness; improvingskills and supporting the growth of entrepreneurialismand new business formation.

Cumbria currently contributes 6.3% of the regionalGVA, and it is clear that any increase in the regionalgrowth trend will require a greater acceleration ofgrowth in Cumbria. In order to help achieve this goaland outcomes set out above, we will work withpartners to develop a new strategic Delivery Body forthe whole of Cumbria which will address the countywide issues of economic development andregeneration delivery capabilities and work with allpartners agree and promote simplified deliveryarrangements.

Greater Manchester (GM)Indicative Total Investment £380 million

To ensure that that the GM growth trends make anincreased and sustainable contribution to theeconomic growth of the region through;

Ensuring that Northern Districts have maximumopportunities to benefit from growth at the regionalcentre by tackling and reducing worklessnessthrough city employment strategy; improving theproductivity of all business through skills, support and

driving aspiration and entrepreneurialism; investing ingrowth poles in the northern sector e.g. Bolton;building on opportunities presented by HousingMarket Renewal and growth agenda.

Building on the key economic assets of the Sub-region by continuing to support the development ofManchester Airport; extracting maximum value for theregion and sub-region from Mediacity:uk; supportingthe development of key sectors (food & drink, media,biotechnology).

Improving connectivity between Manchester, andthe rest of the North by identifying opportunities toimprove frequency and speed of rail connectivity toLiverpool; working through the Northern Way to driveprogress on the Manchester Rail Hub.

Driving the sub-region as a global knowledgecapital through initiatives such as, a focus ondeveloping City South as a knowledge growth hub,mediacity and the NESTA innovation fund.

Creating conditions for continued investment bydeveloping quality sustainable employment sites;working with others to tackle transport, infrastructureand congestion issues and remove barriers toeconomic growth; encouraging inward investment andtourism.

We will do this by establishing a strategic relationshipwith the new governance structures and MAA in GMmoving towards delegated approach in those themeswhere opportunities arise.

Greater Manchester already contributes around 40%of the regional GVA, and it is clear that any increase inthe regional growth trend would require acceleratedgrowth in Greater Manchester. We will work with GM,in the context of SNR and national policy to focus onidentified priorities In order to help achieve this goaland outcomes.

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Merseyside Indicative Total Investment £235 million

Support the economic renaissance of Liverpool CityRegion and ensure the benefits are capturedeffectively, focusing on improving businesscompetitiveness and productivity, raising skills levelsand reducing worklessness and ensuring Merseysidetakes full advantage of the opportunity afforded by thenew NWOP ERDF Phasing-in allocation. The outcomeswe are trying to achieve are;

Strengthening business productivity and enterprisethrough working with The Mersey Partnership toidentify priorities emerging from the MerseysideEnterprise and Growth Strategy; effective delivery ofregional business support programmes, takingaccount of Merseyside-specific gaps, needs andopportunities; support sector development and inwardinvestment activities targeting Merseyside’s keysectors, including creative and digital,biotechnology/life sciences.

Strengthen Liverpool’s position as a Europeanvisitor destination through supporting the delivery ofCapital of Culture and develop a legacy programme;Continue to support regeneration of Liverpool citycentre and North Liverpool through the new LiverpoolRegeneration Company; Support investment in keyvisitor attractions, including the new Museum ofLiverpool.

Exploit the city region’s knowledge assets throughsupporting the continued development in the sciencebase, including Daresbury Science and Innovationcampus and Liverpool Science Park; Capitalise on theUniversities as a source of learning and leadershipdevelopment.

Reduce worklessness and build more sustainablecommunities by raising employment levels throughimplementation of the City Employment Strategy andrelated initiatives, focusing on the most deprivedcommunities; Supporting investment in housing,public realm and specific regeneration activities

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focusing on the most deprived communities, includingthe NewHeartlands HMRI area.

Create conditions for continued investment throughbringing forward proposals for Liverpool UniversityEdge Strategic Site; capitalising on plans by theprivate sector to regenerate Birkenhead Docks andLiverpool Northshore; bring forward a portfolio of keyemployment sites in Merseyside.

The Agency will continue to work with partners todevelop the enhanced working arrangements,capacity, leadership and governance required toimplement SNR and deliver key programmeseffectively across the city region.

LancashireIndicative Total Investment £185 million

Strengthen Lancashire’s position as a stronglyperforming sub-region and contributor to regional GVA by

Developing Preston as Growth Driver and maximiseeconomic benefits of Lancaster’s heritage assets,environment and University assets by drivingPreston’s Third City ambitions through establishmentof Vision SPV and development of its City Centre offerand Growth Point bid; Develop key strategicemployment sites; Support delivery of Lancaster andMorecambe Vision Plans.

Increasing economic activity in areas of low growthby supporting the delivery of the BlackpoolMasterplan; help implement the Pennine LancashireEconomic Action Plan including and supportestablishment of Pennine Lancashire CDC; Supportdelivery of the Burnley Enterprise Strategy.

Increasing the Scale of Higher Value Business andImprove Productivity through sustaining advancedmanufacturing and support growth of ICT, Digital andCreative, Energy, Environmental Technology andTourism sectors; Supporting the growth of high valuebusiness in rural areas; Delivering Lancaster SciencePark

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Building a Skilled Workforce through supporting thedelivery of the Lancashire Skills Strategy, particularlyto tackle low skills and aspirations and improve FE/HEprovision in Pennine Lancashire; Addressing demandfor higher skills in the Greater Preston growth area andimprove graduate retention in Preston, PennineLancashire, Lancaster and West Lancashire;Addressing acute worklessness in Pennine Lancashireand Blackpool.

Addressing Transport and Communications Barriersby lobbying for improved rail links between Preston/Pennine Lancashire and Manchester; supportinggrowth of Blackpool Airport and strategic roadimprovements in Fylde; encourage construction ofHeysham to M6 Link Road and associated LancasterCity Centre traffic management measures.

Linking the RES and CorporatePlan

This Corporate Plan sets out how NWDA will deliver itsmajor responsibilities under the RES. Although the planis presented under 11 objectives (as required byGovernment) it is fully consistent with the RES andreflects those RES factors where NWDA has significantresponsibilities.

The investment against each objective has beendetermined by looking at a number of issues:

• NWDA’s responsibilities under the RES and statutory responsibilities. This included a recognition of the role of other partners and other funding in relation to delivery of important parts of the RES (e.g. basic skills,employability support, housing)

• An assessment (as far as data allows) of the likely impact of investment in each of these objectives in contributing towards the GVA growth objective

• An assessment of current economic conditions and progress with RES delivery

• An assessment of current legal commitments under each objective

• Ensuring the balance of the Agency’s investment is focused on those actions which have the highest impact in terms of economic growth, where there is clear market failure and for which no other agency hasresponsibility.

However NWDA’s role is increasingly one of strategicinfluence and not just about direct investment of money.

Given the RES, the growth objective and 5 outcomeindicators we have determined appropriate outcomes /impact measures for each RES factor and appropriateoutputs to ensure that these impacts are achieved andto support evaluation of impact. The table in Annex 2sets out this logic chain in more detail, linking the 5outcome indicators, RES factors and outcomes, andoutputs we will need to achieve to contribute to theseoutcomes. It has been used to design appropriateoutcome measures within each of the corporateobjectives and will be used to influence the way wecontract for specific programmes and activity in future.

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Summary of NWDA ObjectivesThe table below summarises NWDA objectives and proposed investment levels over the Corporate Plan period.The following sections then give the detail behind each objective, including outcomes. There may be some overlapof outcomes between objectives as many of them are closely linked. These objectives are underpinned internallyby 34 more detailed themes which will be used to support our move to a programme management approach ofmanaging NWDA investment.

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Objective

COMPETITIVE BUSINESS

1. Sectors: Support the development of key internationally competitive sectors, including appropriate exploitation of the science base

8-11, 15, 16,17-19, 101,103-105, 119

172.3 122.5

Main RESActions

Indicative Investment£m (2008/11)

Current LegalCommitments

COMPETITIVE PEOPLE

5. Leadership and Management: Developleadership and management skills (including coaching and mentoring) in the current workforce

35 20.0 5.4

6. Higher Level Skills Development: Stimulate demand for intermediate and higher level skills in the current workforce, including appropriate sector skills

27, 31 60.0 26.7

7. Size of the Workforce: Grow the size of the workforce through support for the work of the City Employment Strategies and tackling barriers to work

41-46, 62,108, 109, 111

15.3 10.0

2. Enterprise Support: Improve the formation, survival and growth rates of enterprises, including via availability of business finance

1-6, 53 180.8 137.5

3. Innovation: Develop higher added value activity through innovation and knowledge transfer and ICT

12-14, 20-22 89.3 39.4

4. Internationalisation: Realise opportunities from globalisation, including international trade, inward investment and supply chain opportunities

17-19 20.3 11.3

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Objective

COMPETITIVE PLACES

8. Employment Sites and Premises: Support the development of key employment sites and premises in the region

80-83 90.7 42.6

Main RESActions

Indicative Investment£m (2008/11)

Current LegalCommitments

9. Conditions for Private Sector Investment: Improve the physical conditions for increased private sector investment in the key places in the region, including key infrastructure and public realm

47-52, 54-56,113, 84, 116,119

331.5 226.3

10. Climate Change and Sustainable Consumption/Production: Ensure the implementation of the regional Climate Change Action Plan (including energy security) and the development of resource efficiency and sustainable procurement in companies

11. Marketing the Region: Improve the image of the region to businesses and visitors by countering outdated negative perceptions

23-25, 91 33.5 13.8

95, 98, 99 27.5 27.4

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Detailed Corporate Objectives, Rationale,Outcomes & Activities

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1. SECTORS

Investment: £172.3 million

Objective: Generate increased GVA through the growthand development of our priority sectors, tourism and thevisitor economy.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to support the development of higher added-value activity in regional sectors and supports 8-11, 15,16, 17 -19,101, 103-105,119.

Rationale: Market failures in priority sectors combine tolimit the potential contribution these sectors make to theregional economy. These include imperfect information,institutional and coordination failures, limiting the rate ofgrowth in the sectors for example, limiting thedevelopment of clusters of economic activities or sitesresulting in a loss of potential agglomeration benefits.

The Northwest is a geographically diverse region with apotentially diverse visitor economy offer to match.Coordination failures, compounded by this diversity,mean that the regional economy does not reap theoptimum economic benefits of this diverse visitoreconomy offer. There is therefore a strong rationale forsupporting programmes or projects, which are aimed atimproving information and market coordination andstrengthen the visitor economy offer. Higher touristnumbers will also lead to job opportunities for some whomight otherwise be excluded from the labour market,providing an additional distributional rationale.

This objective will support and is supported by theobjectives around enterprise, innovation andinternationalisation, skills, sites and conditions for privateinvestment, sustainable consumption and production,and marketing the region as these are all vitallyimportant to our priority sectors.

Outcomes: Some investment into the priority sectors willonly generate significant regional impact, particularly interms of GVA, in the long term, with some associatedoutputs in the medium term. Therefore measurement ofimpact over a 3 year Corporate Plan period will belimited e.g. National Aerospace Technology Programme

where investment will yield positive regional benefitwhen current technology developments move toindustrial production in 2012-2015.

However our investment is designed to:

• Increase the contribution of the priority sectors to the economy in terms of output, productivity, employment,number of companies and recognition of the region for specialisms in these sectors;

• Deliver specific sector programmes which may includeinfrastructure, skills, innovation and investment support e.g. mediacity:uk which will create 15,000 new jobs, 1,150 new businesses and £279m GVA andleverage a total investment package of £1billion into the Salford City Region;

• Enable firms to increase productivity and move up thevalue chain in their industries through programmes such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service which willcreate £115m net additional GVA to the region;

• In line with our skills, leadership and management objective, raise and increase the level of skills, and rate of employment within these sectors, particularly inthe areas of leadership and management, NVQ4 level and above, generating apprenticeships and upskilling the workforce, and cultural change e.g. Vauxhall £8.3m to secure £120m of immediate investment to the region and long term security of contracts;

• Grow tourism GVA at rate that is higher than the overall growth of the economy of each sub-region. The target is also to maintain growth of revenue generated by visitors at 5% over the corporate plan period;

• Provide the strategic leadership necessary to drive improvements in the quality of experiences provided to the region’s visitors. Success will be measured by monitoring improvements in perceptions of the region and its destinations by target consumer groups in the UK and overseas.

Many of the sector specific interventions will alsocontribute to targets set under other corporate objectivesincluding innovation, internationalisation, leadership andmanagement and higher level skills development. TheAgency will also ensure the region’s priority sectors aresupported to effectively deal with unanticipated regionaleconomic shocks and to provide an appropriate rapidresponse.

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Activity

Priority sectors: Internationally competitive sectors withgreatest potential for GVA growth: Advanced Engineeringand Materials, Biotechnology, Digital and Creativeindustries, Financial and Professional Services, Energyand Environmental technologies and Food and Drink.Activities will include:

• Reinforcement and encouragement of cluster activity, via the Regional Cluster Programme through collaborative networking, technology partnerships, promotion and marketing, specialist support and improved access to information, also identifying the specific needs of industry to inform NWDA funded Sector programmes of intervention;

• Delivering priority sector projects to address industry specific needs in the areas of infrastructure, skills, innovation, regulation, finance, commercialisation, international trade, promotion and image including mediacity:uk; National Biomanufacturing Centre, National Aerospace Technology Programme, Biomedical Research Centre, whilst ensuring compliance with principles of the Business Support Simplification Framework, and;

• Work with existing investors in the region to grow, enhance, and increase both GVA and number of jobs through the Strategic Company Engagement Programme;

• Integration with programmes of cross-cutting themes in the areas of Enterprise, Skills, Science and Innovation, Climate Change, Sustainability Financial Products and Internationalisation.

The region’s HEI’s also have an important role insupporting the growth and development of these sectorsin terms of knowledge transfer and graduate retention.

Sectors of widespread employment: logistics, retail,construction, maritime, public sector, andcare/healthcare. Much of the investment in support ofthese sectors is embedded within other Corporate Planobjectives, such as skills. Activity will include:

• The development of skills and procurement initiatives to assist regional businesses in access to, and competitive bidding of, public sector procurement initiatives, including the NHS and opportunities arisingfrom the 2012 Olympics;

• Embedding corporate social responsibility into businesses encouraging principles of sustainable development through infrastructure, procurement and resource efficiency;

• Highlighting the potential benefits to business of climate change, and taking steps to both mitigate against risk and maximise on opportunities for greater economic impact including energy efficiency and innovation projects;

• Providing SME’s with easy access to methods of improving productivity and competitiveness through BusinessLink Northwest;

• Support for specific initiatives in the rural community through the Rural Development Programme for England.

Tourism and the Visitor Economy: Investments will bemade in line with the priorities and objectives set out inthe Regional Tourism Strategy (2007), with a particularfocus on the attack brands of Manchester, Liverpool,Chester and the Lake District, on the revival of Blackpooland on regional signature projects, such as ChesterSuper Zoo and the Renaissance of the Lake District.Activity will include:

• Continued investment in the region’s ‘attack brands’ and to support delivery of ‘signature projects’ that will transform the region’s appeal to visitors;

• Ongoing support to the NWDA’s delivery partners, the five sub-regional Tourism Boards to strengthen their strategic role in guiding sub-regional development, particularly in the context of the sub-national review and local government re-organisation, and;

• Investments that support the full implementation of the Regional Tourism Strategy.

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Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: We will ensure that support given to thesesectors helps to develop a low carbon economy anddeliver more sustainable consumption and production ofgoods and services, in line with Objective 10. This willinclude consideration of any transport implications fromsector development. We will ensure that our support tothese sectors enables them to capitalise on the skillsand talents of the whole potential workforce, embracingequality and diversity issues to maximise economicperformance.

Spatial Implications: Growth sectors and the visitoreconomy have strong spatial implications because ofsupply chains, knowledge transfer and agglomerationbenefits which depend on close physical proximity. Forexample, the Biomedical cluster centres on the triangleof Liverpool, Manchester, and Daresbury with virtually allemployment in this location; the Nuclear Industriescluster centres around West Cumbria and Warrington; theAdvanced Flexible Materials cluster in the contiguousareas of South Lancashire and Northern GreaterManchester; the financial and business sector is focusedin Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and Preston while thecreative and digital sector is focused in GreaterManchester and Merseyside but spread over the region.Although the food and drink sector is widespread withinthe rural areas of the region, it has specificconcentrations in Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Our visitor economy activities will directly reflect the sub-regional priorities of the 5 sub-regional Tourist Boards.Key attraction development and activities are focused onenabling our regional attack brands and signatureprojects to improve their performance and marketpenetration, and will therefore be focused on Liverpool,Manchester, Chester, the Lake District and Blackpool.

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2. ENTERPRISE SUPPORT

Indicative Investment: £180.8 million

Objective: Improve the formation, survival and growthrates of enterprise including via increasing enterpriseculture, delivery of the BusinessLink service, andimproving the availability and access to businessfinance.

RES Actions: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to improve the rate of business start up, growthand competitiveness in the Region. It supports RESactions 1-6 and 53.

Rationale: The rationale for our programmes in supportof this objective has three elements: Information failures,institutional coordination failures and barriers to entry intothe market which includes addressing the financemarket gap that exists for SME’s particularly start ups asdetailed below:

• Imperfect information leads to lack of awareness, by existing and potential businesses, of the available business support and advice which in turn impacts onthe survival or growth rates of established businesses while also hindering the rate of start-ups for new businesses.

• Coordination failures result from the existence of a plethora of often conflicting, confusing or competing (duplicating) business support provision which either crowds out or confuses both potential and existing businesses.

• Availability and access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises is a barrier to the formation and growth of businesses. Public support will provide intervention to address specific areas of market failureaddressing the 3 key components in the financial equation – demand, supply and intermediation services. Our programmes will aim to catalyse and incentivise the availability of the right type of financingfunds, especially to those types of businesses who donot traditionally access external finance, without crowding out private sector provision.

• The Northwest is a diverse region, some groups or communities are still underrepresented within our

enterprises especially start up and SMEs and have also been found to face the highest level of failure of outcomes as they do not actively participate and share in the benefits of economic growth. Combined with a historical legacy of lack of enterprise awareness, aspiration, skills and capabilities this lockscommunities into a cycle, which does not foster enterprise leading to poverty of opportunity for individuals resulting in disadvantaged communities asidentified in the RES.

The Northwest has a lack of entrepreneurial culture andthe RES noted that the region would need an additional38,000 companies to meet the England average. Thisobjective will support objective 1 in terms of the financefor business programme boosting growth in regionalsectors, Objective 3 in terms of supporting innovation viaR&D grants, and Objective 7 in terms of the role ofenterprise in bringing people back into the workforcethrough start up activity.

Outcomes: Our investment will be geared towardsincreasing the level of enterprise and the number ofbusinesses in the Northwest by:

• Promoting positive enterprising behaviours and culturein the region, increasing the TEA Index4 as measured by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor from 5.0% in 2006 to 5.7% by 2010 leading over time to higher levels of productivity, business density and economic activity;

• Assisting businesses to access information and support designed for enabling enterprise skills development in young people and adults, availability of up-to-date and relevant business support information to enable business start up and growth;

• Supporting the creation and growth of new businesses, aiming for 5100 net new business starts focus on high growth and priority groups/areas as identified in the RES, and a further 2600 assists leading to 11000 net jobs created;

• Improving the business survival rate for assisted start-ups from 72% cto 80% at 36 months through targetedstart up support and the Business Link information, diagnostic and brokerage service;

4 TEA is a measure of Total Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity.

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• Delivering an Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage service via Business Link which increases usage from96,000 to 104,600 firms per annum, with intensive assists increasing from 5,500 to 9,600. GVA impact of support will also increase from £305m per annum to £528m per annum;

• Improving availability and access to finance for SMEs.

In addition the Agency through this objective will ensurethe region effectively deals with unanticipated regionaleconomic shocks and delivers an effective skillsbrokerage service.

The impact of these programmes will be reflected in anincrease in the business density per head of population;an increased number of self-employed and VAT-registered business start-ups; increased productivitylevels and strong firm survival rates; and an improvingthe proportion of new jobs generated in our RegionalEconomic Strategy priority sectors.

Our enterprise activities will reflect our commitments tothe implementation of the National Enterprise Strategy,and we will work to deliver those initiatives that arespecific to the North West, including piloting Women'sBusiness Centre, taking forward the National EnterpriseAcademy and University Enterprise Network and workingwith Manchester City and the Premier League toestablish enterprise programmes for young people.

Resulting Activity

Our activity will be focused on:

• Programmes and projects to develop an enterprise culture through support to schools, FE/HE, disadvantaged communities and businesses through skills and leadership and management programmes;

• Provision of timely and relevant advice and support to individuals and businesses, including social enterprises, to facilitate successful business start up and growth through projects like the Regional Start Up& Survivability and High Growth Business Support;

• Effective management and continued development of the Business Link service and the 2012 CompeteFor service, which is an electronic brokerage system designed to support SMEs exploit Olympic Games related procurement opportunities;

• Implementation of the Finance for Business Strategy and programmes that surround it.

Our activity will be designed to work with andcomplement Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI)activity as appropriate.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: Our programmes will bring us into contactwith a wide range of businesses and individuals and wewill ensure that issues of resource efficiency, wastereduction, energy conservation and advice on climatechange adaptation is part of the core Business Link offerto these businesses.

Other elements of this objective include targeted projectsdesigned to boost the participation rates of currentlyunderrepresented groups/areas in line with the RES e.g.our Regional Start-Up and Survivability project.

Spatial Implications: Business Link is a universal region-wide programme. The impact and coverage of BusinessLink will be different between sub-regions depending onbusiness need and socio-economic structure. Theprogramme has been designed to take these intoaccount and our impact evaluation will reflect these intra-regional differences in outcomes resulting from thisintervention.

Other elements of this objective (e.g. Business Start)have a specific geographic focus and will deliverbenefits in line with RES priority areas. There will beappropriate sub-regional and local level involvement inthe design of any regional interventions.

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3. COMPETITIVE BUSINESS & INNOVATION

Indicative Investment: £89.3 million

Objective: Develop higher added value activity throughinnovation and knowledge transfer, including appropriateexploitation of the science base.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to improve business competitiveness throughinnovation. It supports RES actions 12 to 14 and 20-22.

Rationale: Our innovation investments are designed toaddress four aspects of market failure; imperfectinformation, spillovers, barriers to entry and historic lock-in/path dependency. These market failures have meantthat as a region we suffer from relatively low innovationand ICT adoption rates which affect our competitiveness.

• Imperfect information leads to low levels businesses awareness of the potential benefits of innovation and ICT adoption. There is a history in the NW of Innovation being concentrated in a small number of large companies e.g. AstraZeneca and Unilever while the majority of SMEs display lower innovative activity than the national rate. This trend has gradually changed in the last 5 years but there is still much to do. Historically, the region has adopted ICTs fairly wellbut has yet to take the progress the journey from ICT adopters to advanced ICT adopters.

• Businesses can be reluctant to invest if they believe they run the risk of ‘spill over’ effects, losing the benefit of their investment to competitors too soon. Our public sector investment rationale is to achieve successful clusters of innovative, technological businesses and gain the positive spillover benefits of doing this. For example, in Biotechnolgy and Healthcare the number of businesses has grown from a handful to more than 200 in the last 10 years. This has provided the critical mass and skill base to encourage and sustain investment. We will look for opportunities to do the same thing in other growth sectors. Critical to this is the strength of Regional Universities, both in working with business and the public sector to establish new commercial opportunities, but also in creating the right pool of skilled graduates.

• Innovation and ICT are resource intensive, use up resources in the present while the benefits accrue in the longer term and are not assured. The levels of funding required by both are sometimes cited as a barrier to entry and prevent individual businesses adopting new technology and developing innovative products or services. Our intervention should be aimed at mitigating these barriers to entry and assist businesses innovate quicker. For example, investment in Next Generation Access (NGA) networks to create ahigh-speed (100 Mbps and beyond) communication infrastructure for the region will be essential to the development of knowledge- and data-intensive industries, not least those in the Digital and Creative sector.

• Historically the Northwest has not had as widespread an SME base as other regions, and existing firms can be locked into a historic path of low capital investment. Though private sector R&D is relatively high it is concentrated in a few major players, and creating a step change in the innovation and technology capacity of our SME business base is an important rationale for our investments.

Public sector spending on research and science is animportant feed into our ambitions for a private sector ledknowledge economy. Currently we suffer from a historicpath dependency of a relatively low level of public sectorresearch and science investment, and we wish toreposition our research centres, higher educationinstitutions and science parks to be centres ofexcellence to progressively attract and capture anincreasing share of public sector research activity as theUK further globally positions itself as research centre ofexcellence.

This objective supports objective 1 in terms of innovationsupporting the growth of major sectors, objective 2 interms of the role of R&D grants in developing enterprise,which are covered under that objective and objective 4in supporting Internationalisation.

Outcomes: By 2011, we will aim to:

• Increase number of innovation active firms in the region from 59% to 75%.

• Increase the level of public sector R&D investment in the region from 3% of the UK total to 6%.

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• Increase level of HEI R&D in the region from 14% to 20% of the UK total.

• Increase private sector R&D spend in the region from £1.9bn to £2.3bn per annum.

• Increase number of business/university interactions by2000 per annum, enabling businesses to obtain consultancy services, support, or training.

• Increase the number of businesses (particularly in the SME sector) achieving productivity gains through effective exploitation of advanced ICT

• Ensure availability of globally competitive high-speed communication infrastructure and services.

Resulting Activity

Activity will encourage innovation through:

• Working with over 400 companies in the region to embed innovation in their company structure, and working with over 1000 companies in the region to develop action plans to improve innovation rates, through a major project called Knowledge to innovate and funding Innovation Advisors. These projects will also ensure that our commitment to Equality and Diversity is met through enabling access to these programmes to all sections of society;

• Ongoing support to establish Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus as a thriving, vibrant location for public sector science and for private sector research and expanding our existing partnership on site with STFC, Halton Borough Council and the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster;

• Investing in collaborative research programmes between HEI and industry which will offer the region acompetitive advantage, specifically investing in science strategy implementation projects in Materials, Chemistry, Nuclear, Biohealth, and Aerospace;

• Ensuring knowledge transfer investment compliments HEIF funding which extends the ability of Northwest universities to work with businesses;

• Working with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to take forward transformational innovation projects;

• Establishing major science parks in Liverpool and Lancaster through sustainable development;

• Strengthening the NHS research base in Manchester and Liverpool;

• Working with the telecommunications industry, telecoms regulators and service providers to ensure the region develops the appropriate next generation access communications infrastructure required to stimulate business innovation and growth across the region.

There will be a close link with the region’s HEIs in thedelivery of parts of this objective and ensuringknowledge transfer. As we develop our programmes andactivities, we will ensure they are aligned with therecently announced proposals within the Science andInnovation White Paper.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: Innovation and ICT both have the potentialto boost our regions business productivity while alsosignificantly contributing to the regions efforts to achievebetter resource efficiency, waste reduction, energyconservation and contributing to climate changeadaptation. The Agency will be seeking to capitalise onthese interdependencies.

Spatial Implications: Merseyside and Cheshire willbenefit from the creation of Liverpool Science Park andDaresbury Science and Innovation Campus. The impactwill be to create two new major sites for inwardinvestment and regional technology company growth.The majority of the investment in Manchester will go toProject Unity creating a world-class University ofManchester and supporting the Manchester KnowledgeCapital Arc of Opportunity. Lancashire and SouthCumbria will benefit from development of LancasterScience Park.

ICT support will be focused on places currentlyexperiencing low rates of broadband coverage, ICTadoption and exploitation as evidenced in the HighImpact ICT Strategy.

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4. INTERNATIONALISATION

Indicative Investment: £20.3 million

Objective: Realise opportunities from globalisation,including international trade, inward investment andsupply chain opportunities.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityaction to improve the region’s internationalcompetitiveness by exploiting the Northwest’scomparative advantage to increase trade and attractforeign direct investment. It supports RES actions 17 to19.

The region’s Internationalisation Strategy and Action Plan(ISAP) sets out an integrated plan that aims to enhanceour international position and ensure that we maximisethe opportunities that globalisation offers the regionwhilst mitigating the risks and downsides that are aninevitable part of the process of change.

A detailed action plan has been developed thatprioritises efforts on developing the internationallycompetitive sectors identified in the RES, maximising theinternational potential of the region’s science &innovation, research & development and educationassets and targeting strategically important countries.

These objectives will be supported by a co-ordinatedprogramme to promote the Northwest’s assetsinternationally e.g. sectors, city regions, research nuclei,etc. and activities that will enhance and exploit theregion’s international connections.

Rationale: Internationalisation can contribute significantlyto the regional economy. Market failures and physicalbarriers exist that limit the number of, and extent towhich, UK businesses engage in international trade andoverseas firms invest in the region. These includeimperfect information, language and cultural barriers, andcosts and physical barriers resulting from internationalregulatory regimes. For the Northwest, potential foreigninvestors have limited information about what the regionhas to offer. Combined with the physical location of theregion, away from the main access and financial pointsto the European and Global markets, the region doesn’t

reap the full potential of its comparative advantage andassets. In order to maximise opportunities emerging fromthe economies of high growth markets including China,and India we need a coordinated approach to ensure theregion effectively and efficiently exploits the comparativeadvantages is has in the global market.

Working closely with UK Trade and Investment ourprogramme will be geared towards providing up-to-dateinformation and advice to new and existing exportbusinesses. We will also work to overcome the social-network barriers in terms of language and culturaldifferences, as well as helping companies gain accessto knowledge networks. In addition we will target newoverseas investors and work with existing investors toembed them in the region.

A programme to promote the region’s key assets intarget markets, as set out within our marketing objective,will underpin these activities.

The Northwest Internationalisation Strategy supportsUKTI’s national objectives and ensures that the regionbenefits from UKTI’s international investment.

This objective supports objective 1 in terms ofsupporting our internationally competitive sectors,objective 3 in terms of driving international growth viainnovation, and objective 11 in terms of marketing theregion as an international business location.

Outcomes: Increasing the number of firms that exportand helping existing investors enter new markets has adirect productivity and competitiveness impact. Foreigndirect investment has also been proven to drive upregional productivity and close the GVA gap (overseasfirms pay 29% more per worker on average and are 34%more productive per worker compared to indigenousfirms). Inward investment adds to the stock of both theknowledge economy and priority sectors in theNorthwest.

There are a broad range of outcomes included in theNorthwest Internationalisation Strategy for NWDA andpartners to achieve.

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For foreign direct investment:

• Increase in number of projects to a total of 150 per annum;

• Increase in the quality of projects;

• Introduce research intensity (definition subject to agreement with UKTI) and salary (above average salary) targets, with 17% and 25% of projects achieving these respectively; and

For international trade:

• Target an additional £140 million of export sales generated through the regional trade programme between 2007/08 and 2009/10 and, through wider ISAP and RES interventions increase the regional levels of international exports from £23bn to £25bn by2010;

• Through regional support help 2000 companies eitherbecome exporters or enter new markets between 2007/08 and 2009/10;

• Contribute to the national UKTI trade targets to help 20,000 businesses internationalise, (of which 50% report improved business performance and 12,000 areinnovative) and 200 businesses to increase R&D activity in the UK.

For university engagement:

• Greater internationalisation of research;

• Increase in the numbers of international students;

• Enhanced retention/placement of international students in regional businesses.

Resulting Activity

We will be undertaking the following types of activity:

• Supporting the work of UK Trade and Investment by providing an integrated package of support to help companies trade internationally including additional sector focused trade advisors, meet the buyer events, sector missions and events to identify opportunities intarget markets;

• Undertake inward investment lead generation activities in target markets identified in the Internationalisation Strategy;

• Work with sub-regional inward investment agencies toimplement investment projects and undertake an investor development programme with existing overseas investors;

• Implementing the international business marketing plan for the Northwest.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: The Northwest Internationalisation Strategyhas been subject to a Sustainable Developmentappraisal which identified the positive and negativeimpacts of the programme. In delivering the Strategy,NWDA we will actively seek to maximise the positivebenefits and minimise the negative impacts throughadopting best practice.

In delivering this objective, we will seek to ensure thatthe benefits which accrue from opportunities provided byglobalisation benefit all our communities, in line with RESpriorities.

Spatial Implications: The Internationalisation Strategyand Action Plan (ISAP) has a close fit with the sub-regional strategies and action plans; all of which identifyglobal opportunities and threats. The Agency willcontinue to work closely with inward investmentorganisations in each sub-region.

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5. LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Indicative Investment: £20.0 million

Objective: Develop leadership and management skills(including coaching and mentoring) within the currentworkforce.

RES Link: This objective delivers our responsibilitiesunder the RES Objective to develop leadership,management and enterprise skills. In particular it willdeliver against Transformational RES Action 35 todevelop world-class leadership and management skills.

Rationale: Improving leadership and management in ourbusinesses private or public is critical to the economicsuccess of the region. Investment in leadership andmanagement is important for two reasons. Firstlyeffective leaders and managers will drive the futuredirection and business development of their businessand they are also likely to develop the kind of innovationand enterprise capabilities that more Northwestbusinesses need to develop. Secondly a high quality ofleadership and management will develop a culture ofinvesting in workforce development and thereby releasethe potential of the whole workforce, leading to moresuccessful organisations. This is a key theme within theRES.

Information and co-ordination failures leading to supplyand demand deficiencies mean businesses are notunlocking the true potential of their workforce, limitingproductivity. In the Northwest, compared to the nationalaverage, there are fewer managers, greater shortages formanagement occupations and identification of significantskills gaps for managers. This forms the basis of ourrationale for intervention. On the demand side, lack ofawareness (information) regarding the business benefitsof leadership and management development lead to lowtake up. Our role should be to better inform businessesof how crucial good leadership and management is inunlocking the full potential of the workforce and indriving forward the business.

On the supply side, leadership and managementdevelopment needs of business are not being met bythe current provision (co-ordination). Our role should beto ensure the highest quality of provision (programmes

and support), which meets the needs of businesses andstimulates thinking, business development andinnovative behaviours.

The Northwest, has historically, tended to have low levelsof well managed businesses, partly due to the historicdominance of large manufacturing companies. It hastherefore been characterised by a lack of both demandand supply of good leadership and managementprovision.

This objective supports the achievement of our otherobjectives, especially enterprise support, innovation,internationalisation, climate change, and marketing theregion.

Outcomes: Currently the NWDA Board has set up a Taskand Finish Group to consider how best to release thepotential of the whole workforce and has identified keyenterprise capabilities which need to be developedwithin supported activity.

An element of this is focussed on leadership andmanagement. We will work with other partners includingthe LSC Northwest Colleges and Universities, NHS, LocalAuthorities and Sector Skills Councils to ensure that anyNWDA funded provision meets local demand.

The outcomes we will seek to achieve, with partners, areset out below and will be refined in the light of this Taskand Finish Group.

These include:

• Drive up business productivity by £200m through increasing the level of leadership and management skills.

• Increase the number of managers and senior officials as a proportion of all employees from the current levelof 13.9% in line with the England rate of 15.5%.

• Increase the proportion of managers and senior officials holding a higher level qualification (data currently being sourced from ONS).

• Reduce the proportion of organisations with management skills gaps from the current level of 78.5% to below the England average currently at 64.6%.

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• Understand and prove the business benefits of investment into leadership and management training (e.g. via evaluation of pilot projects such as the Northern Leadership Academy)

• Increase the number of Investor in People recognised organisations in the region, currently 5018 organisations.

Resulting Activity: To achieve this objective we will beundertaking the following types of activity:

• Implementing the Northwest Leadership and Management Framework for Action which includes 3 main areas for action; Generating Demand; Improving Supply; and measuring Impact;

• Rolling out a major programme based on the successful LEAD model, supporting Train to Gain, delivery of Leitch and mentoring;

• We will work with/alongside other leadership programmes like the recently launched NHS NW leadership academy.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: We will ensure our leadership programmespromote the principles of sustainable development,energy conservation, climate change mitigation practicesand methods, and low carbon skills development as partof our leadership agenda and are consistent with ourCorporate Social Responsibility and Equality andDiversity Strategy.

As mentioned earlier, the Northwest is a diverse regionbut that diversity is sometimes not reflected within themanagement profession profile within the region. TheAgency will lead by example by ensuring that wepromote activities to attract appropriate candidates fromgroups which are currently under represented withinleadership and management in the region.

Spatial Implications: The issues of leadership andmanagement affect the whole region. However as theseprogrammes and support are developed, there will beclose contact with each of the sub-regions andprogrammes targeted as appropriate to meet specificsub-regional needs and the needs of key sectors ordisadvantaged areas and communities.

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6. HIGHER LEVEL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Indicative Investment: £60.0 million

Objective: Stimulate demand for higher-level skills inthe current and future workforce, including appropriatesector skills.

RES Link: This objective, in partnership with others,delivers on our responsibilities on RES actions to meetthe needs of sectors and growth opportunities, invest inworkforce development and to develop educationinfrastructure and the skills of the future workforce. Inparticular it delivers on Transformational RES Actions 27(skills for priority sectors) and 28 (skills to maximise keygrowth opportunities) and well as Transformational RESAction 31 (develop the skills of the current workforce)and Transformational RES Action 38 (develop the role ofHE in Cumbria and Pennine Lancs).

Rationale: Higher levels skills are recognised as vital tothe future competitiveness of the region’s economy andare an area where the Northwest underperforms otherparts of the country (the Northwest is ranked 5th out ofall English regions and is 2.3% behind the Englandaverage). Similarly within the Northwest there aresignificant differences in the performance of particularareas and sub-regions. Achieving these higher levelsskills must be done by investing in the current workforceas well as the future workforce – it will deliver too littletoo late if all investment is focused in the futureworkforce. This is particularly true for our key growthsectors where there is a lack of ability to recruitespecially in science and engineering.

Market failures that exist in the provision of higher levelskills include equity failures (the need to invest inprovision to support the wider regeneration of key placesin the region, given current poor performance). Othermarket failures include externalities (where developmentpaid for by one company may benefit another as staffmove), information failures (employers do not recognisethe business benefit of investment in higher level skills),and the need to stimulate employer demand in line withthe Leitch agenda.

One of our roles should be to demonstrate to businessesthe productivity benefits from investment in higher-levelskills. Another role should be to ensure access to higher-level skills provision. This is particularly the case inCumbria and Pennine Lancashire where the lack ofaccess to higher level skills development is detrimentalto the regeneration of the economy. This objectivesupports objective 1 in terms of the role of higher-levelskills development to support our major sectors as wellas the wider regeneration of the economy.

Our work here is complementary to the work of a widerange of other agencies, for example LSC and the workof HEIs. It will be supported by initiatives such as Train toGain.

Outcomes: Our objective is the development of higher-level skills in the current and future workforce as a keydriver of productivity and economic growth. In the longerterm this will also lead to attraction and better retentionof higher level skills in the region, particularly graduateretention.

Specifically we intend to meet the skills needs ofemployers in the growth and high employment sectors,and to increase the number of HE students in Cumbriaand Pennine Lancashire. We will also strive to ensure ourwork complements that of our partners like the LSC, JobCentre Plus, NHS and Local Authorities who additionallyfocus on basic level and foundations skills whichresearch has shown are a key barrier to tacklingworklessness and increasing the size of the workforce.

Specifically, our outcomes over 2008-2011 are, inpartnership with other agencies, to:

• Increase the proportion of the working age population qualified to level 3 and above in lie with Leitch targets(to be agreed) from their current levels of 43%;

• Increase the percentage of employers investing in training;

• Work with the FE and HE sector to increase the number of FTE HE students in the region, especially inCumbria and Pennine Lancashire.

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These outcomes will be further refined to reflect theoutcomes of the Leitch Implementation Grouprecommendations and targets.

Resulting Activity: We will achieve this by targetedinterventions focusing on developing skills in key placesand sectors responding to the needs and demands ofthe sectors. The activities will focus on capacity buildingor development of flexible demand led support andprovision, which cannot be funded by other means, andwhich helps stimulate innovative, enterprising behaviours.In particular we will be looking at bringing Level 3 and 4provision into the workplace. As noted above the Boardhas set up a Task and Finish Group to consider how bestto release the potential of the whole workforce and hasidentified key enterprise capabilities which need to bedeveloped within supported activity. We will work withLSC, JCP, Northwest Universities and Colleges, SectorSkills Councils and SRPs to build up a joint body ofevidence on skills and employment, which will underpinthe skills section of the Single Regional Strategy.

Specific actions to achieve our objectives include:

• Support for the University of Cumbria and HE in Burnley;

• Supporting the Higher Level Skills Pathfinder linking Train2Gain activity with higher education and wideningthe coverage of sectors;

• Working in conjunction with the LSC we will engage further education and work-based learning providers to meet employer needs and supporting capacity building, responding to the demand led agenda;

• Supporting projects and programmes in RES priority sectors;

• Support partner and other activities focussed on raising the rate of graduate retention within the region.

These activities will be designed to complement existingprovision for other organisations such as the LSCincluding working with DIUS in implementing the higherlevel skills strategy as part of our lead role responsibility.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: Some communities and groups in theregion have historically tended to have lower skillsprofiles. We will work with partners to raise participationrates, including those from currently underrepresentedgroups, in line with the RES. We will work with partnersto ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility isembedded within our Skills programmes.

Spatial Implications: There will be key impacts inCumbria where new HE provision, as well as the NationalNuclear Skills Academy, is being developed. New HEprovision is also being developed in Pennine Lancashire.The impact will vary across sub-regions, as manyprojects and programmes will be linked to the location ofRES priority sectors. New projects and programmes willbe developed in close consultation and contact witheach of the sub-regions and will be targeted asappropriate to meet specific sub-regional needs and theneeds of key sectors.

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7. SIZE OF THE WORKFORCE

Indicative Investment: £15.3 million

Objective: Grow the size of the workforce throughsupport for the work of the City Employment Strategiesand tackling barriers to work including supportingeconomic participation for all.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to grow the size the regions workforce. Itsupports RES actions 41 to 46, 47 to 50, 52, 54 to 56,62, supports RES action 108, 109 and 111.

Rationale: Economic and social imperatives dictate thatthe region has a strategy for ensuring that we maximisethe proportion of the working population who are inactive employment. Employment contributes significantlyto the regional GVA and worklessness constrains theregion’s economy in a direct way by imposing significantcosts in terms of the loss of potential output, wealthcreation or other social costs like incidence of crime, illhealth and poverty of opportunity leading todisadvantaged communities. Market failures in this areacombine in complex ways that hinder or limitparticipation rates in employment within the region.These include misinformation or lack of information,institutional co-ordination failures, skills gaps leading tolack of opportunities and poor outcomes for particulargroups of individuals, localities or communities.Addressing these in a coherent and efficient manner withour partners has the potential to improve the impact ofregion’s efforts to achieve this objective.

Our aim and role should be to provide strategicleadership and support schemes, which will ensure thatthe active inclusion and participation in economicopportunities are available to all the diverse communitiesof the region.

This objective will support and be supported by objective1 as many of the widespread employment sectors offeremployment for people re-entering the labour market,and objective 2 in terms of supporting people back intoemployment through enterprise and start up activity.

As with Objective 6, our investment is marginalcompared with the substantial investment by LSC,Jobcentre Plus and others in this area. We will ensureour investment is complimentary, not least by workingmainly through City Employment Strategies.

Outcomes: Investment in this area will be focused toachieve, where appropriate, the outcomes outlined in thethree City Employment Strategies. We will also invest intargeted local activities in areas of most need as set outin the RES ensuring that our activities benefit localpeople. We will work in partnership with the LSC, NHSand JCP on initiatives designed to grow the size of theworkforce including joint investment planning. We willensure equality and diversity is taken seriously and theeconomic benefit of tackling these issues is recognised.Appropriate outcomes will be captured within this sectionin the coming months, which will include:

• Increase employment and activity rates in the priority places identified in the RES. Currently, employment rates in the region range from 63.9% to 79.6% while activity rates range from 69.9% to 82.4%;

• Raising regional employment rates and economic activity rates for disabled people currently 44.5% and 48.6% respectively; Non-white communities currently 53.9% and 61.4% respectively; the over 50’s currently35.8% and 36.7% respectively; and lone parents and ex-offenders as identified in the RES;

• Working with JCP and the NHS to focus on reducing the number of people claiming Incapacity and other forms of Benefit and support them back into work;

• Delivering appropriate outcomes in the region’s Equality and Diversity Strategy.

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Resulting Activity: The programme of activities in thisobjective will include support for the work of the CityEmployment Strategies, tackling worklessness, barriers towork, and addressing issues of an ageing population,reduction in the working age population and migration.We will aim to deliver locally targeted activities in areasof most need and working with those furthest from thelabour market. Within Greater Manchester andMerseyside focus will be around the City EmploymentStrategy. All projects support people furthest from thelabour market who are not supported by mainstreamprovision such as Job Centre Plus. Significant projectsinclude:

• Liverpool City Employment Strategy Pathfinder;

• Manchester City Employment Strategy;

• People & Jobs Warrington & Cheshire;

• Worklessness in Cumbria and Lancashire;

• Implementation of the Regional Equality and Diversity Strategy.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: This objective contributes to our economicinclusion agenda, development of a healthy labourmarket and specifically support our most disadvantagedand underrepresented groups in the current labour force.

With the LSC, Jobcentre Plus and others in this area, wewill coordinate efforts to ensure that we engage withthose furthest from jobs, those who are currentlyunderrepresented within the current job market, in linewith RES priorities. And as set out earlier we will workinternally across all the other objectives to ensure wesecure maximum participation from all our communitiesand groups in the region.

Spatial Implications: The primary focus of this activitywill be investing through the City Employment Strategies(currently in Greater Manchester, Liverpool (coveringlarge parts of Merseyside) and Blackburn). However,there will be other targeted investment in line withRegional Economic Strategy priority areas.

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8. EMPLOYMENT SITES AND PREMISES

Indicative Investment: £90.7 million

Objective: Support the development of key employmentsites and premises in the region

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to deliver high quality employment sites andpremises and secure new uses for brownfield land. Thiscovers RES Actions 80-83, including the TransformationalRES Action to deliver the designated Strategic RegionalSites and RES Action 82 to deliver a portfolio of sub-regionally important employment sites.

Rationale: Market failures exist because key sites areconsidered not financially viable or attractive forinvestment by the private sector. In some locations highcosts of development (due to previous uses orcontamination) and low market values mean that it is notfinancially viable for the market to develop sites. In otherlocations it is important we intervene to ensure that sitesof sufficient scale/strategic importance are assembled topresent an attractive offer to potential private sectordevelopers and are secured for end uses thatcomplement strategic aspirations. Our role should be toensure sites are developed to encourage the appropriatelevel and type of investment required for sustainableeconomic growth. It is important to highlight that ourintervention here is integral to the achievement of otherRES objectives including for example the development ofsites to support the growth of our internationallycompetitive sectors.

This objective supports objective 1 in terms of providingthe sites to enable sectoral growth and also objective 9in terms of sites and premises being an importantelement of creating the conditions for private sectorinvestment.

Outcomes: We will enable and unlock development inthe region by our investment which will also attract newemployment and wealth generating businesses ontostrategic sites from outside the region and ensuresustainable development of sites. There are threespecific outcomes from investing in this objective andthese will be quantified as part of the Strategic Sitesreview due to report in September 2008.

• High quality development proposals close to the regions major transport interchanges, high quality physical environments in particular Grade A office accommodation

• Sites to support increased employment in the region and new jobs leading to an increase in GVA and an increase in rental levels

• Major sites which contain important infrastructure to move goods and freight off the road network and ontothe rail system contributing to mitigating the impact of and adapting to the threat of climate change

As well as investment in Strategic Sites, this objectiveincludes a programme of support for sub-regionalemployment sites. These will be brought forward andevaluated throughout the life of the Corporate Plan andspecific outcomes identified.

The overall objective of this activity is to ensure asufficient quantity and quality of sites and premises toenable the ongoing restructuring and growth of theNorthwest economy. Specific outcomes will be identifiedas each site is brought and will be consistent with localpriorities.

Resulting Activity: Activity will include master planning,land assembly, land remediation, provision of newinfrastructure and gap funding of private sectordevelopment. It will result in the removal of barriers forinvestment and increased private sector investment inkey locations, as well as supporting the development ofregionally important sectors. The Agency is reviewingstrategic and sub-regional sites in support of the aboveobjectives and outcomes, the new ERDF InvestmentFramework, Sub-Regional Action Plans and sustainabledevelopment principles. An implementation plan willestablish specific objectives for agreed priority sites, thenature of intervention required and proposed deliverymechanisms. Major projects include:

• Kingsway Rochdale;

• Wigan Bickershaw Colliery;

• Liverpool Knowledge Quarter;

• 3MG Widnes;

• West Lakes Science Park;

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• Salford Agecroft;

• Dunningsbridge Sefton;

• Freckleton Blackburn.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: All development funding will be in linewith the Agency’s sustainable buildings policy. We willendeavour to promote sustainable procurement of goodsand services, appraising and evaluating our work andthat of our partners in the light of our corporateresponsibilities and climate change commitments. Ourpartners will be expected to adopt our own existingsystems e.g. expecting partners to sign up to ISO14001as part of our own ISO14001 commitment.

We will ensure that, where possible, site location anddevelopment enables accessibility to all sections of ourcommunity via public transport.

Spatial Implications: We will focus investment on RESdesignated strategic regional sites which are in majorlocations across the region. We will also work with allSub-Regional Partnerships to identify and invest in sub-regionally important employment sites, as appropriate.

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9. CONDITIONS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT

Indicative Investment: £331.5 million

Objective: Improve the physical conditions for increasedprivate sector investment in the regions priority places.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to support and sustain conditions for growth inareas with strong economic drivers (TransformationalRES Actions 54-56), as well as stimulate economicactivity in areas remote from growth (TransformationalRES Actions 47-50). It also supports the development ofemployment in or near deprived areas (TransformationalRES Action 52) and the development of high qualitypublic realm, green space and environmental quality(Transformational RES Action 119) as well as thedevelopment of brownfield land (RES Action 84), theNatural economy (RES Action 113), the Lake DistrictEconomic Futures (RES Action 114) and Regional Parks(RES Action 116).

Rationale: The rationale for Agency intervention isbased on evidence of market failure which manifestsitself in a number of ways across the region. Thisincludes the failure to utilise and develop sites foremployment uses and the failure to reuse brownfieldland which has become derelict or degraded. Thecauses include low market values, high costs ofdevelopment, lack and basic amenity and infrastructureand poor quality of surround environment includingpublic realm which acts as a further deterrent toinvestment.

An important part of this objective is to compliment andlever in private sector investment. The objective alsosupports objective 1 in terms of creating the conditionsfor sectoral growth and also to objective 8 assites/premises are an important part of the conditions forprivate sector investment.

Outcomes: The outcomes from this objective include:

• Supporting the achievement of URC objectives in Liverpool through the new Regeneration Company by seeking to accelerate further economic recovery by

capitalising on Liverpool's economic assets and opportunities to attract and retain private sector investment;

• In New East Manchester focus on renewing the physical landscape of East Manchester and tackle high levels of multiple deprivation which continue to affect most communities in East Manchester. Specificoutcomes reducing the proportion working age population claiming benefits by 20% by 2013 and by 50% to the Manchester average, by 2018;

• In Central Salford contribute towards the provision of ahigh quality environment to stimulate new private sector development and create in excess of 1,120,000sq m of new floorspace for employment;

• In Blackpool, expand and diversify the economic baseof Blackpool so as to increase the employment rate from 69% to 75% by 2017; and

• In West Cumbria and Furness seek to diversify the economic base of West Cumbria and secure new investment in key sectors.

• Work with growth towns/cities identified in the RES to help unlock private sector investment in excess of £1 billion currently planned for Lancaster, Chester, Crewe,Blackpool and Preston, including working closely with Carlisle City Council and Warrington Borough Council to bring forward major development propositions designed to attract significant private sector investment. We will work with the appropriate local authorities to bring forward these major mixed use schemes, which if implemented, would considerably drive forward local economies, through direct employment, and, through creating high quality places. This will lead to further business and commercial investment in these key towns/cities. Much of the work is still at a master-planning stage and specific outcomes will be identified before investments are made. However in general terms we will be seeking to increase the availability of new high quality floor space and improve public realm and quality of place, with subsequent rises in commercial property rentals/values.

• Maximising the multi-functional role of key service centres in rural areas and strengthen their contributionto the economy through a strong focus on Place

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Renaissance; the creation of modern and flexible workspace and the delivery of employment land, in and around key service centres.

• Increase the amount of regional land available for active use via investment in reclaiming brownfield land and developing regional parks including enhancement of green infrastructure in order to achieve sustainable economic development and GVA growth.

Resulting Activity: Some NWDA activity in this area isabout influencing planning. This is both in terms of workwith NWRA in terms of responding to the forwardGovernment agenda in terms of RSS, the Planning Bill,and Housing Green Paper and similar, but also workingto support major infrastructure / private sectorinvestments in the region through the planning system. Awide range of other Agencies will continue to investmore significantly in this area than NWDA. The Agencywill work to ensure alignment of our effort with theseother Agencies particularly the Homes and CommunitiesAgency, Network Rail and the Highways Agency as wellas ensuring alignment with programmes such asHousing Market Renewal areas and emerging CityDevelopment Companies.

Activity will be spatially focused on the City RegionCentres (Manchester, Liverpool and Preston) as well asin the Growth Towns/Cities and Areas Remote fromGrowth, identified in the RES. URC Business Plans, VisionBoard plans and Sub-Regional Action Plans will drivemuch of this activity. Activity will include removingbarriers to development of sites for new employmentuses and creating employment opportunities for all, aquality of place, new visitor destinations and vibrantsustainable communities.

Specific activity includes:

In Greater Manchester:

• Work with Salford URC to maximise the physical regeneration opportunities emerging around the development of mediacity:uk, in particular, focussing on creating connections between Salford Quays and Manchester City Centre and the proposed BBC move to the area.

• Work with NEM to further take forward the ambitious plans to regenerate East Manchester, identifying the next major steps required to ensure the regeneration vision is achieved.

• Redevelopment of Ancoats.

• Economic Programme to support the revitalisation of the Housing Market Renewal in Oldham and Rochdale

In Greater Merseyside:

• Work with the new Liverpool Regeneration Company to bring forward ambitious plans to capitalise on proposal for the 'Liverpool Knowledge Quarter', and realise ambitious private sector led plans for the wholescale regeneration of Liverpool Northshore.

• Work with the private sector to support Liverpool and Wirral Waters.

In Lancashire:

• Work with Blackpool to bring forward proposals for a new College campus, a new University campus, and, seek to assist Blackpool in realising the potential to deliver a £300m mixed use scheme for the Talbot Gateway area of the Town in conjunction with Muse Developments.

• Support development of Preston Commercial BusinessDistrict.

• Support development of Blackburn Freckleton Street area.

• Help unlock significant private sector investment plansin Lancaster.

• Economic Programme to support the revitalisation of the Housing Market Renewal area

In Cheshire and Warrington:

• Help unlock significant private sector investment plansin Crewe and Chester.

• Work with Warrington to identify and capitalise on specific opportunities developed through the master planning Warrington town centre.

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In Cumbria

• Work with West Lakes Renaissance to bring forward major plans for Barrow in a manner, which maximises private sector input, and focus WLR on driving forwardsignificant economic sites at Lillyhall and the existing West Lakes Science Park. Activity may include master planning, land assembly and remediation, developer procurement and gap funding to provide new high quality floor space, provision of new infrastructure and strategic green space.

• Support development of Barrow Ramsden Business Park and Marina Village.

• Support development of Carlisle Rickergate and Riverside.

Across the region, in line with the RES:

• Place-centred improvements to the public realm andto the built and natural environment that will stimulateand support further private sector investment.

• NEWLANDS, REVIVE, REMADE and Cumbria SEU landreclamation schemes.

• Regional Park development.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: All development funding will be in linewith the Agency’s sustainable buildings policy. We willendeavour to promote sustainable procurement of goodsand services, appraising and evaluating our work andthat of our partners in the light of our corporateresponsibilities and climate change commitments.

Our partners will be expected to adopt our own existingsystems e.g. expecting partners to sign up to ISO14001as part of our own ISO14001 commitment. We will seekto maximise the relationship between the naturaleconomy and the built environment.

Spatial Implications: These are clearly set out above inthe “resulting activity” section.

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10. ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE & INCREASING SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USE

Indicative Investment: £33.5 million

Objective: Implementation of the regional ClimateChange Action Plan (including energy security); theadoption of resource-efficient technologies and practicesin companies and the development of adaptive policiesand infrastructure.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our RES priorityactions to grow the economy in a sustainable manner. Itsupports RES actions 23-25 and 91.

Rationale: The UK’s Sustainable Development Strategy(2005) promotes a vision of “one planet economics”.The inefficient use of resources is a burden on theregion’s economy. In addition, the 2006 Stern reviewidentified climate change as “the greatest market failureever known”. The review concluded that the economicbenefits of strong and early action to tackle climatechange far outweigh the costs.

The market failures preventing businesses from takingaction to increase their energy efficiency, reduce wasteproduction and adapt to future climate change include:lack of awareness/information; the low cost of carbon;lack of adaptive infrastructure; leadership and co-ordination failures together with legislative and planningbarriers. These form the basis of our rationale forintervention. Imperfect information means businesses areill prepared to take action because they do not knowwhat to do first or where to go for advice. Apathy andshort term thinking and funding horizons are preventingurgent proactive action. Our role should be to raiseawareness and consumer demand, simplify access tosupport and better inform businesses of measures theycan take, based on best available regional data. There isalso a perception of duplication of effort, and lack ofregional coordination and leadership. Our role should beto provide leadership, better coordinate andcommunicate regional activity in this field to identifysynergistic activity, reduce duplication and promote goodpractice.

The market pull for new environmental technologies isincreasing as energy costs continue to rise andcompanies recognise the wider benefits of adopting thecorporate responsibility agenda. Our challenge is toensure that Northwest businesses respond to this marketpull through innovation and the commercial exploitationof low carbon/low resource products and processes.Our role should be to: ensure Northwest businesseshave access to high quality market intelligence in orderthat they can identify the opportunities; supportinnovation by proving support for R&D and facilitatingnetworking between businesses and academia; andensure that businesses have access to appropriateadvice and finance packages in order that the innovationprocess results in real business growth andopportunities.

This objective supports objective 1 in ensuring thegrowth and development of the Energy andEnvironmental Sector and to ensure all businesses adoptsustainable consumption and production processes.

Outcomes: The outcomes we are seeking to achieveare those set out Climate Change Action Plan’s visionand NWOP Sustainable Consumption and ProductionInvestment Framework. By 2010 we will:

• Increase the value of the region’s energy and environmental technologies sector.

• Ensure a single point of access for comprehensive environmental business advice through Business Link and achieve a 20% increase in the number of businesses seeking advice

• Assist a minimum of 5,000 Northwest businesses withtheir resource efficiency and consequently help NORTHWEST companies save £69m.

• Identify the most climate vulnerable areas and sectorsin the region, highlighting and addressing the effects of unavoidable climate change.

• Promote behavioural changes through engaging, encouraging, enabling, exemplifying and catalysing actions which will lead to the more sustainable consumption and production of resources.

• Improve the coordination and communication of regional activity, reducing duplication, Improve the coordination identifying synergistic activity and sharinggood practice.

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Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: By its nature this objective will involve thefull consideration of all sustainable development andEquality and Diversity considerations as it isimplemented.

Spatial Implications: Climate change and sustainableconsumption and production activity is necessarilyregional in its focus. However, the engagement of localand Sub-Regional Partnerships is identified in theClimate Change Action Plan as a critical factor inensuring the delivery of the plan.

• Identify and achieve specific targets that exemplify theNORTHWEST as a region committed to developing a low carbon economy: including raw material savings, waste diverted from landfill, CO2 savings and water savings.

We will also assist the region towards meeting targetsset by central will also assist the region towardsmeeting or exceedigovernment for greenhouse gasemission reductions of 26%-32% by 2020 and 60% by2050 (relative to 1990 levels). NWDA’s own carbonreduction target is given in section 6.

Resulting Activity: Actions and initiatives supportingdelivery of the Climate Change Action Plan and theSustainable Consumption and Production Framework willinclude:

• Demonstration programmes to exemplify best practisein sustainable resource use and climate change adaptation activity;

• Increased capacity support for delivering a low carboneconomy;

• Support for domestic energy efficiency and low carbon transport;

• Research and initiatives which support behaviour change through creating a compelling case for taking action on climate change, resource efficiency and corporate responsibility;

• Improving low carbon/low waste skills and awareness;

• Improved infrastructure policy and planning frameworks for a low carbon/low waste and well adapted economy;

• Initiatives to reducing emissions from high energy users and mitigate for unavoidable emissions;

• Regional support and advice on sustainable resource use including a sustainable procurement programme and a regional programme to develop innovative processes and technologies (eco-design programme).

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11. MARKETING THE REGION

Indicative Investment: £27.5 million

Objective: Improve the image of the region as alocation for business investment and tourism bycountering outdated negative perceptions and promoteits unique opportunities and strengths.

RES Link: This objective delivers on our responsibilitiesunder RES Actions to promote the image of the region(RES Action 95) and those to maximise cultural andmajor event opportunities, especially RES Actions 98(major events) and 99 (London 2012). It also includesour support for RES Transformational Action 96 -Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008.

Rationale: The biggest market failure with regard tomarketing the region is imperfect information. Awarenessof the region and its core cities of Manchester andLiverpool are good, but perceptions of it (and them) as aplace to do business and visit are mixed. The region hasperformed relatively well in FDI terms, however, theregion’s business image to those outside the region ismore of a weakness than a strength. The competition fortourists is becoming ore intense as short haul flights andnew markets increase choice for consumers. In order tomaintain and grow visitor numbers the region has toundertake coordinated marketing. Shortfalls ininformation regarding the region as a place to dobusiness and visit have magnified the mixed perceptionof the region. Our role should be to better informpotential investors and visitors of the uniqueopportunities and strengths the Northwest has to offer.Hosting major events is one way to counter negativesperceptions, along with the direct contribution to theeconomy that these events can make. This is ourrationale for supporting such events.

This objective supports all our other objectives as itpromotes the skills, innovation, enterprise and visitoreconomy of the region. Specifically there is a link toObjective 1 (promoting the region for the visitoreconomy) and Objective 4 (promoting the region as alocation for international trade).

Outcomes:

Our outcomes include:

• A 25% improvement in perceptions of the region as a location for business investment between 2006 and 2011.

• An increase in the awareness (by people outside the region) of the cultural attractions and experiences of Liverpool and Manchester from 2% in 2007 to 10% by2011.

• Major events supported by the Agency contribute £45m to the regional economy from 2008 to 2011 (upfrom a current baseline of £30m) and attract additional 1.5m visitors up from a current baseline of £30m.

• 35% - 40% of all UK adults receive a positive message about the Northwest through the media from2008 to 2011.

• Return on investment from tactical Tourism Marketing Campaigns delivered, or supported, by NWDA, will increase by 10% between 2008 and 2011.

The longer term impact of this promotion should beincreased levels of businesss investment in the region,increased visitor economy activity and an increase in thesize of the workforce, via net inward, and international,migration as well as an increase in retention of youngpeople, particularly graduates. The role of HEIs and otherkey regional assets in supporting the latter will beimportant.

Resulting Activity: We will be undertaking the followingtypes of activity to achieve these objectives:

• Deliver marketing programmes that promote the region and its destination brands to defined national and international visitor markets - this will include all themed visitor marketing for the region and supportingthe five Tourist Boards to promote their destinations and key messages for Manchester, Liverpool 08 and Merseyside, Lancashire & Blackpool, Cumbria the Lake District, and Visit Chester & Cheshire.

• Bid for and develop major cultural, sporting and business events to attract national and international visitors to our key destinations. This will include

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supporting defined events within the Liverpool 08 Programme, Blackpool 365 and the Manchester International Festival amongst others.

• Promote the region and its key sports facilities as potential training camps for Olympic teams competingin London 2012 and implement activity to ensure the region can benefit from the Games.

• Deliver marketing programmes that change perceptions of the region's economic strengths and assets and the key priority RES sectors and their locations.

Sustainable Development/Equality and DiversityImplications: In marketing the region the Agency willensure it is representative of our diverse cultures andnationalities. Diversity is one of the region's key strengthsand provides an opportunity to position the region as acosmopolitan and international destination. It alsoprovides opportunities to capitalise on strong links tomany other countries.

We will lead by example and seek to minimise theenvironmental impacts of any marketing events we hold.We will seek to maximise the relationship between thenatural economy and the environment in marketing.

Spatial Implications: This objective will support the 5Tourist Boards to promote specific attack brands of theregion. It will also promote growth sectors and theirlocations around the region. This will involve regionalcampaigns where appropriate to gain maximum value formoney. It will also support the delivery of major inwardinvestment messages working with appropriate sub-regional organisations. A central purpose of theprogramme is to build associations between the sub-regions (proximity and diversity).

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Strong partnership between the public, private andvoluntary sector is essential to achieving the economicambitions of the region. Increasingly it is NWDA’s role towork in partnership to ensure that priorities are set,consistent with the RES, at a local level, but to let localauthorities and others take detailed project decisions,where appropriate. The private sector drives economicgrowth in the region and their role in delivering the RESis vital.

NWDA will continue to work with a wide range of public,private and voluntary/community sector partners todeliver the RES. We will work with Local Authorities andthe new Northwest Strategic Partnership reflecting theincreased role of Local Authorities in endorsing andscrutinising the Single Regional Strategy. We will alsowork via the RES Advisory Group which will bedeveloped and strengthen to reflect the move to a SingleRegional Strategy. The involvement of the HighwaysAgency, Homes and Communities Agency, EnvironmentAgency, LSC, NHS and Jobcentre Plus to ensure thattheir work informs, complements and contributes to thepriorities to be agreed in the regional strategy will bevital. During the summer of 2008, subject to the nationalSNR consultation, and working with partners, we willdevelop a formal proposal for the timing and format of aSingle Regional Strategy in the Northwest.

The Northwest has five sub-regions (Cheshire &Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashireand Merseyside) and since mid 2004 the Agency hasbeen working closely with Sub-Regional Partnerships(Cumbria Vision, Cheshire & Warrington EconomicAlliance, Manchester Enterprises, Lancashire EconomicPartnership and The Mersey Partnership).

During 2006/07, each sub-region developed action plans(SRAPs) that set out clear economic development plansand priorities for each sub-region, consistent with theRES, and capture the majority of public and privatesector investment that help deliver RES priorities andtransformational actions. These SRAPs (which havebeen refreshed in 2007/8), together with developmentssuch as MAAs and LAAs, will be increasingly importantin determining strategic direction and individualinvestments, with NWDA agreeing overall priorities toensure outcomes and outputs are achieved consistentwith achieving the overall RES vision.

The Agency has important strategic regionalrelationships with Government Office for the NorthWest (GONW) and the North West Regional Assembly(NWRA). Many issues are handled on a tripartite basisthrough a Regional Strategy Team (RST) that meets ona quarterly basis. The nature of the relationship betweenthe Agency and NWRA will evolve within the CorporatePlan period as the recommendations of SNR areimplemented and the RST will be an increasinglyimportant forum in this context. As set out earlier, wehave always sought to align the regional strategiesthrough joint working and will formally progress this aspart of SNR implementation.

NWDA has signed a protocol with NWRA around scrutinyand fully cooperates with NWRA on scrutiny issues. Ithas proved to be a very useful process in terms ofhelping shape the implementation of the current RESand looking forward to the next RES or Regional Strategy.Although proposals are still being developed by NWRA,the successor body to NWRA is likely to involve someform of Northwest Strategic Partnership, based on thecurrent Regional Assembly Executive, including a subcommittee focused on scrutiny. NWDA will continue toengage fully with this committee. Other sub committeesare likely to be established to enable LA members to befully involved in strategy development.

We have established a joint Partnership Board with NHSNorthwest to identify actions and programmes aimed atreducing economic and health inequalities to supportthe transformation of the NW economy, increase wellbeing and reduce social exclusion. We will work togetherwith the NHS and the HSE to improve workplace healthand reduce the number of days lost to ill health and theflow into Incapacity Benefit levels.

On a pan-regional level, we will build on our successfularrangements for working through the Northern WayGrowth Strategy between the three Northern RDAs, andsharpen the strategic focus of the Northern Way in threepriority areas of transport, innovation in industry andincreasing private sector investment. The Northern Way isa unique partnership between the regions and city-regions of the North of England, dedicated to supportingthe growing prosperity of the North towards the level of

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enterprise. We will examine how social enterprise cancontribute to the maintenance of rural communitiesthrough the provision of vital services.

Delegation and ProgrammeManagement

SNR set out government policy to ensure that economicdevelopment investment decisions are taken at theappropriate spatial level.

The NWDA, in consultation with other RDAs isdeveloping a policy framework and principles to enableus to work with partners to identify the most appropriatelevel for delivery of our major programmes. We arecommitted to adopting a strategic role with delivery anddecision making being taken at the most appropriatelevel. This will ensure that regional objectives are metalongside those of National Policy. The detailed natureof delivery for all our activity will be finalised as theprogrammes and projects set out in this plan areimplemented in consultation and conjunction withpartners. Detailed plans for delegation will depend onthe Government’s timetable for introducing legislation. Asset out earlier we will work closely with sub-regions andLocal Authorities including through Local AreaAgreements and emerging Multi Area Agreements tostrengthen our arrangements for delegation to the mostappropriate spatial level and move towards contractingwith relevant organisations on a programmemanagement basis.

In the light of Government consultation on SNR andplans for subsequent legislation, we will work withpartners to develop specific proposals about howincreasing delegation will work in practice. This willinclude considering how capacity at a local level mightneed to be strengthened to enable delegation to occur.Where appropriate we will build on existing governanceand performance frameworks of our partners for exampleLAAs, MAAs, LEGI or Special Purpose Vehicles such asUrban Regeneration Companies. During 2008/09 NWDAwill also implement a programme managementapproach internally to support further delegation infuture.

more prosperous UK regions. In the 2008-11 period,each of the three RDAs will contribute £15 million tosupport the core costs and activities of the Northern WayThis budget will support:

• Collaborative initiatives across the three regions to promote private sector investment, investment in transport and innovation in industry. Northern Way funding will be used to stimulate mainstream funding to support Northern priorities, to develop new approaches and to join up initiatives to the benefit of the north as a whole.

• Programmes to support the development of City Regions across the North, including to support the future integration of spatial and economic planning; and

• Management and leadership of the Northern Way, including its policy development, research and evaluation programmes, and to ensure effective communication of Northern priorities and initiatives – including through the annual Northern Way Summit.

Through GONW and Whitehall colleagues, we will workclosely with all relevant Government Departments toinfluence and support national policy development andto ensure regional policy and strategy supports nationalpolicy objectives where appropriate.

The contribution of the voluntary and community sectorto the Northwest economy has been estimated as beingequivalent to 6% of GVA and makes a vital contributionto social capital and community cohesion. NWDA willcontinue to actively engage with the voluntary andcommunity sector, as appropriate, in the developmentand delivery of strategy and programme/project activity.NWDA will support the recently formed organisation,Social Enterprise NW, to co-ordinate social enterpriseactivity at a regional level and ensure new socialenterprises reflect the diversity of the Northwestpopulation. Our support for the `Faiths for Change'project will deliver a suite of projects to engage localcommunities with improving their local environment,including energy and waste efficiency and renewableenergy generation and contribute to the sustainability ofthe NW economy. Our Business Start-Up activity willtarget equality groups and the establishment of social

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European Programmes (including ERDF)

The transfer of the management of European RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF) to NWDA presents a majoropportunity for the Agency and partners. Theprogramme, worth £500m (or £1bn with match), is thelargest English ERDF programme. It has been designedto be consistent with the RES (as the region’s expressionof the EU’s Lisbon priorities).

Although very challenging in terms of spend targets, theprogramme presents a golden opportunity for integratedworking between the Agency, its partners and the widerEuropean regional economic development Agenda. Theinvestment priorities dovetail very closely with thepriorities in the RES and SRAPs. Where possible we willaim to streamline a whole host of disparate processes,including those which applicants will need to go throughto access and claim resources. This should also furthercontribute to our drive to simplify business support.

We will also reflect the special nature of Merseyside inthis ERDF programme in terms of its phasing in status.The management of ERDF is not without risks (e.g. de-commitment and the resulting loss of funds) and thesewill be carefully managed within NWDA. Whereappropriate NWDA will consider how its resources canbe used as match for European projects andprogrammes. Success will be measured our ability tomeeting the “N+2” decommitment targets, outputs,results and impact targets as set out within the NWOP.

NWDA has been heavily involved in the development ofthe new European Social Fund and ERDF programmes,the latter specifically designed to reflect the prioritiesexpressed in the RES. There are real opportunities towork with the LSC and others to ensure alignment ofNWDA’s priorities for investment, ERDF and ESF via co-financing plans. During 2008-09, the region's EuropeanFramework will be reviewed and adjusted to reflectprogress towards a single integrated regional strategy aswell as the EU’s agenda which is increasingly focusedon further CAP reform and the implementation of theLisbon Growth and Employment agenda. NWDA will alsoincreasingly get involved with the Territorial Cooperationprogrammes.

NWDA will manage the Rural Development Programmefor England from 2008 -2013. A Regional ImplementationPlan has been written by regional partners which formspart of the England Programme. The Northwest Plan willdeliver on 4 thematic areas:

• Making farming and forestry more competitive and sustainable;

• Enhancing the environment and countryside;

• Enhancing opportunities in rural areas;

• Skills, knowledge transfer and capacity building.

We will continue to work with SRPs to prepare for thedelivery of activities within the sub-regions. Deliverythrough the LEADER approach will play a heavy part inthe success and relevance of the programme in theregion.

The North West Operational programme (ERDF) has seta 25% net reduction in carbon emissions over thelifetime of the programme and has undergone a fullsustainable development appraisal.

Business Support Simplification(BSSP)The Agency is committed to delivering on the principlesof the Business Support Simplification Programme.

As part of our initial drive to achieve a simplifiedbusiness support landscape in the Northwest, the NWDAtransformed the previous Business Link operations andBusiness Link Northwest was established on 1 April2007 to deliver the Business Link service in theNorthwest.

Our priorities for achieving simplification are nowfocussed in three key areas:

• Influencing National Programme Development throughactivities such as the National Steering Group, Programme Work Streams and supporting DIUS on the integration of skills brokerage with the informationdiagnostic and brokerage service delivered by Business Link to ensure skills are integral to the service offered to businesses;

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enable departments and national partners to have a voice within the RDAs through the NWDA and the national skills group.

In taking the RDA lead role on Faith the NWDA willcomplement the work of the Equality and Diversity teamin sharing good practice by;

• measuring the social capital that faith communities represent and its economic value

• facilitating and promoting partnership working with faith communities in the delivery of projects in deprived areas

We will also maintain an up to date repository of policydocuments on faith issues from government, statutorybodies and faith communities themselves.

NWDA also hosts the RDA National Secretariat. Duringthe first 6 months of this Corporate Plan NWDA will alsotake on Chair of Chairs role, coordinating RDA’s jointactivity on behalf of the agencies.

Risk Management

The Agency operates and intervenes in areas of marketfailure to incentivise or catalyse markets and attractsustainable private sector investment where it would nototherwise occur. These are often high-risk areas whereenvironment and markets must be developed beforethey become attractive to private investors and otherpublic sector bodies. Our operation is underpinned by aforward looking active risk management system. Thisdescribes and considers the full range of threats andopportunities, which could be faced, in order to supportour decision making on project, programmes and policy.The risk profile of all our operations will continue to beactively assessed, defined and communicated at alllevels of the organisation, enabling the confidentexecution of this plan.

• Driving Regional Facilitation and Communications through activities such as the NW Simplification Steering Board, Regional Stakeholder Events and a joint approach with Government Office NW;

• Leadership in Transition & Implementation through activities such as internal project harmonisation, guiding future Strategic Investment Planning Process, alignment of Project Approval Process and embeddingwithin EU Fund Management.

Our overarching objective is to achieve a sharedframework for the Region for collaboration, coordinationand co-investment in business support activities by2010.

Lead role Responsibility

The NWDA, in our RDA Lead Role for Skills &Employment, has the ultimate objective of challenging,supporting and implementing Government policy that willenable growth and prosperity in the regions, bysupporting employers in building a world-classworkforce. This role provides a collective voice fromRDAs, finding agreement on key policy issues andmaking public those positions. This is then utilised inworking with Government Departments to influence,inform and negotiate new and emerging policy so that itreflects an RDA economic perspective that can respectregional differences. Our efforts will focus on:

• Supporting and facilitating communication between Government Departments, partner organisations and the RDAs and to raise the profile of skills – so that it isseen as integral to the economic agenda e.g. workingwith DIUS in implementing the higher level skills strategy.

• Facilitate the sharing of best practice – working with employers and partners, celebrating what works and using this to inform future policy decisions.

Key to the success of this role will be the building and maintaining of positive relationships, constant communication and having clarity of position that can respond to ever changing priorities. It will therefore be important for the lead role to lobby support for policies which are important to economic growth, and to

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Energy White Paper (EWP) andWaste Strategy

The Agency working in partnership with the GONW,NWRA and other partners will provide the strategic leadfor the regional implementation of the EWP, whichidentifies specific responsibilities.

• Identify the priority technologies which will promote carbon reduction for support in their region;

• Support SMEs with energy efficiency advice brokered by Business Link service;

• Apply carbon emission standards above Building Regulations for developments that we support;

• Play an advocacy role for the development of large energy infrastructure projects;

• Work as a as a key partner in the production of ‘heat maps’ to facilitate the more widespread adoption of Combined Heat and Power;

• Support the introduction of innovative financing models to facilitate the introduction of distributed generation schemes;

• Work with LSC, Sector Skills Councils employers etc todevelop a strategy to ensure that the workforce has the requisite skills.

The Government’s “Waste Strategy for England” in 2007,recognised the role of RDAs in improving resourceefficiency in businesses and encouraging thedevelopment and uptake of environmental technologies.NWDA will meet this role through the better coordinationand communication of environmental support toNorthwest businesses to deliver increased profits byapplying energy conservation, minimising and wastegeneration. During 2008/09 to 2010/11 the Agency willaddress the recommendations of the Waste Strategy, inpartnership with sub-regional organisations to ensurethat our programmes and projects reflect our corporatecarbon reduction commitment.

NWDA is committed to meeting its Energy White Paperobligations and is in the process of developing amethodology for estimating carbon savings associatedwith our programmes and project investments. Weintend to apply this methodology, estimate and publish

the carbon saving potential for each business planperiod, starting in 2008-09. We will lead by example asdescribed under our objective for climate change andsustainable production and consumption and have set acorporate carbon reduction target of 5% year on year(staff and buildings) based on 2006/07 figures. Thisequates to combined reduction of 14.3% or 422 carbontonnes. Our projected performance is set out in thegraph below.

We will also be integrating carbon targets and indicatorsinto our programme management systems e.g. carboncalculator for individual programmes and projects as partof programme appraisal and approval. We are alreadycommitted to applying a number of measures within theSingle Programme and North West Operational Plan(NWOP) to record the amount of carbon saved andensure sustainability as a cross cutting theme isembedded into the programmes. The implementation ofthe NWDA's Sustainable Building Policy has establisheda current carbon saving of 18% for all constructionprojects moving through to zero carbon by 2020. For nonconstruction projects, a carbon calculator has beendeveloped as part of the NWOP which will be used byprojects to provide an initial and final evaluation of theircarbon impact.

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

Corporate Carbon Emissions

Projected reductions in corporate carbon emissions by NWDA (Tonnes)

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Rural Issues

It is important to note that this corporate planningprocess recognises that a wide range of objectives havethe potential to positively influence the economies ofrural areas. The Corporate Plan therefore is the principalmeans through which we will work with our partners likethe LAs to deliver benefits to those living and working inrural areas through a number of the objectives within theCorporate Plan. NWDA has developed a new RuralPolicy which aims to ensure ongoing sustainable growthin the rural economy, create a skilled workforce withinsustainable rural communities and sustainablediversification of the economic base of the rural areas.As set out earlier, the Northwest has developedeconomic development plans – Sub-regional ActionPlans (SRAPs) for each sub-region, produced bybusiness led Sub-regional Partnerships working closelywith partners. These plans have considered specific ruralissues and needs relevant to each sub-region, andtherefore set out how the RES will be delivered in eachof our rural areas, ensuring that rural economic needsare mainstreamed into this plan.

NWDA includes, within its development and appraisalprocess, an assessment of the impact on rural areas onall its programmes and proposals.

Coastal Resorts

We produced a document called 'a new vision for NWCoastal Resorts’ in 2003 and will continue to supportcoastal resorts in line with the RES and emergingGovernment policy including supporting the RDA CoastalAreas Network to share issues and disseminate bestpractice and learning on coastal town economicdevelopment and regeneration.

Climate Change

NWDA has led the development and commencedimplementation of the Northwest Climate Change ActionPlan. The Agency has formed a regional ClimateChange Partnership to drive delivery of the Action Planand is hosting a regional Climate Change Unit tocoordinate activity. Projects and programmes to deliverthe Action Plan are detailed under the climate changeobjective. In addition, all RDAs made commitments toGovernment in “Tackling Climate Change in the Regions”to strengthen our actions to address the climate changeagenda.

Corporate Social Responsibility

As a public sector business, the Agency has significantresponsibility to maximise the economic, social andenvironmental benefits of how we operate as anorganisation - alongside influencing sustainableeconomic and social development, through ourinvestment programme and strategic activity.

We have a strong history of Corporate SocialResponsibility as an organisation and by our teams andstaff and are committed to developing this further in thefuture. We will develop an annual CSR Statement ofPriorities during 2008.

Our investment programme and strategic activity bringus into ongoing contact with a substantial number ofdiverse organisations and groups in the region, leadingto a wide range of opportunities for assimilating goodpractice and taking specific actions to contribute to otherorganisations’ CSR activity. We will strive to exploit theseand ensure that we positively influence partners andstakeholders to adopt the CSR agenda. We will alsoensure that our work on CSR complements our initiativeson climate change, sustainable development, energy,waste minimisation, equality and diversity andopportunities for all including our commitment to supportthe Governments Skills Pledge programme.

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7. Evaluation and Performance Management

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The Agency operates a robust performance monitoringand evaluation system as acknowledged by the NAO’sIndependent Performance Assessment (IPA) 2006. Thiswill be fully reviewed in 2008/09 as we move from a roleof project management to performance management ata strategic level as outlined earlier. We will implementformal programme management within the Agency.

The Agency’s evaluation and performance managementframework is designed to enable us identify whether weare achieving our stated objectives and priorities to helpmeet the Government and other partner’s expectationsand identify areas for improving delivery and the way wedeliver. It links the RES objectives with corporateobjectives, which are in turn linked to directorate, andpersonal objectives.

It has been designed to enable us to understand whatwe are trying to achieve, develop effective ways ofdelivering our priorities, knowing that we are achieving toa high standard and looking at how we can improvebased on previous learning and experiences. Evaluationis central to our efforts to continually improve deliverythrough evidence based policy and decision making andis reflected within the Agency’s Corporate and BusinessPriorities.

The Agency’s performance management framework canbe summarised by the diagram 1 below.

Over the past year, the Agency has strengthened itsinternal evaluation and now has dedicated resources toadvise and support the drawing up and commissioningof evaluation plans. We have also implemented acomprehensive and integrated evaluation process,including in depth work to improve our understanding ofmarket failure and its integration into the projectdevelopment and decision process. Our evaluationprocess defines three stages of evaluation; formative orex-ante stage, monitoring and summative or ex-poststage. This has been designed to support programmeand project evaluation and is underpinned by a robustappraisal process which rigorously reviews the rationalefor the Agency’s intervention and sets out clearrequirements for evaluating the impact of thoseinterventions. A cross agency Evaluation Panel reviewsthe objectives of each project and programme andestablishes, at the start, the baseline data andinformation that will be required to evaluate whether anintervention has had the desired impacts at the end.

Evaluation reports are produced which can clearlydemonstrate the achievement of impacts (as opposed tooutputs) and importantly can demonstrate net (asopposed to gross) impacts. The next key phase is toensure that these evaluation messages are increasinglyused to influence future decision making. The Agencywill be publishing its evaluations in support of its policyof sharing lessons and best practice.

As mentioned earlier the Agency is determined to leadby example and will be integrating carbon targets andindicators into our programme management systemswhich will form part of our evaluation evidence andimprove the development and delivery of sustainableeconomic development.

1 Executive Management Board2 Risk and Performance Management Group

3 year Corporate Plan &Strategic Investment Plan,

every 3 years (inc. NWDAcontributions to regional

outcomes/corporate performanceindicators)

20 year Regional Economic Strategy/Single Strategy

Research &EvidenceGathering

ImpactEvaluation

PerformanceManagement

and Monitoring

AnnualBusiness Plan

Clear Objectivesmeasures andtargets

Accountability

Monitoring andReporting

Business PlanPerformance

EMB1/Board

Exec Directorsvia RPMG2

DirectorateObkjectives

ExecutiveDirector

SeniorManager

TeamObjectives

SeniorManager

TeamMeetings

PersonalObjectives

Individual andLine Manager

PerformanceAppraisal

Continuous Performance Management and Monitoring Cycle

Diagram 1: Current Performance Management and MonitoringFramework (to be reviewed in light of move to programmemanagement and other changes to NWDA role as a result of SNR)

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set out in chapter 6 of this Corporate Plan against eachobjective. While not part of the RDA sponsorshipframework, the report will also assess the region’sprogress in GVA/head and the 5 outcome indicators setout by Government and referred to in the ExecutiveSummary.

The annual performance report will assess progress onRES and Corporate Plan delivery including successes,challenges and risks. Where practically possible and inline with our annual evaluation plan i.e. based oncompleted impact evaluations, we will set out how ourprogrammes and activities have contributed to achievingthe objectives set out in the Corporate Plan includingour contribution to the Northwest economic growthobjective to be agreed with Government. We will alsouse this report to demonstrate how we have applied thecross-cutting principles of sustainable development andeconomic opportunities for all within our programmesand activities in line with our Single Equality Strategy.

We will continue to meet our contractual reportingrequirements on Business Link performance, Grant forR&D, MAS, EU requirements for ERDF and RDPE, andany requirements associated with equality legislation.

The Agency will be developing internal and externalmeasures as part of our programme and projectappraisal, performance monitoring and management,and evaluation cycle which will specifically focus oncapturing the impact that our interventions are having onsustainable development and equality and diversityissues in the region.

NWDA has a clear 3-year programme of evaluation, withall programmes and projects required to draw up formalevaluation plans setting out information requirements,which are compliant with the nationally agreed ImpactEvaluation Framework (IEF). This programme is regularlyreviewed and updated to ensure it captures all emergingfindings and evidence from all the Agency’s programmesand projects in a comprehensive manner. Ourevaluation framework is backed up by an ongoingtraining and engagement programme with all staff,partners and stakeholders.

The Agency has taken a leadership role in drivingimprovements in evaluation of impact across the RDAnetwork and is also exploring undertaking collaborativeevaluations with other RDAs where possible.

The overall performance framework is overseen by theAgency’s Risk and Performance Management Groupwhich reports to the Executive Management Board.Progress is monitored by way of monthly output and keyperformance indicators review, quarterly business planmonitoring (including risk management and monitoring)and monthly financial management monitoring.

Annual Performance Reporting

The Agency will produce an annual business plan whichwill set out in more detail the activities and deliverablesfor each year of this Corporate Plan and in line with thecommitments made in this plan. An annual performancereport will, in line with Government’s RDA sponsorshipframework and reporting requirements, examine thespecific progress we have made against the businessplan, focusing on the activities we have undertaken andthe progress being made against the detailed outcomes

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8. Organisational Change

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This Corporate Plan covers a period of significant changefor NWDA as it continues to move from direct delivery toa strategic, commissioning role. This represents acontinuation of our current direction of travel as NWDAalready has a significant strategic role and delivers viaother organisations.

However this Corporate Plan will significantly acceleratethis change process. Many of our systems and structureswill also need to change to deliver in this new role.NWDA has in place an organisational change processwhich aims to examine the implications of the changesand bring forward proposals to the Board.

NWDA will increase strategic commissioning andcontract management skills, further develop its economicpolicy and research function, strengthen its capacity inplanning, transport and housing strategy and reduce itsfocus on project development and delivery.

We will also work with Local Authorities to improvecapacity for economic development delivery as outlinedin SNR. We will consider skills and knowledge transfer tosupport local authority capacity improvements whereappropriate. This will require a major programme ofcultural and organisational change, to ensure that theagency has the required skills and that local deliveryorganisations have the required capacity. We do notunderestimate the impact of this change and aredetermined to work with partners to implement it for thebenefit of the region.

We will also work with the private and voluntary sector toensure that the mechanisms and resources are in placeto ensure that they are fully engaged in the developmentof the regions single strategy.

An immediate requirement is to take on board themanagement of ERDF and plan for the transfer of SkillsBrokerage to RDAs.

Improvement Plan

Following the publication of the IndependentPerformance Assessment (IPA) for the NWDA in 2006,the Agency produced an IPA Improvement Plan toaddress the areas identified by the NAO that requiredattention. The IPA Improvement Plan includes nine Areasfor Improvement with thirty individual actions sittingunderneath. The plan also brings together all the variousother improvement plans within the Agency into oneconsolidated plan.

All actions are included in the Agency’s Internal BusinessPlan and progress is monitored as part of the quarterlybusiness plan monitoring. The process is coordinated bythe Corporate Performance Team and is overseen andreviewed by the Risk and Performance ManagementGroup. Progress towards achievement of key actionsidentified within the Improvement Plan is on track with allmilestones due for action having been addressed andperformance is reported to the Board on a regular basis.

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9. Resource Plan and Estates Policy

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Corporate Budget 2008/2011Income and Expenditure Summary

Comprehensive Spending Review

The overall CSR settlement represents a 5% real-termsreduction on the Agency’s cash and capital baselines of2007/08. Over and above this, Government has alsorequested further levels of administrative cost savings(see below) which will be moved to support Programmedelivery and VFM Programme savings, both of which willbe reinvested in delivering the Agency’s agreed priorities.These include the specific responsibilities mentioned inthe CSR including managing the response to industrialcrises or natural disasters, supporting collaboration withthe Technology Strategy Board, sustaining the ONS’sregional presence and providing additional funding forthe Northern Way.

The Agency will utilise its existing efficiency performancemanagement framework, introduced to achieve savingsunder the Gershon Review, to drive cost reductionacross its overhead and Programme Support functions.

Administrative Savings NWDA plan to achieve £4.595m sustainableadministrative efficiency savings over the CSR period.Baseline administrative costs of £37.571m (8.1% of totalfunding) will be reduced to a resource budget of£35.733m in 2010/11, (7.7% of total funding) and thesetargets have been incorporated into the Agency’sfinancial planning.

Programme SavingsProgramme efficiencies will be realised through a mix ofcash reductions and VFM savings. Focus will be onensuring programmes and projects are efficient in theirdesign and implementation.

The tables below show a summary of NWDA incomeand expenditure, as well as our proposed outlineprogramme expenditure by objective. Further details canbe found within our Strategic Investment Plan.

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Corporate Plan Allocations 2008/11 £m

2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 Total

Growth sectors 55.8 57.8 58.7 172.3

Enterprise Support 60.3 57.8 62.7 180.8

Innovation 30.4 31.3 27.6 89.3

Internationalisastion 6.3 7.0 7.0 20.3

Leadership and Management 5.5 7.5 7.0 20.0

High Level Skills Development 25.0 18.0 17.0 60.0

Size of the Workforce 6.7 4.3 4.3 15.3

Employment Sites and Premises 31.8 29.8 29.1 90.7

Conditions for Private Sector Investment 131.5 107.5 92.5 331.5

Climate Change and Sustainable Consumption 11.5 11.0 11.0 33.5

Marketing the Region 10.4 10.0 7.1 27.5

Other 16.9 17.1 15.5 49.5

Total 392.1 359.1 339.5 1,090.7

Estates and Assets Policy

NWDA has a portfolio of project assets and developmentland, which enables the Agency to work with partnersand the private sector to deliver property, based projects.The Agency makes development opportunities availableto the private sector and by doing this, in addition tofacilitating the physical development, the Agency alsoassists businesses in creating or safeguardingemployment.

The Agency’s portfolio is primarily located in Merseysideand West Cumbria where it works with partners such asLiverpool Vision, Liverpool Land Development Companyand Cumbria Vision. In addition, there are notableprojects at Ancoats Urban Village, Kingsway BusinessPark and Daresbury Science Campus, where theProperty Team is working with colleagues and partnersto deliver these projects.

The Agency’s commercial portfolio was transferred into ajoint venture, or PPP, in December 2006. This is a 10-year venture where the assets are managed by theprivate sector partner to deliver outputs for the Agency.The Property Team in conjunction with the Legal andFinance Teams oversees the operation of the PPP.

The Agency has an Asset Management Strategydocument addressing the management, performanceand exit strategy for each of the assets in the portfolio.The document also includes an Estate Strategy coveringall of the Agency’s operational properties.

Consultation

This Corporate Plan has been the subject of widespreadconsultation within the region and a significant numberof comments were received. It has been strengthenedand changed as a result of these comments. A summaryof the consultation comments received is available fromNWDA.

The Corporate Plan has also been subject to anintegrated Sustainable Development and Equality ImpactAssessment. The results of this assessment and how theAgency has responded are available on our website.

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Annexes and Tables

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Annex 1: Research priorities

NWDA uses and commissions research both to informits internal policy and project development and to fulfil itsrole in strengthening the regional evidence base andhow it is used. The research function within the PolicyDirectorate exists to supply timely, high quality andaccurate data, information and intelligence to bothsupport the strategic need of the Agency (ResearchTeam) and the evidence base needs of the region(Regional Intelligence Unit/ Regional Observatory).

At the beginning of this Corporate Plan cycle, we aredeveloping the evidence base for the next SingleRegional Strategy, which is building on the foundationscreated by monitoring the current RES and developing agreater understanding of impact and evaluation. We havedrawn together an indicative list of sources of evidencewhich we propose that the region takes account of inpreparing the next Single Regional Strategy. The list hasbeen compiled by NWDA and based on discussionsheld with the RES Advisory Group about the ResearchPlan for the Single Regional Strategy. A full programmeof our proposed research programme can be found onour website at www.nwda.co.uk/corporateplan and willbe updated on an ongoing basis.

This themed regional evidence base is being gatheredalongside the current development of a series ofevidence papers, the purpose of which are to stimulatedebate and discussion in the development of the nextstrategy. They re-visit the current RES factors, taking eachfactor and looking in depth at the evidence available,monitoring progress against outcome indicators andusing wider evidence nationally and regionally. They willcover the need for investment, market and other failuresand draw out any challenging questions the regionshould be asking itself.

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Annex 2: Example Logic Chain: SNR Objectives - Outcomes - Outputs

Below is a presentation of the RDA Performance Framework Indicators linked to selected outcomes as part ofdelivering the Regional Economic Strategy; selected outcomes set out as intended results from programmes in thisNWDA corporate plan; and selected project outputs proposed as we move away from the National TaskingFramework. There are many other outcomes that the region and NWDA feel are important to enable achievement ofthe RES and Corporate Plan, and this table attempts to link these at a high level only, to illustrate the logic chain. Thecontents of this presentation will be subject to further work during 08-09 and 09-10, particularly with regard to projectoutputs and a detailed and expanded model will be available from NWDA.

5 All outputs are subject to beneficiary monitoring

RDA PerformanceFrameworkIndicator

Enterprise: VATRegistration Rates

2. Increased number of VATstart-ups per 10,000 workingage population. (RES Target 2).

Enterprise: Supporting the creation andgrowth of new businesses, aiming for 5100net new business starts focused on highgrowth and priority groups/areas as identifiedin the RES, and a further 2600 assistsleading to 11000 jobs created.

• No. of businesses created.

• No. of businesses assisted.

Productivity: GVA per hour

3. Increased productivity: GVAper hour worked.

Sectors: Increase the contribution of thepriority sectors to the economy in terms ofoutput, productivity, employment, number ofcompanies and recognition of the region forspecialisms in these sectors.

• No. of businesses assisted.

RES Outcomes Corporate PlanOutcomes

NWDA ProjectOutputs5

Innovation / R&DExpenditure

14. Greater expenditure onR&D as a proportion of GVA.

Innovation: By 2011 we will aim to increasethe number of innovation active firms from59% to 75%, and increase private sectorR&D spend from £1.9bn to £2.3bn perannum.

• No. of businesses assisted.

Employment Rates 42. Improved EmploymentRates. (RES Target 6)

Size of the Workforce: Increase theemployment and activity rates in the priorityplaces identified in the RES. Currentlyemployment rates in the region range from63.9% to 79.6% while activity rates rangefrom 69.9% to 82.4%.

• No. of people helped to secure employment, education or training.

• No. of jobs created or safeguarded.

Basic, Intermediateand Higher LevelSkills

30. Increasing percentage ofworking age population with atleast level 2, at least level 3, andat least level 4 qualifications,compared to England average.(RES target 5)

Higher Level Skills: Over 2008-2011 inpartnership with other agencies to increasethe proportion of the working age populationqualified to level 3 and above in line withLeitch targets (to be agreed) from theircurrent level of 43%.

• No. of people helped to secure employment, education or training.

• No. of people assisted in their skills development.

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Annex 3: UK Principles of Sustainable Environment

Living Within EnvironmentalLimits:

Respecting the limits of theplanet’s environment, resourcesand biodiversity - and ensurethat the natural resourcesneeded for life are unimpairedand remain so for futuregenerations.

Ensuring a Strong, Healthy& Just Society

Meeting the diverse needs ofall people in existing andfuture communities,promoting personal well-being, social cohesion andinclusion, and creating equalopportunity for all.

Achieving aSustainable Economy

Building a strong, stableand sustainableeconomy which providesprosperity andopportunities for all, andin which environmentaland social costs fall onthose who impose them(Polluter Pays), andefficient resource use isincentivised.

Using Sound ScienceResponsibly

Ensuring policy isdeveloped andimplemented on thebasis of strong scientificevidence, whilst takinginto account scientificuncertainty (through thePrecautionary Principle)as well as publicattitudes and values.

Promoting GoodGovernance

Actively promotingeffective, participativesystems of governancein all levels of society -engaging people’screativity, energy anddiversity.

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Annex 4: Review of Progress –Embedding Equality and Diversity

Tackling discrimination in the labour market: Wesupported the establishment of Migrant Workers NorthWest and the North West Forum on Ageing (5050vision);and developing training and employment opportunitiesfor ex-offenders, mental health service users andhomeless people.

Promoting enterprise to non-traditional entrepreneurs:We supported the Ethnic Minority Business Forum, theWomen’s Enterprise Forum (recognised as a goodworking practice model alongside LDA and EMDA) andPRIME, an enterprise initiative for over 50s; the newBusiness Start Up scheme set itself a challenging targetof 50% for female, BME and disabled entrepreneursparticipating in the programme.

Supporting people out of worklessness and into work:We established a Regional Employability Forum with JobCentre Plus, promoting equality is central to the NorthernWay worklessness pilots, Train to Gain, and Grow YourOwn Future Workforce initiatives.

Influencing policy on reducing skill disparities forequalities groups: We conducted research into theimpact of worklessness, demographic change, migrationand diversity within the region and its economy;supporting the work of ACAS in convening an EmployersForum on Equality (focused on employer needs), runningthe Fair Employment Zone at the Trafford Centre andcommissioning the Diversity in Business researchproject.

Internally, the Agency has incorporated Equality andDiversity into the induction training for all new starters.Equality and Diversity also forms a key module within thePeople Management programme for all line managerswithin the Agency. We have supported the work of theEquality Champions Group to facilitate the embedding ofEquality and Diversity within our directorates.

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NWDA i7-29

July 2008

The Northwest Regional Development Agency PO Box 37Renaissance HouseCentre ParkWarrington WA1 1XBTel: +44 (0)1925 400 100Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400

www.nwda.co.ukwww.englandsnorthwest.comwww.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

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This document is available in large print, braille, audio tape and the following languages;Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Somali, Urdu and Hindi. Please contact the Marketing Department on 01925 400100

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