The Welsh Government is refining its approach to regional development, adopting a regional lens directed to four regions to better allocate resources and address local needs. This OECD Multi-level Governance Study – a follow up to the 2020 OECD report The Future of Regional Development and Public Investment in Wales, United Kingdom – summarises the progress Wales has made to advance this regional lens, and identifies key areas of attention going forward. It synthesises the results of a vision-setting exercise, capacity-building workshops with the national government and regional bodies, and a multi-stakeholder workshop on collaborative working among Welsh regional development actors. This report identifies enablers for the effective use of a regional lens in Wales, including robust regional data, long-term and future-oriented objectives, effective co-ordination across Welsh Government policy areas related to regional development, capacitated regional structures, and trust and collaborative working among levels of government. The report's insights on establishing strategic direction and fostering collaboration among national, regional, and local levels could be valuable for countries exploring ways to optimise regional development policy, including in the face of resource constraints.
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Table of Contents
- Foreword 5
- Acknowledgements 6
- Abbreviations and acronyms 10
- Executive summary 11
- Key findings and recommendations 11
- 1 Updating the regional lens in Wales 13
- Introduction 14
- A note on this report 14
- Overcoming challenges to regional development in Wales 15
- With Brexit, Wales sought a new model to drive regional development 15
- There are constraints to applying the new model fully 16
- Moving the regional lens forward with the four economic regions 19
- Actionable regional evidence is crucial to advancing the regional lens 19
- Building a comprehensive regional development picture to inform policy making 22
- Key messages and recommendations 23
- References 24
- Notes 27
- 2 Pulling the pieces together for regional development 29
- Introduction 30
- Charting a course for regional development in Wales 30
- Futures thinking, foresight and seeds of a vision provide foundations for a long-term view of regional development in Wales 30
- A strategic thread can unify regional development efforts towards shared objectives 34
- Weaving a strategic thread for regional development across the Welsh Government 39
- Making sure everyone moves in the same direction 42
- Filling a co-ordination gap for regional development 42
- Strengthen and diversify co-ordination mechanisms for regional development 45
- Adjust ways of working to support integrated regional development 48
- Key messages and recommendations 50
- References 53
- Notes 56
- 3 Harnessing the power of regional working 58
- Introduction 59
- The “why” behind the Corporate Joint Committees 59
- In Wales, co-operative regions were established to build territorial scale and favour cross-local authority collaborative working 59
- A need for greater clarity on the purpose and goals of the CJCs 63
- Uncertainties and mismatched expectations limit local authority ownership of the CJCs 63
- A crowded field of Welsh regional co-operation creates fears of duplication 67
- Building strong CJCs that produce strong outcomes 68
- Securing the support of local authority elected officials requires fast, tangible benefits and strong communication 69
- Co-operation need not end at CJC borders 70
- Strong and clear lines of accountability provide confidence that the CJCs act in the interest of their region 71
- Monitoring and evaluation will help ensure that the CJCs remain robust and able to deliver for their regions 72
- Key messages and recommendations 73
- References 75
- Notes 78
- 4 Cultivating multi-level relationships to accelerate regional development 80
- Introduction 81
- From a more directive towards a more collaborative approach 81
- Fragile relationships between the Welsh Government and local authorities persist despite ambitions for better collaboration 81
- Improving the Welsh Government-local authority relationship requires a new approach 83
- Fostering positive and constructive engagement between national government, local governments and the CJCs 84
- Shifting away from an overly prescriptive approach to implementation can nourish initiative taking and innovation 87
- Producing better results through a no blame culture 87
- Collaborative leadership and shared expectations will facilitate change 89
- Towards principles of collaborative working 89
- Parties draw out shared principles to plan, take action and maintain momentum together 89
- Key messages and recommendations 91
- References 92
- Notes 94
- Annex A. Project methodology 95
- Vision setting 95
- Online citizen survey: Building the Long-term Vision for Regional Development in Wales 95
- Vision-setting workshop series 95
- Focus group interviews 95
- Action plan workshops 96
- Multi-stakeholder workshop 97
- Master class with the Welsh Government 97
