Yorkshire Forward’s Learning Legacy

Les Newby, July 2011

Learning Legacy …passing on the baton

• What • Who• Form • Purpose

16 ‘Modules’ Covering:

Strategy Research & Intelligence

Response to Economic Shocks Low Carbon

Enterprise Business SupportAccess to Finance Inward Investment

Sectors and Clusters InnovationSkills

Urban Renaissance Inclusion Transport Tourism Rural Renaissance

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s own

ignorance”

(Confucius)

Topic Specific Insights

Economic StrategySpecific• process + product• evidence + preference• more involved over time• good strategy is possible and powerful

General•leadership and partnership

•clarity of purpose

•people count

EnterpriseSpecific• practical support + enterprise culture • enterprise shows as good practice• ‘spin outs’ are resource intensive • targeting – better by life stage than group?

General•combine short and long term approaches

•integrate related functions

•openness to new ideas and options

Sectors and ClustersSpecific• initial clusters selection and approach was flawed

– rationale, style and scale • revised sectoral approach worked better• success variable…when good can be really good

General•partnership and relationships

•importance of evidence

•profile and impact not correlated

•combining spatial and thematic

Urban and Rural RenaissanceSpecific• variable but potentially transformative impact• success factors include need, ambition,

deliverability, design and community support • broad programmes = less concentrated impact

General•evidence and prioritisation

•leadership and partnership

•front end skills + completer-finishers

Low Carbon Economy

Specific• well positioned to exploit major opportunities • champions, expertise and mainstreaming• assets vary locally – world class combined offer

General•value of good communication

•leadership and partnership

•clarity of purpose

Overarching Insights

Vision, Strategy and Leadership

• strategy and alignment• clarity of purpose • integration of functions and flexibility • calculated risks and innovative approaches• leadership

Operations, Prioritisation and Delivery

• evidence, intelligence and evaluation• importance of prioritisation – combining analysis and judgement• balance of creative, front end skills and completer-finishers• it takes time….need both early wins and long term transformation • shrinking violets can shine• what happens where – spatial and thematic together • openness to change, new ideas and options

People and Relationships

• people count! • partnerships and relationships• firm focus v flexibility• enabling and dynamic culture – fusing private and public sector qualities • communication

Context, Scale and Type of Organisation

• the right scale and the ‘R’ word• cost effectiveness , quality and competition• success fuels growth…and sometimes overgrowth• clarity and accountability - who pulls the strings?

The right scale for different agendas?

• strategic transport, access to finance• response to economic shocks• low carbon economy, economic intelligence

• tourism, inward investment• sector development, innovation, higher level skills

• enterprise, business support, intermediate skills

• physical development and renaissance• inclusion and basic skills

wider scale

more local scale

Where will the information be available?

• LEP websites

• BIS/BIS Local

• Yorkshire Forward web site….for a while

• Further sources/archives to be confirmed

• Contact with those involved (where possible)

Thanks• YF board, colleagues, team• Many, many, partners• Those who made today• Those who shape tomorrow

“We can make our own mythologies and

our own futures, we can be re-made by our passion and our dreams.”

(Joolz Danby)

Information to be available from

my details: Les Newby associates les@lesnewby.com07740 900 656

Leeds City Region LEP http://www.leedscityregion.gov.uk/LEP.htm

Sheffield City Region LEP www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/local-enterprise-partnership

York and North Yorkshire LEP http://www.ynylep.co.uk/

Humber LEP (web address to be confirmed)

BIS Local http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/economic-development/bis-local-offices

Yorkshire Forward www.yorkshire-forward.com