20051128_The next steps_An independent review of sustainable development in the English regions

8/7/2019 20051128_The next steps_An independent review of sustainable development in the English regions

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The next stepsAn independent reviewof sustainable developmentin the English regions

November 2005


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ContentsExecutive summary .............................................................................5Glossary of abbreviations..................................................................................... 141 Introduction ....................................................................................151.1 The context ............................................................................................... 151.2 Recommendations for change ................................................................. 162 This Review......................................................................................172.1 The aims of this review............................................................................ 172.2 Gathering the evidence............................................................................ 182.3 The Sustainable Development Commission............................................. 192.4 Management of the review ..................................................................... 193. Institutional Leadership...................................................................203.1 Background ............................................................................................... 203.2 Regional leadership .................................................................................. 213.2.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 213.2.2 Regional leadership: SDC findings.................................................... 213.2.3 Embedding sustainable development into regional institutions..... 223.2.4 The role of the RDAs......................................................................... 233.2.5 The role of the Regional Assemblies................................................ 263.2.6 The Role of the Government Offices ................................................ 273.3 National leadership .................................................................................. 293.3.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 293.3.2 National leadership: SDC findings .................................................... 304. Regional Frameworks and Strategies.............................................334.1 Background ............................................................................................... 334.2 Strategy integration.................................................................................. 344.3 RSDFs......................................................................................................... 354.3.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 354.3.2 RSDFs: SDC findings........................................................................... 374.3.3 Sustainability appraisal..................................................................... 385. The Role of Major Bodies: Coordination and Integration...............415.1 Coordination.............................................................................................. 415.1.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 41

5.1.2 Coordination: SDC findings................................................................ 425.2 Voluntary Agreements.............................................................................. 435.2.1 Findings from previous studies ........................................................ 435.2.2 Voluntary Agreements: SDC findings................................................ 435.3 Action Plans .............................................................................................. 445.3.1 Findings from previous studies ........................................................ 445.3.2 Action Plans: SDC findings ................................................................ 456. Regional Sustainable Development Roundtables..........................466.1 Background ............................................................................................... 466.2 Findings..................................................................................................... 466.2.1 Advantages ....................................................................................... 486.2.2 Problems ........................................................................................... 48

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6.2.3 Ingredients for success ..................................................................... 486.3 Links to SDC............................................................................................... 527. Monitoring and Evaluation..............................................................547.1 Indicators................................................................................................... 547.1.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 547.1.2 Indicators: SDC findings .................................................................... 547.2 Monitoring and scrutiny............................................................................ 557.2.1 Findings of previous studies ............................................................. 567.2.2 Monitoring and scrutiny: SDC findings ............................................. 57References..............................................................................................58Annex A: UK strategy for sustainable development.............................60Annex B: Regional Strategies ................................................................61Regional Sustainable Development Frameworks............................................ 61Integrated Regional Frameworks and Integrated Regional Strategies........... 61Regional Economic Strategies .......................................................................... 62Regional Spatial Strategies............................................................................... 62Annex C: Membership of Regional Advisory Group..............................63

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Executive summary1. Introduction

The English regions have a crucial part toplay in advancing sustainabledevelopment in England. Importantpolicies are developed, decisions taken,and resources deployed in the regions.Regional Development Agencies (RDAs),Regional Assemblies (RAs) andGovernment Offices (GOs), as well as theGreater London Authority (GLA), haveinfluential strategic responsibilities.Others, such as the Environment Agency,the Health Protection Agency and many

other public bodies, have regionalelements to their organisations andcommand significant resources andpowers. So too do many businesses andorganisations in the voluntary sector.

In every region, new partnerships andpartnership bodies with advocacy roles,such as the regional sustainabledevelopment roundtables, feature in thecomplex institutional landscape.

Regional bodies also have a key role orpotential for promoting and encouragingsustainable development at more locallevels, acting as partners and facilitatorsfor stimulating action at that level.

Each of these actors at the regional levelhas the potential to incorporate the goalof sustainable development at the heartof all their own individual plans andactivities. And when they act together,they have a still greater potentialcapacity to transform their regions in amore sustainable direction.

Regions in which all actors play theirparts for sustainable developmentseparately and collectively could andshould have a key role in theimplementation of the UK GovernmentSustainable Development Strategy,Securing the Future(March 2005). Thereare important regional and local

dimensions to many of the policies inthe Strategy.

In particular, regions should have animportant role in helping to deliver the

four shared priorities for UK action:

Sustainable Consumption andProduction

Climate Change and Energy Natural Resource Protection and

Environmental Enhancement Sustainable Communities.

In a truly sustainable region, all actors inthe public, private and voluntary sectors

would incorporate sustainabilityrequirements at the heart of all theiroperations and in their procurement andconstruction activities. They wouldcreate powerful alliances and initiativesfor promoting energy efficiency andgreater use of renewable sources ofenergy. They would enhance the naturalenvironment and tackle past pollutionand land degradation. They would co-operate together to ensure that all new

developments are created onsustainable development principles andthat existing communities areencouraged and assisted to evolve inmore sustainable directions.

Some good progress has been made inrecent years on all these goals, andthere is evidence of excellent, ifsporadic, practice at the regional level.But much remains to be done.

In order to review progress and tostimulate further action, Securing theFutureincluded the commitment that:

The Sustainable DevelopmentCommission will review the overallarrangements for deliveringsustainable development in theregions including RegionalSustainable DevelopmentFrameworks, regional sustainable

development networks, liaisonbetween central Government and the

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regions, and the role of major bodiesand strategies and makerecommendations for improvingeffectiveness.1

2. This review

2.1 Aims of the reviewThe starting point for this review was toexamine leadership, decision-makingand delivery processes for sustainabledevelopment at the regional level,assessing the current effectiveness, andmaking recommendations forimprovement. The findings andrecommendations of this study are

targeted at both national government,which can rapidly address some of thefailings in regional accountability forsustainable development, and atregional bodies themselves to whom wehave targeted many of therecommendations for improvinginstitutional performance on delivery ofsustainable development.

2.2 Gathering the evidenceIn carrying out this review we haveconducted interviews with a range ofindividuals in all the major regionalinstitutions, practitioners from publicsector, including health, as well asrepresentatives from Non GovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs). We have alsoexamined the literature on institutionaldelivery of sustainable development,and sent out initial scopingquestionnaires to relevant regionalbodies to develop an understanding of

their roles, terms of reference andresponsibilities.

1

HM Government, Securing the future: deliveringUK sustainable development strategy, March2005, p160.

3. Institutional Leadership

3.1 Regional leadershipWe found the lack of consistentleadership at the regional level to be a

major obstacle to the delivery ofsustainable development in the Englishregions. In most, no single body is actingas the lead advocate for deliveringsustainable development principles andpriorities as defined in Securing theFuture. The roles of RDAs, RAs and GOsare not defined clearly enough inrelation to sustainable development. InLondon, the Mayor is leading thedelivery of sustainable development, but

this is an exception.

The three main regional institutions(RDAs, RAs and GOs) need also tostrengthen integration of sustainabledevelopment throughout theirorganisations. All bodies will thereforeneed to re-examine their organisationalstructures with a critical eye.2 Ourrecommendation on good institutionalgovernance is as follows:

Recommendation 1All regional government institutionsshould develop a proper accountabilityframework as they set about embeddingsustainable development, including:a. Identifying leadership andownership of sustainabledevelopment at managementboard level, which is needed for

driving forward strategyimplementation and settingtargetsb. Creating a well-defined businesscase explaining why sustainabledevelopment matters to thedelivery of the organisations2The SDCs SDAP guidance will be useful in

ensuring this is done effectively - SDC,Sustainable Development Action Plans Getting

Started, August 2005 www.sd-commission.org.uk

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objectives, and creating andmaintaining an effective strategyfor delivering sustainabledevelopmentc. Developing a network ofsustainable developmentchampions, established at alllevels of the organisation, tocommunicate and inspiredelivery throughout theorganisationd. Defining sustainabledevelopment objectives andtargets in all parts of theorganisation including policydelivery, human resources,estates/facilities managemente. Establishing clear indicators ofsuccessful delivery, which areproperly monitored and reportedon regularly.

In Securing the Future, the PrimeMinister stated that Government willlead by example. To support thedelivery of Securing the Futureand thegood governance principle,and todemonstrate leadership in the regions,

RDAs and GOs should also lead byexample, ensuring that their ownoperations are sustainable. As such,there are a number of actions that allRDAs and GOs could undertakeimmediately (if they have not already)in order to visibly demonstrate theircommitment to sustainabledevelopment:

Recommendation 2As their contribution to theGovernments priorities for action onclimate change and sustainableconsumption and production, all RDAsand GOs should:a. Sign up to the Carbon Trustscarbon management programmeto improve the energyperformance of the regionalgovernment estateb. Commit to signing up to thenational action plan for

sustainable procurement acrossthe public sector, to bedeveloped by the SustainableProcurement Task Force in 2006(which will encompass social,environmental and economicsustainability issues).c. Sign up to the new Frameworkfor Sustainable Development onthe Government Estate, when itis published in 20063d. Sign up to the UK Governmentcommitment that 10% of alltheir vehicles will be low carbonby 2012e. Work with Government to jointhe commitment to offset allcarbon emissions from official airtravel.

3.2 Regional DevelopmentAgenciesOur review has found that the RDAimpact on sustainable development inthe regions, whilst improving, is highlyvariable. A number of RDAs do notappear to recognise that economicoutcomes should be delivered in such a

way that environmental and socialinclusion objectives are secured at thesame time.Integrated outcomes ratherthan crude trade-off is what RDAs shouldnow be aiming at, as a matter of course.

A key tool in this process is projectappraisal. In conjunction with the East ofEngland Development Agency (EEDA),the lead RDA for sustainabledevelopment, the SDC is proposing, in2006, to review all project appraisalprocesses used by RDAs to create abenchmark for good practice.The Department of Trade and Industry(DTI), as the RDAs sponsor Department,is responsible for assessing RDAperformance, and for creating theframeworks which guide RDAs in

3ODPM already reports for all GOs under the

current Framework for Sustainable Developmenton the Government Estate (www.sustainable-development.gov.uk).

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delivering their statutory duties (one ofwhich is contributing to sustainabledevelopment). It is therefore vital thatthe DTI is engaged in the process ofassisting RDAs to deliver SD through the

Tasking Frameworks and appraisalmechanisms they support.

We are aware that work is ongoing inGovernment looking into the impact ofRDA performance in the regions, and werecommend that the outcome of thiswork is that independent assessments(rather than RDA self-assessments) arecarried out in each region. Theinconsistency of RDA performance in thisarea suggests to us that the DTImechanisms for appraisals should beexamined and improved for delivery ofsustainable development.

Our feedback from RDAs alsodemonstrates that the DTI isinsufficiently engaged in assessing theperformance of RDAs in deliveringsustainable economic development.

Recommendation 3In view of the ongoing reviews byGovernment of RDA performance, werecommend that DTI in particular shouldre-examine the effectiveness of itscurrent target-setting and performanceappraisal processes for RDAs delivery ofsustainable development.3.3 Regional AssembliesDuring our study, interviewees were

generally positive about theperformance of RAs in relation tosustainable development. However,there remains much confusion as to theirprecise role. In some cases, the RAs arefailing to integrate sustainabledevelopment principles into theirdeliberations on their Regional SpatialStrategies (RSSs). Another problem isthat the UK Government has not yet setout a clear plan for RAs following theno vote in the referendum on anelected regional assembly for the North-East.

Recommendation 4ODPM and Defra should clarify the roleof the RAs in relation to sustainabledevelopment to ensure that sustainabledevelopment is their primary purpose. Akey role for RAs should be to helpmotivate and stimulate activity on thesustainable development agenda atlocal authority level.3.4 Government OfficesAlthough GOs have to contribute to theirsponsor departments delivery of theirsustainable developmentresponsibilities, our research has foundthat they are not giving sustainabledevelopment the priority that Securingthe Futurerequires.Furthermore, we found that while RAs,the GLA and RDAs each have duties tocontribute to sustainable development,Government Offices have no comparableduty. However, as non-statutory bodies,we recognise that a formal duty on GOswould not be possible, and therefore ourrecommendation is proportionate to the

status of GOs.

Recommendation 5The UK Government should ensure thatthe primary purpose of GOs is to deliverUK Government sustainabledevelopment policy through all theiractivities in the region. All sponsordepartments should sign up to this newprimary purpose.Our research found that GOs, like theother major regional bodies, mustembed responsibility for deliveringsustainable development into all levelsof the organisation, and especially at thehighest level.

Recommendation 6Regional Directors should be maderesponsible for delivering against thisnew primary purpose.

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Securing the Futurecontains thecommitment that:

All central governmentdepartments and their executive

agencies will produce focussedsustainable development actionplans [SDAPs] based on thisstrategy by December 2005 andwill report on their actions byDecember 2006 and regularlythereafter.(p153)

This commitment does not specificallyinclude GOs. To ensure that Securing theFuturepriorities and commitments aredelivered at the regional level, GOs needto be required to produce both their ownSDAPs, based on the Strategy, and tocontribute fully to their sponsorDepartments SDAPs.

Recommendation 7a. GOs should be required toproduce their own SDAPs by June2006, in collaboration with theirregional partners, to drive

forward delivery of the Securingthe Future. This should be donein line with the SDCs SDAPguidance, SustainableDevelopment Action Plans Getting Started.4b. Government Departmentsshould ensure that, in the future,GOs fully contribute to thesponsor Departments own

SDAPs to ensure delivery of theircommitments at the regionallevel.3.5 National leadershipA lack of joined-up regional policy andprocesses within central governmentcreate problems in the regions. Thedepartments with the major influence

4SDC, Sustainable Development Action Plans

Getting Started, August 2005 www.sd-commission.org.uk

on regional government activities oftensend conflicting guidance, or createpolicy frameworks which make it verydifficult for regional government topursue sustainable development goals.

The Cabinet Office published a reportand guidance on incorporating regionalperspectives into policy-making inOctober 2002. That study, in part,sought to address this problem.However, the review only involvedgovernment departments andGovernment Offices.

Recommendation 8The Cabinet Office should follow up its2002 study of government policy and itsimpact on the regions, Incorporatingregional perspect ves into policy-imaking, with a wider review involving arange of regional stakeholders, includingRAs, RDAs and local government bodies.The review needs to identify and resolveany conflicts at the regional level thatundermine sustainable development.The objective of the review should be toidentify solutions that enable a longterm approach to the delivery ofcrosscutting objectives at the regionallevel.There is also a need for a clearmechanism to review overallprogress ofthe GOs performance on sustainabledevelopment in order to assess how farthey are delivering the Governmentssustainable development priorities in theregions. Such an assessment could then

inform regional funding allocations fromgovernment departments. The bodyresponsible for assessment could alsoreflect the learning back to GOs in eachregion, highlighting good practice andareas for improvement.

Recommendation 9Working closely with the SustainableDevelopment Commission, the RegionalCoordination Unit (RCU) should developthe skills and capacity required tomonitor GOs and provide an overall

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assessment of performance across allthe English regions. RCU should then:a. take these findings back togovernment departments to

influence their fundingallocations for regionalprogrammesb. work with the GOs to reflect thelearning from this overallassessment back to each region,highlighting good practice andlearning from each GOsexperience.4. Regional frameworks and

strategies

There are too many regional strategiesto be effective. In every region, there isa growing trend to produce more andmore strategies, often at the behest ofnational government departments oragencies, but these are often in conflictwith the move towards integratedregional strategies of one kind oranother.

UK Government guidance envisages thatRegional Sustainable DevelopmentFrameworks (RSDFs) should provide ashared vision and shared objectives forsustainable development in the regionand inform other regional strategies. Ourresearch, however, produced littleevidence to suggest that RSDFs areeither overarching or influential. Wefound that:

There is a widespread confusionas to the purpose of RSDFs

RSDFs are not recognised bystakeholders as a the overallregional framework

RSDFs lack influence.

Recommendation 10New government guidance should bedeveloped by the UK Government(including ODPM, Defra, and DTI) toassist regional bodies in integrating

strategies. This guidance should cover allthe main strategies, such as IntegratedRegional Frameworks, IntegratedRegional Strategies, and RegionalSustainable Development Frameworks. Itshould clarify the roles of the differentbodies and documents. It should makeclear that the overall purpose of strategyintegration is to contribute to achievingthe goal of sustainable development byensuring that regional strategies take along term, cross-cutting approach.RSDFs are already widely used as thebasis of sustainability appraisal. This caninclude appraisal of regional strategies,sub-regional and local level strategies,and even project funding bids. Ourresearch found that there wasoverwhelming support for RSDFs to beused as a sustainable developmentappraisal tool and/or as a basis forsustainable development assessment.However, we believe the RSDFs need tobe examined critically to see if they fulfilthe full scope of a sustainabilityappraisal, and, where there are gaps,these should be filled so that each

region develops and employs asustainability appraisal tool that isgenuinely fit for purpose.

Recommendation 11Working with a cross-section of regionalpractitioners, the SustainableDevelopment Commission should, in2006, provide specific guidance on howto develop a suite of sustainabilityappraisal tools to be used by all regionalbodies and applied to all regionalstrategies. In some regions, the existingRSDF will form the basis for thoseappraisal tools; in other regions, theRSDF may prove to be unsuitable forthat purpose.5. The role of major bodies:coordination and integration

Interviewees agreed that the co-ordination of activity for sustainable

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development was crucial for achievingsufficient focus. Those with experienceof voluntary agreements or action plansfound them to be useful confidence-building tools to facilitate joint working.

However, they emphasised that theywould only work if there was already acommitment within the differentorganisations to work together.Collaborative working by the RDA,Regional Assembly and GovernmentOffice could be highly effective, as withother regional organisations, such as theNHS.

Recommendation 12All regional bodies should make use ofvoluntary agreements to facilitate jointworking. These have been found to behighly effective if clearly structured andpartnered.6. Regional SustainableDevelopment Roundtables

All regions have found advantages inestablishing a regional sustainabledevelopment roundtable or similar body.Although each is organised verydifferently, there are similarities in theirrole and activities. However, despite theadvantages, our research for this reportalso identified a number of problems.The most commonly identified included:

A lack of independence A lack of resources A lack of crosscutting support

and buy-in A lack of clarity as regards their

role Getting business support and

engagement Not being action-oriented.

As a result of our investigations, we arerecommending that the Roundtables, orequivalent bodies, should bestrengthened to become bodies that are

able to advise regional institutions onthe potential impacts of proposals on

sustainable development, and also to actas a scrutiny body or critical friend of the regional institutions. It isimportant that such a body is sufficientlyindependent of the regional institutions

but, at the same time, well enoughconnected to provide the right balancebetween being outside the regionalinstitutions decision-making processes,whilst but sufficiently inside to haveaccess to relevant information.

To ensure independence, some regionsmay decide that representatives fromthe RDA, GO and RA should participateon the Champion body in a personalcapacity, if their employment by theinstitution is perceived to be a problem.In other regions, full, representative,membership of regional stakeholders,including the RDA, GO and RA, may bedeemed necessary in order to facilitatedelivery of projects. In both cases, it iscrucial that the Champion bodies are stilleffective in their functions as bothadvisor and scrutineer.

The SDC itself, whose Commissioners are

members in a personal capacity, has tobalance advice and advocacy withcritique, in its relations with GovernmentDepartments, and finds the Commissioncan work very effectively.

Recommendation 13GOs and RAs should be jointlyresponsible for coordinating thedevelopment of a sustainabledevelopment Champion body for eachregion. The new bodies will beresponsible for advising on andcritiquing the performance of regionalinstitutions in delivering sustainabledevelopment. Each should comply withthe characteristics defined below.Working with key stakeholders in theregion, including RDAs, we recommendthat the GOs and RAs should eitherredefine the remit of the existingroundtable or create a new Championbody. Proposals for development of the

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new bodies should be made within sixmonths of the publication of this review.It is critical that proper resources areidentified to enable these bodies towork properly, and that these resourcesshould be secured from regional sources.This should not require new resources,but a reallocation of existing resourcesin each region.An effective Champion should be:a. Independent (by acting as thecritical friend to the RDA, theRA and the GO)b. Inclusive (with wide cross-sectoral representation)c. Influential (as a result of itsmembership and actions)d. Capable of delivering campaigns,programmes and projects thatexemplify sustainabledevelopment excellencee. Well-networked (throughpartnerships within and beyondthe region, including the SDC)f. Sustainable (with a core

professional team, resourcedthrough secure funding byregional partners to ensurestability).Recommendation 14The Champion bodies should monitorand scrutinise regional sustainabledevelopment performance and identifyareas of weakness that needstrengthening. This should include anassessment of GOs performance againsttheir SDAPs.Roundtables were keen to establish linkswith the SDC. Several suggested thatthe SDC should convene regularmeetings between all theroundtable/Champion bodies Chairs andSDC Commissioners. Several alsosuggested the establishment of a formalnetwork for the exchange of informationbetween the roundtables /Championbodies and the SDC secretariat. It was

suggested that information about goodpractice needs to be bettercommunicated and shared within andbetween regions, and that the SDC couldhave a role in facilitating this.

Recommendation 15With the creation of the new Championbodies, the SDC will initiate the creationof a network of Champion bodies whichwould include a twice-yearly meetingbetween the Chairs of Champion bodiesand relevant SDC Commissioners, andappropriate arrangements between thesecretariats. These meetings will focuson developing solutions to problems ofmutual concern. The SDC will facilitatethe exchange of information on goodpractice on the basis of experienceacross the whole of the UK, and willgather evidence from the regionalChampion bodies of good practice in theregions.7. Indicators, monitoring andscrutiny

7.1 IndicatorsWe found that there is a lack of clarityover the role and purpose of regionalsustainable development indicators, anda need for clear lines of responsibility intheir delivery. There is insufficientlinkage between the high level state ofthe region indicators and theperformance delivery indicators to makethem sufficiently useful to the region.

Recommendation 16We encourage the use of regionalsustainable development indicators andnational strategy indicators. Regionsshould agree at the outset the purposeof the indicators, how they will bemeasured and assessed, how they willrespond to negative trends, and thereporting arrangements. Based on theseindicators, Regional Observatories, inconjunction with the Office of NationalStatistics, should produce an annual

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state of the region report in order toprovide an overview of regionalprogress towards sustainabledevelopment. Monitoring and evaluationmust be focussed on outcomes.7.2 Monitoring and ScrutinyThe performance of the major bodies inthe regions is monitored in line withtheir own plans and strategies. The DTI,for example, requires RDAs toincorporate an assessment of strategicperformance into their corporate plans.However, there is no systematicconsideration of how regionalinstitutions contribute to the delivery ofSecuring the Future.

Furthermore, our research found that,where it does happen, scrutiny ishindered by both a lack of capacity anda lack of focus. We makerecommendations for new monitoringand scrutiny in Recommendations 1, 3, 9and 14.

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Glossary of abbreviationsDefra Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsDTI Department of Trade and IndustryERN English Regions NetworkGLA Greater London AuthorityGO Government OfficeIRF Integrated Regional FrameworkIRS Integrated Regional StrategyLDA London Development AgencyLSP Local Strategic PartnershipNGO Non-governmental organisationNHS National Health ServiceODPM Office of the Deputy Prime MinisterPSA Public Service AgreementRA Regional AssemblyRCU Regional Coordination UnitRDA Regional Development AgencyRES Regional Economic StrategyRSDF Regional Sustainable Development FrameworkRSS Regional Spatial StrategyRTS Regional Transport StrategySDC Sustainable Development CommissionSSP Specialist Strategic PartnershipUKSDS UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, Securing the

Future

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1 IntroductionIn the new UK Government SustainableDevelopment Strategy (UKSDS), Securing

the Future,5 the SustainableDevelopment Commission (SDC) and theUK Government agreed that the SDCshould undertake a review ofsustainable development in the Englishregions.

Securing the Futureoutlines five newprinciples of sustainable development(set out in Annex A), as agreed acrossgovernment and the Devolved

Administrations, and these are intendedto guide policy development and policydelivery at all levels of government national, regional and local. It expressedthe view that a key task will be tostrengthen regional leadership forsustainable development.

Central to the SDCs objectives is theneed for sustainable development to bemainstreamed into the heart of policymaking and policy delivery at everylevel of governance. By delivery ofsustainable development at the regionallevel the SDC means ensuring a balancebetween environmental, social andeconomic policy objectives to makecertain that the five new principles ofsustainable development are put intopractice.

1.1 The contextThe English regions (see diagram 1)have a crucial part to play in advancingsustainable development in England.Important policies are developed,decisions taken, and resources deployedin the regions. Regional DevelopmentAgencies (RDAs), Regional Assemblies(RAs) and Government Offices (GOs), aswell as the Greater London Authority

5

HM Government, Securing the Future: deliveringUK sustainable development strategy, March2005.

(GLA), have influential strategicresponsibilities. Others, such as theEnvironment Agency, the HealthProtection Agency and many other

public bodies, have regional elements totheir organisations and commandsignificant resources and powers. So toodo many businesses and organisations inthe voluntary sector.

Diagram 1: the nine English Regions6

In every region, new partnerships andpartnership bodies with advocacy roles,such as the regional sustainabledevelopment roundtables, feature in thecomplex institutional landscape.Regional bodies also have a key role orpotential for promoting and encouragingsustainable development at more locallevels, acting as partners and facilitators

for stimulating action at that level.

Each of these actors at the regional levelhas the potential to incorporate the goalof sustainable development at the heartof all their own individual plans andactivities. And when they act together,they have a still greater potentialcapacity to transform their regions in amore sustainable direction.

6

Source:http://www.mla.gov.uk/action/regional/regionsmap.asp

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Regions in which all actors play theirparts for sustainable developmentseparately and collectively could andshould have a key role in theimplementation of the Securing the

Future. There are important regional andlocal dimensions to many of the policiesin the Strategy.

In particular, regions should have animportant role in helping to deliver thefour shared priorities for UK action:

Sustainable Consumption andProduction

Climate Change and Energy Natural Resource Protection and

Environmental Enhancement Sustainable Communities.

In a truly sustainable region, all actors inthe public, private and voluntary sectorswould incorporate sustainabilityrequirements at the heart of all theiroperations and in their procurement andconstruction activities. They would createpowerful alliances and initiatives forpromoting energy efficiency and greater

use of renewable sources of energy.They would enhance the naturalenvironment and tackle past pollutionand land degradation. They would co-operate together to ensure that all newdevelopments are created onsustainable development principles andthat existing communities areencouraged and assisted to evolve inmore sustainable directions.

Some good progress has been made inrecent years on all these goals, andthere is evidence of excellent, ifsporadic, practice at the regional level.But much remains to be done.

We recognise that the regional level ofgovernment fits into the widerlandscape of government and workswithin the constraints and incentivesthat stem from the need to take forward

Government policy for the regions, yetwith delivery often at the localgovernment level.

We also fully appreciate that there aresignificant differences between theregions in the challenges that they face,in their institutional relationships, and in

the extent to which sustainabledevelopment has moved from themargins towards the mainstream. Werealise that generalisations are difficultand that one simple recommendationwill not necessarily be appropriate forall. Indeed, this diversity is the strengthof delivering sustainable development inthe regions as well as its weakness.Nevertheless, our findings are applicableacross the regional spectrum.

In some regions we found widespreadfrustration and impatience with the factthat so much effort by so many in theregions has produced so little in the wayof tangible results. Different regionsrevealed different weaknesses in theirinstitutional structures, in some it wasthe lack of consistent leadership, inothers it was the lack of an independentscrutineer keeping the regionalinstitutions up to the mark with critiques

of lack of progress, and in others it wasan unwillingness to empower thesustainable development enthusiastsboth within, and external to, theinstitutional structures.

1.2 Recommendations forchangeThe evidence shows there is a long wayto go for sustainable development to be

mainstreamed in the English regions. Incommon with many who are active inthe regions, we do not consider thatminor refinements to business asusual, such as additional Whitehallguidance, is a sufficient response to theserious sustainability deficit at theregional level.

Equally, we recognise that it is notwithin the SDCs mandate to propose

fundamental changes in regionalstructures. In any event, the urgency of

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the task requires urgent action. Wetherefore set out specificrecommendations capable of short-termimplementation.

A core recommendation that we believeto be essential (and around which theothers fit) is the creation of strongregional Champion bodies of sustainabledevelopment. Building on theexperience and lessons of the variousmodels of regional sustainabledevelopment roundtables we stronglyadvocate, for each region, the formationof a partnership body that championssustainable development that is:

a. Independent (by acting as thecritical friend to the RDA, theRA and the GO)

b. Inclusive (with wide cross-sectoral representation)

c. Influential (as a result of itsmembership and actions).

d. Capable of delivering campaigns,programmes, projects thatexemplify sustainabledevelopment excellence

e. Well-networked (throughpartnerships within and beyondthe region, including the SDC)

f. Sustainable (with a coreprofessional team, resourcedthrough secure funding byregional partners to ensurestability)

The sustainable development Championbodies must be managed within, and by,

their region for their region.

This review is not seeking more moneyfrom Government for regional bodies.We are seeking a change in the deliveryof sustainable development at theregional level and this will meanreallocating resources to achieveeffective movement towards sustainabledevelopment. The SDC is ready to playits active part in guiding and networkingthese champions in the interest of thedelivery of Securing the Future.

2 This Review2.1 The aims of this reviewThe starting point for this Review was to

examine leadership, decision-makingand delivery processes for sustainabledevelopment at the regional level,assessing the current effectiveness, andmake recommendations forimprovement. The findings andrecommendations of this study aretargeted at both national government,which can rapidly address some of thefailings in regional accountability forsustainable development, and at

regional bodies themselves, to whomwe have targeted many of therecommendations for improvinginstitutional performance on delivery ofsustainable development.

This study particularly examines theeffectiveness with which the goodgovernance principle of sustainabledevelopment (as agreed in Securing theFuture)is put into practice regionally.Such analysis reveals the effectiveness,or otherwise, with which the regionalgovernment institutions are operating.

Some policies, such as those relating toplanning, through the regional spatialstrategies, transport provision, healthprovision and the emphasis on learningand skills, are key to the delivery ofsustainable development. We recognisethat national policy strongly influencesregional decisions. Nevertheless,

regional government has a clear remit totranslate national policy into regionaldelivery and its role in doing that iscrucial to achieving the nationalsustainable development goal.

This study revealed clearly that thelimitations of regional government indelivering sustainable development,which had been identified during theUKSDS consultation process, Taking it On,

were strongly confirmed. We found noconvincing evidence to suggest that

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current regional arrangements areeffective. It is for this reason that we arerecommending a step change in theinstitutional structures for sustainabledevelopment, and only once this is

achieved can we expect government tolook forward confidently to theimplementation of the five newprinciples of sustainable development asset out in Securing the Future.

Decisions are increasingly taken at aregional level. GOs were set up in 1994,followed by RDAs and RAs in 1999, andthe GLA in 2000. Together with otherorganisations in the regions, they nowplay a critical role in developing andimplementing a wide range of regionalstrategies. At the same time, nationalpolicy initiatives inevitably placeconstraints on the strategic decisionsthat regions can take for themselves;and national priorities, when translatedto the regional level, do not alwaysaccord with regions own strategies.

To facilitate a coordinated approach tosustainable development, the UK

Governments 1999 SustainableDevelopment Strategy, A Better Qualityof Life, encouraged regions to prepareRegional Sustainable DevelopmentFrameworks (RSDFs). These set out thevision, principles, objectives andpriorities for sustainable development ineach region. Evidence has shown thatRSDFs vary markedly, both in structureand in content, reflecting differentregional circumstances. Now that the

structures for delivery of sustainabledevelopment have been in place forseveral years, the UK Government andthe SDC agreed in March 2005 that itwas a suitable time to review progress.Securing the Futuretherefore includedthe commitment that:

The Sustainable DevelopmentCommission will review theoverall arrangements fordelivering sustainabledevelopment in the regions including RSDFs, regional

sustainable developmentnetworks, liaison between centralGovernment and the regions, andthe role of major bodies andstrategies and make

recommendations for improvingeffectiveness.72.2 Gathering the evidenceIn carrying out this review we conductedinterviews with a range of individuals inall the major regional institutions RDAs,RAs, GOs, practitioners from publicsector, including health, as well asrepresentatives from Non Governmental

Organisations (NGOs).

We also examined the literature oninstitutional delivery of sustainabledevelopment. These included responsesto the consultation for Securing theFuture; Regional SustainableDevelopment Frameworks andIntegrated Regional Strategies; otherregional strategies (such as spatial,economic, housing and healthstrategies); government strategies andpolicy statements; and academicresearch. This phase provided context,identified practical examples of thestrengths and weaknesses of existingarrangements, and established keyissues for further study.

Initial scoping questionnaires were sentto relevant regional bodies (GOs, RDAs,RAs and sustainable developmentroundtables), to develop an

understanding of their roles, terms ofreference and responsibilities.

Interviews took place with 43 peoplefrom a wide range of public, private andvoluntary sector organisations. Issuespicked up in the literature review werediscussed along with the intervieweesown experience of developing anddelivering sustainable development

f7

HM Government, Securing the uture: deliveringUK sustainable development strategy, March2005, p160.

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objectives and priorities in the regions.Those interviewed included people withan explicit sustainable developmentremit (such as members of regionalsustainable development roundtables or

their equivalents) and others whose rolemay contribute to sustainabledevelopment but without, necessarily,an explicit sustainable developmentremit (such as RDA leads on RegionalEconomic Strategies). Interviewees alsoincluded advisors from governmentdepartments on policies that are key forthe delivery of sustainable developmentin the regions (such as policy onRegional Spatial Strategies, transport,housing, health and learning and skills).

Each regions processes and experiencesfor delivering sustainable developmentare different. Interviewees weretherefore selected to provide a goodsample of views from different regionsand different sectors, although theinterviews were not representative in astatistical sense.

We were also advised by an expert

steering group (see Annex C). Thequality of evidence and contributions hasbeen very high and we would like tothank all those involved. The centralfindings however, are those of the SDC.

2.3 The SustainableDevelopment CommissionThe SDC is the Governmentsindependent advisory body on

sustainable development. We report tothe Prime Minister and the FirstMinisters of the DevolvedAdministrations. Chaired by JonathonPorritt, with Commissioners drawn fromacademia and the private, public and notfor profit sectors, the SDC works acrossmany areas of policy and practice,including energy, transport, climatechange, health, local and regional

governance, education, consumption andeconomic growth.8

2.4 Management of thereviewThe review was carried out by the SDCsecretariat between April and November2005.

8Go to www.sd-commission.org.uk for more onthe SDC.

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3. Institutional Leadership

The project was advised by a Steering

Group comprised of representatives ofkey stakeholders and chaired by an SDCCommissioner. Annex C sets out themembership of this group.

Summary of findings There is a lack of consistent leadership at the regional level in most English regions,

and no single body is acting as the lead advocate for delivering sustainabledevelopment principles and priorities as defined in Securing the Future.

The roles of RDAs, RAs and GOs are not defined clearly enough in relation tosustainable development.

RDAs impact on sustainable development in the regions, whilst improving, ishighly variable.

Interviewees were generally positive about the performance of RAs in relation tosustainable development. However, there remains much confusion as to their

precise role.

GOs are not giving sustainable development the priority that Securing the Futurrequires. Furthermore, while RAs, the GLA and RDAs each have duties to contributeto sustainable development, GOs have no comparable duty.

A lack of joined-up regional policy and processes within central government createproblems in the regions. The Departments with the major influence on regionalgovernment activities often send conflicting guidance, or create policy frameworkswhich make it very difficult for regional government to pursue sustainabledevelopment goals.

3.1 BackgroundThe consultation process for Securing theFuture -called Taking It On9 - identifiedthat no single institution was taking thelead role in championing sustainabledevelopment at regional level. Our

i

9

In April 2004, DEFRA published Taking it on,develop ng UK sustainable development strategytogether. This was a consultation documentproduced as part of the development of Securingthe Future. The consultation process includedRegional Dialogues. Developed in each of theEnglish regions, these involved discussion ofissues that would require action at both thenational and regional levels. They included atleast one event in each region to bringstakeholders together. Other activities, varyingbetween regions, included surveys, workingbreakfasts with key stakeholders, and workshopswith regional groups:

www.sustainabledevelopment.gov.uk/documents/publications/finalsummary.pdf.

research confirmed this. As such,Securing the Futureidentified leadershipin the regions as a priority: a key taskwill be to strengthen regionalleadership.

Indeed, as at any level, strong, clearleadership on sustainable developmentin the regions is crucial to its delivery. It

provides an example for others tofollow, signals to others the significanceof the problem and ensures thatresources and capacity are devoted tothe issue. It is clear that the regionalbodies also influence local governmentsdelivery of sustainable development,and as one interviewee during ourresearch stated, leadership needscommitment from allregional bodies.Only then will local authorities do thesame. Regional groupings have a

stronger voice in relation to nationalgovernment, and can pool expertise and

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resources to tackle issues which areoften shared across a region, but aredistinct from concerns in another region.

Leadership from national government is

also vital. Clear and coordinated regionalpolicy, set within a rational policyframework, is required from keyGovernment Departments, such as theOffice of the Deputy of the PrimeMinister (ODPM), the Department ofTrade and Industry (DTI) and theDepartment for Environment, Food andAgriculture (Defra).

This chapter examines the leadershiprole required from the three mainpolitical organisations in the regions -the RDAs, the RAs and GOs as well asthat of central government. It examinesthe degree to which each of these threeare taking a lead on sustainabledevelopment.

3.2 Regional leadershipWe found lack of leadership by any oneinstitution to be a major obstacle to the

delivery of sustainable development atthe regional level. In most regions,except London, no single body is actingas a lead advocate for delivering thesustainable development principles andpriorities as defined in Securing theFuture.

3.2.1 Findings of previous studiesThe Taking it Onconsultation found that

a lack of leadership was seen as a majorproblem for the delivery of sustainabledevelopment at the regional level. Thesummary findings report from Taking iOn, for example, found that there waswidespread support for improvedleadership and coordination ofsustainable development at the regionallevel.

t

10

10www.sustainabledevelopment.gov.uk/documents/publications/finalsummary.pdf.

Furthermore, partly to ensure improvedleadership, six of the nine regionsrecommended that a statutory obligationbe placed on regional bodies tocontribute to sustainable development.

Interestingly, two of the main regionalbodies RDAs and RAs already havesome form a statutory obligation onsustainable development. GOs, however,have no formal sustainable developmentrequirements. We consider this issue inmore detail later.

3.2.2 Regional leadership: SDCfindingsOur research confirms the findings of theTaking it Onconsultation. The view of amajority of those interviewed was that,with the exception of London, there wasno clear lead on sustainabledevelopment in the regions and that thiswas a major obstacle to its delivery.Even the very small number ofinterviewees who felt that regionalorganisations weretaking a lead onsustainable development, recognised

that leadership was not alwaysconsistent throughout the regions.

One problem was that interviewees feltthat the roles of RDAs, RAs and GOs onsustainable development and strategyintegration were not clearly enoughdefined. One comment, for example,was that the problem is that there is noeffective governance or leadership atthe regional level. The leadership roles

of regional organisations are ill-defined.

The one region where leadership wasnot raised as a significant issue wasLondon, where the Mayor has astatutory sustainable development duty.London was cited several times as aregion where sustainable developmentis taken seriously at the highest level.Here, the Mayor was seen as the keyleader in the region [who] acts as a spurto bring people together.

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So what makes London different to otherregions? The main reasons cited for thesuccess in London were: the existenceofa statutory duty that requires the Mayorto promote sustainable development;11

the character and drive of the Mayorhimself; and a strong sustainabledevelopment advocacy and advice body.One comment, for example, was thatnobody is taking the lead onsustainable development, except inLondon. The Mayor has a statutory dutyand the London SustainableDevelopment Commission. He has askedit to play a role the problem in theother regions may be that there is nostatutory duty in the other regions orthat there is no Ken.

3.2.3 Embedding sustainabledevelopment into regionalinstitutionsLeadership stems from within anorganisation. The three main regionalinstitutions (RDAs, RAs and GOs) need tostrengthen integration of sustainabledevelopment throughout theirorganisations. This is particularlyimportant in the light of our research,which found that capacity within thethree institutions will need to be greatlyimproved. Many interviewees identifiedcapacity as a problem. Specifically, theinterviews found that:

there was a lack ofcommitment to sustainabledevelopment at management

board level there was often a lack of

understanding of what

11 The GLA Act 1999(http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/19990029.htm) states the GLA should:

Have regard to the effect of all it doeson the achievement of sustainabledevelopment in the UK

When preparing or revising strategies,include policies and proposals best

calculated to contribute towards theachievement of sustainabledevelopment in the UK.

sustainable developmentactually means, or why it isimportant

organisations sometimeslacked the skills to implement

good sustainable developmentpolicy.

All bodies will therefore need to re-examine their organisational structureswith a critical eye.12 Ourrecommendation on good institutionalgovernance is as follows:

Recommendation 1All regional government institutionsshould develop a proper accountabilityframework as they set about embeddingsustainable development, including:a. Identifying leadership andownership of sustainabledevelopment at managementboard level, which is needed fordriving forward strategyimplementation and settingtargetsb. Creating a well-defined businesscase explaining why sustainabledevelopment matters to thedelivery of the organisationsobjectives, and creating andmaintaining an effective strategyfor delivering sustainabledevelopmentc. Developing a network ofsustainable developmentchampions, established at all

levels of the organisation, tocommunicate and inspiredelivery throughout theorganisationd. Defining sustainabledevelopment objectives andtargets in all parts of the12The SDCs SDAP guidance will be useful in

ensuring this is done effectively - SDC, SustainableDevelopment Action Plans Getting Started, August2005 www.sd-commission.org.uk

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organisation including policydelivery, human resources,estates/facilities managemente. Establishing clear indicators ofsuccessful delivery, which areproperly monitored and reportedon regularly.

Through decisions about the goods andservices they buy and the way theymanage their own estates, regionalinstitutions have the potential to make aconsiderable contribution to sustainablesocial, environmental and economicdevelopment in the regions.

The public sector, for example, buys125 billion of public goods and serviceseach year. Of this, a significantproportion is spent within the Englishregions, through RDAs, GOs, localauthorities, the NHS and many otherpublic sector organisations. The publicsector in the Yorkshire and Humberregion alone spends an estimated 5.5billion a year on goods and services;13and between them, RDAs and GOs areresponsible for almost 11 billion of

public money.

In Securing the Future, the PrimeMinister stated that Government willlead by example. To support thedelivery of Securing the Futureand thegood governance principle,and todemonstrate leadership in the regions,RDAs and GOs should also lead byexample, ensuring that their ownspending and operations are sustainable.

As such, there are a number of actionsthat all RDAs and GOs could undertakeimmediately (if they have not already),in order to visibly demonstrate theircommitment to sustainabledevelopment:

13

Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, Towardssustainable procurement: a guide for public sectororganisations, January 2005.

Recommendation 2As their contribution to theGovernments priorities for action onclimate change and sustainableconsumption and production, all RDAsand GOs should:a. Sign up to the Carbon Trustscarbon management programmeto improve the energyperformance of the regionalgovernment estateb. Commit to signing up to thenational action plan forsustainable procurement acrossthe public sector, to bedeveloped by the SustainableProcurement Task Force in 2006(which will encompass social,environmental and economicsustainability issues).c. Sign up to the new Frameworkfor Sustainable Development onthe Government Estate, when itis published in 200614d. Sign up to the UK Government

commitment that 10% of alltheir vehicles will be low carbonby 2012e. Work with Government to jointhe commitment to offset allcarbon emissions from official airtravel.3.2.4 The role of the RDAsSponsored by the DTI, RDAs were set up

by the UK Government to promotesustainable economic development inEngland. They are primarily business led.Their main tasks are to help the Englishregions improve their relative economicperformance and reduce social andeconomic disparities within andbetween regions.

14ODPM already reports for GOs under the current

Framework for Sustainable Development on theGovernment Estate (www.sustainable-development.gov.uk).

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There are nine RDAs: One NorthEast; theNorthwest Development Agency;Yorkshire Forward; Advantage WestMidlands; the East Midlands

Development Agency; the East ofEngland Development Agency; the SouthWest of England Regional DevelopmentAgency; the South East EnglandDevelopment Agency; and the LondonDevelopment Agency.

With the exception of London, each RDAis led by a Chair and a Board of 15people, appointed by, and reporting to,DTI Ministers. The Chair and Board of theLondon Development Agency (LDA) isappointed by the Mayor and accountableto the Mayor and the London Assembly.The LDA has its targets set by both theMayor and the UK Government.

Under the Regional DevelopmentAgencies Act 1998, each Agency has fivestatutory purposes, which are:

To further economicdevelopment and regeneration

To promote business efficiency,investment and competitiveness

To promote employment To enhance development and

application of skill relevant toemployment

To contribute to sustainabledevelopment.

The last of these is particularlysignificant in terms of this review. With a

total budget of 1.8billion in 2004/05,the RDAs are a key regional deliverybody. The impact of RDA activity on thedelivery of sustainable development inthe regions therefore should not beunderestimated.15

15Since April 2002, RDAs have been financed

through a Single Programme whereby fundingfrom contributing Departments (DTI, ODPM, HMTreasury, DfES, DEFRA and DCMS) is pooled into

one single budget. Once allocated, the budget isavailable to the RDAs to spend as they see fit toachieve the regional priorities identified in their

Our research found that a key challengeto achieving integrated outcomes thatcontribute to sustainable developmentwill be to develop the skills, knowledge

and capacity within RDAs. Oneinterviewee, for instance, found that allRDA staff need to have basic sustainabledevelopment knowledge. More trainingis needed and sustainable developmentneeds to be built into staffcompetencies. RDAs tend to have smallsustainable development teams butknowledge amongst other staff islimited. Many RDA staff have traditionalregeneration knowledge and trainingand are therefore not always equippedto deal with the broader challenges ofsustainable development, of whichregeneration is only one. The partners insustainable development are not thesame as the partners in regeneration astraditionally framed. Unless all thoseworking in RDAs are equipped with theright skills and knowledge, RDAs wonthave the capacity to make decisions anddevelop policies that contributeeffectively to sustainable development.

This is particularly important at boardlevel, where it is not clear from ourinterviews that sufficient skills,knowledge or commitment exist. Oneinterviewee, for instance, noted, thechallenge is to get sustainabledevelopment knowledge at board level.Improving capacity is part of the widerchallenge of ensuring that sustainabledevelopment is fully embedded into all

aspects of allregional bodies work, butRDAs should take particular notice ofRecommendation 1.

Overall, our review found that RDAimpact on sustainable development inthe regions, whilst improving, is highlyvariable. One comment, for instance,was that RDAs are getting better attaking on sustainable development.

Regional Economic Strategies and the targets setin their Corporate Plans.

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However this may be down to a fewindividuals.

We recognise, of course, that RDAsfocus is mainly economic; the SDC has no

problem with the fact that the principalresponsibilities of RDAs relate to thedelivery of key economic outcomes.Nevertheless one of RDAs' five statutorypurposes is to contribute to sustainabledevelopment. Yet a number of RDAs donot appear to recognise that economicoutcomes should be delivered in such away that environmental and socialinclusion objectives are secured at thesame time. Integrated outcomes ratherthan crude trade-off is what RDAs shouldnow be aiming at as a matter of course.

A key tool in this process is projectappraisal. In conjunction with the East ofEngland Development Agency (EEDA),the lead RDA for sustainabledevelopment, the SDC is proposing, in2006, to review all project appraisalprocesses used by RDAs to create abenchmark for good practice.The Department of Trade and Industry(DTI), as the RDAs sponsor Department,is responsible for assessing RDAperformance, and for creating theframeworks which guide RDAs indelivering their statutory duties (one ofwhich is contributing to sustainabledevelopment). It is therefore vital thatthe DTI is engaged in the process ofassisting RDAs to deliver SD through thethe Tasking Framework16and the

appraisal mechanisms that it supports.

The Tasking Framework requires eachRDA to show in its Corporate Plan how,

16The RDA Tasking Framework requires each RDA

to show in its Corporate Plan for 2005-08, how, insupport of its statutory role and responsibilities, itwill address the priorities identified in the RES forits region and contribute to the delivery of theGovernments PSA Targets on Regional EconomicPerformance, Sustainable Development and

Productivity/Rural Productivity and through theseto the delivery of a range of other PSA Targets www.consumer.gov.uk.

in support of its statutory role andresponsibilities, it will address thepriorities identified in the RegionalEconomic Strategy (RES) for the regionand contribute to the delivery of the

Governments PSA Targets, includingDefras PSA 1 Target on sustainabledevelopment.17However, we are not convinced that theRDAs targetframework18 takes intoaccount the new sustainabledevelopment principles (Annex A). Oneof the key principles, for example, isliving within environmental limits; butthis principle is not supported by anytargets (except, perhaps, for abrownfield land target), which focus oneconomic and social areas.

The inconsistency of RDA performanceon sustainable development suggests tous that the DTI mechanisms forappraisals should be examined andimproved for delivery of sustainabledevelopment.

One interviewee commented that:there are many competing pressures on

regions and sustainable development isjust one of them. For example, RDAs allwant their region to be amongst the topfor economic growth. I am not convincedthat the sustainable growth model isimplicit in what the Government wants.

Furthermore, our feedback from RDAsdemonstrates that the DTI isinsufficiently engaged in assessing theperformance of RDAs in delivering

sustainable economic development.

17Defras PSA 1: Promote sustainable

development across Government and the countryas a whole as measured by achieving positivetrends in the Government's headline indicators ofsustainable development - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/DEFRA.cfm.18 DTI, RDA Per ormance and monitoring

framework guidance 2004/05 -http://www.dti.gov.uk/rda/info/Performance_Monitoring_and_Reporting.htm

f

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Recommendation 3In view of the ongoing reviews byGovernment of RDA performance, werecommend that DTI in particular shouldre-examine the effectiveness of itscurrent target-setting and performanceappraisal processes for RDAs delivery ofsustainable development.SWe are aware that government iscontinuing to look into the impact ofRDA performance in the regions, and werecommend that the outcome of thiswork is that independent assessments(rather than RDA self-assessments) arecarried out in each region..3.2.5 The role of the RegionalAssembliesRAs, sometimes referred to as RegionalChambers, were set up in the late 1990sat the same time as RDAs under the1998 Regional Development AgenciesAct. They are sponsored by ODPM.

RAs are partnership bodies which bringtogether representatives from the public,private, voluntary and communitysectors. The exact profile and number ofAssembly Members varies from regionto region. In general, 70% of Membersare elected local authority councillorsand 30% are partners drawn fromsectors, such as business, arts andculture, education, faith groups,community, voluntary and the

environment. Members of the EuropeanParliament are also Members of someAssemblies. The RAs are voluntaryorganisations and the Members are putforward by their nominating bodies.

There are eight RAs, with London havingdifferent arrangements through theGLA.19 The 2002 White Paper Your

19In London, the Greater London Authority (GLA)

offers a unique form of strategic citywidegovernment made up of a directly elected Mayorand a separately elected Assembly. The Mayor is

Region, Your Choice, established RAs asone of three key regional governanceorganisations alongside RDAs and GOs.The majority of funding comes fromcentral government. Some RAs also

receive money from other sources suchas local authority subscriptions.

All RAs perform the same three coreactivities, they may also engage in otherwork according to regionalcircumstances and priorities:

Regional Planning - asRegional Planning Bodies, RAsare responsible for preparing

statutory Regional SpatialStrategies (RSSs) includingRegional Transport Strategies(RTSs). This work involvesdeveloping, monitoring andreviewing strategic planningand transport policies.

Advocacy and PolicyDevelopment - representingthe voices of regions toWhitehall and Europeaninstitutions. RAs provide a

strategic focus for integratingregional strategy developmentand partnership working.

Accountability - scrutinisingthe work of RDAs. Some RAsalso hold other public sectorbodies to account.20

Interviewees were generally positiveabout the performance of RAs in relationto sustainable development. Of the main

London's spokesperson and leads the preparationof statutory strategies on transport, spatialdevelopment, economic development and theenvironment. The Mayor also sets budgets for theGLA, Transport for London, the LondonDevelopment Agency, the Metropolitan Police andLondon's fire services, and chairs Transport forLondon. The Assembly scrutinises the Mayor'sactivities and decisions, and is also able toinvestigate other issues of importance toLondoners, publish its findings andrecommendations, and make proposals to the

Mayor.20Source:

http://ern.smartregion.org.uk/page.asp?id=4

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regional bodies, interviewees identifiedRAs as the body that, above all, shouldlead on sustainable development. Asmaller number felt RAs were alreadydoing this job: in some regions the

Regional Assembly drives sustainabledevelopment. It should be the RegionalAssembly that does so.

However, there remained muchconfusion as to their precise role,especially in relation to sustainabledevelopment.

In some cases, the RAs are failing tointegrate sustainable developmentprinciples into their deliberations ontheir Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs).The focus on RSSs has also meant thatwider sustainable development prioritieshave been sidelined: Regional SpatialStrategies are taking up a lot of RegionalAssemblies time and have resulted inRegional Sustainable DevelopmentFrameworks taking a back seat.

Interviewees also expressed concernthat confusion over the RAs role is

increasing: the whole confusion aroundthe role of RAs is a real and growingproblem. Part of the problem is that theUK Government has not yet set out aclear plan for RAs following the no votein the referendum on an electedregional assembly for the North-East inOctober 2004.

The UK Governments RegionalAssemblies (Preparations) Act 2003

provided for referendums to be held inthe regions on the establishment ofdirectly elected RAs. These plansincluded a commitment that elected RAswould have a sustainable developmentduty. At present, the RAs do have a dutythrough the Planning and CompulsoryPurchase Act 2004.21However, unlike

21Part 3 of the Act includes the formal

requirement that regional and local plan-makershave a duty to exercise their functions with a

view to contributing to the achievement ofsustainable development -www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/20040005.htm

the proposed duty for the elected RAs,this is far from being a duty which putssustainable development at the heart ofwhat the RAs do, and leaves them witha less than clear sustainable

development repsonsibility.

Recommendation 4ODPM and Defra should clarify the roleof the RAs in relation to sustainabledevelopment to ensure that sustainabledevelopment is their primary purpose. Akey role for RAs should be to helpmotivate and stimulate activity on thesustainable development agenda atlocal authority level.3.2.6 The Role of the GovernmentOfficesThe nine GOs in England also managesignificant spending programmes onbehalf of 10 Government Departments(9 billion in 2003/04):22

The Cabinet Office The Home Office The Department for Culture,

Media & Sport The Department for

Environment, Food and RuralAffairs

The Department for Educationand Skills

The Department of Trade andIndustry

The Department for Transport The Department for Work and

Pensions The Department of Health Office of the Deputy Prime

Minister

Their influence should not therefore beunderestimated.

GOs bring together the activities andinterests of these Departments within asingle organisation. This makes them

22http://www.gos.gov.uk/aboutus/

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uniquely placed to take a cross-departmental approach and to provide amore coherent view of the operationand interactions of Governmentprogrammes. They work with regional

partners, including local authorities,RDAs and other organisations, to achievethe Governments aims in a morejoined-up way.

Each GO is headed by a RegionalDirector. The Regional Co-ordination Unit(RCU) is the corporate centre of the GOsand represents them in Whitehall,providing a regional voice into the heartof Government.23

This is especially important in relation tosustainable development. Securing theFutureis signed up to by the Cabinet, isapplicable across government, andincorporates a wide range ofgovernment policy areas, includingsustainable communities, climatechange, health, natural resources,transport, education, public health andmore. These are all areas which GOshave responsibility for through their

various sponsor departments. GOstherefore are ideally placed to jointogether these policy areas undergovernment-wide policy on sustainabledevelopment.

However, although GOs have tocontribute to their sponsor departmentsdelivery of their sustainabledevelopment responsibilities, ourresearch has found that they are not

giving sustainable development thepriority that the Securing the Futurerequires. Of those interviewees whocommented on the GOs, only one feltthat their performance on sustainabledevelopment was good. The othersargued that GOs needed to exercisemore leadership, were inconsistent, orwere not helpful in delivering

23

Source:www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_govoffices/documents

Government objectives on sustainabledevelopment.

In the Northwest, the GO was criticisedbecause it challenged the RSS for being

based on sustainable developmentprinciples. Another commented, Ioften forget that the GOs are there. Theyare not taking the lead on sustainabledevelopment.

Evidence found on the websites of theGOs supports the findings thatsustainable development is not beinggiven the priority it requires.24 On allwebsites, for instance, the GOs list 13areas of responsibility, such as peopleand sustainable communities,economy, transport and environmentand rural. Of these, sustainabledevelopment falls under theenvironment and rural alongside issuessuch as waste, food and farming andenergy. This signals that sustainabledevelopment is not seen by GOs as thecross-cutting issue it is, but a sub-strandof environmental and rural issues.25

As we have seen, there is already astatutory obligation on both the RDAsand RAs to promote sustainabledevelopment. However, GOs have nocomparable duty. Evidence from theTaking it Onconsultation findingssuggest that there is strong support for asustainable development duty on allregional bodies (see above). A duty onGOs, in conjunction with this newguidance, would help to ensure that

they give the appropriate priority tosustainable development. However, GOsare non-statutory bodies, so werecognise that a duty on them would notbe possible and therefore ourrecommendation is proportionate to thestatus of GOs.

24All Government Office websites were reviewed

between 4thand 9th November 2005.25In addition, two of the websites Government

Office London and Government Office EastMidlands were still using objectives from the1999 UK Sustainable Development Strategy.

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Recommendation 5The UK Government should ensure thatthe primary purpose of GOs is to deliverUK Government sustainabledevelopment policy through all theiractivities in the region. All sponsordepartments should sign up to this newprimary purpose.Our research found that GOs, like theother major regional bodies, mustembed responsibility for deliveringsustainable development into all levelsof the organisation, and especially at thehighest level.

Recommendation 6Regional Directors should be maderesponsible for delivering against thisnew primary purpose.Securing the Futurecontains thecommitment that:

All central governmentdepartments and their executiveagencies will produce focussedsustainable development actionplans [SDAPs] based on thisstrategy by December 2005 andwill report on their actions byDecember 2006 and regularlythereafter (p153)

This commitment does not specificallyinclude GOs. To ensure that Securing the

Futurepriorities and commitments aredelivered at the regional level, the GOsneed to be explicitly part of thecommitment to produce both their ownSDAPs, based on the Strategy, and tocontribute fully to their sponsorDepartments SDAPs.

Recommendation 7a. GOs should be required to

produce their own SDAPs by June2006, with their regional

partners, after consultation withrelevant governmentDepartments, by June 2006, todrive forward delivery of theSecuring the Future. This shouldbe done in line with the SDCsSDAP guidance, SustainableDevelopment Action Plans Getting Started.26

b. Government Departments shouldensure that, in the future, GOsfully contribute to their ownSDAPs to help them deliver ontheir commitments at theregional level.These SDAPs will need to be fullymonitored. We examine the need formonitoring and scrutiny in Chapter 7.

3.3 National leadershipA lack of joined-up regional policy andprocesses within central governmentcreate problems in the regions. TheDepartments with the major influenceon regional government activities often

send conflicting guidance, or createpolicy frameworks which make it verydifficult for regional government topursue sustainable development goals.Annex A outlines the nationalsustainable development context asregards the regions.

3.3.1 Findings of previous studiesA common theme from several previous

studies was that greater clarity wasneeded over the relationship betweenregional and national policy. A report forODPM by Brook Lyndhurst on therelationship between regional economiccompetitiveness and sustainabledevelopment found that one of thechallenges for sustainable developmentwas, within a framework in whichdifferent departments set different

26

SDC, Sustainable Development Action Plans Getting Started, August 2005 www.sd-commission.org.uk.

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targets for different elements of regionalgovernment, how will the respectiveagendas of competitiveness andsustainable development be integrated?How much will take the form of

guidance and how much will berequirement?27It thereforerecommended, greater transparencywill be required from governmentdepartments as to the mutual limits todecision-making; and greater precisionwill be required about what is meant bysustainable.

A study by Regional Futures of the lowcarbon economy found, respondentsargued that regional policy should bedirected by national policy but notconstrained by it. However thoseinterviewed were uncertain about thelinks between regional and nationalpolicy, and many felt regions were notfully consulted and their views notalways taken into account.28 The reportrecommended that nationalgovernment, must provide a strong,seamless direction if regional and localgovernment, business and industry are

to achieve more than isolated activities.

Likewise, Regional Futures study onspatial planning found, there is a lack ofunderstanding about the mutualinterdependence of activities, and a lackof joined-up-ness between regionaldelivery organisations, government andlocal authority level.29 It noted, atension is present between regionaland national policies. It explained,

regions know what they want in theregion, but are dependent on nationalinfluence. Conversely, it gave theexample of a regional airport noting,this national intervention may haveimplications for SD in that region.

l

t

27Brook Lyndhurst, Level p aying fields and

minimum standards: can competitive regionspromote sustainable development?, May 2004,p36.28Regional Futures, Low carbon economy in the

regions, June 2004, p20.29Regional Futures, Spatial planning in the

regions, October 2004, p14.

More recently, the Taking it Onconsultation in 2004 found that UKGovernment sustainable developmentsuffered from a lack of collaboration

between departments and a lack ofjoined up thinking across government. Atthe regional level, all of the regionaldialogue reports, and many otherresponses, called for greater leadershipfrom central government on sustainabledevelopment. The Taking i Onsummaryreport30 notes that comments includethat the Government needs to lead byexample with clearer and moreconsistent policy and guidance, and withbetter co-ordination betweendepartments. Publication of Securingthe Futurehas now set out the clearframework for sustainable development,but policies on key issues relevant tosustainable development, remaininconsistent with these goals.

3.3.2 National leadership: SDCfindingsSecuring the Futurehelped to join many

sustainable development issues into acoherent whole. One interviewee said,the UK Sustainable DevelopmentStrategy did a good job of getting joinup. We are more joined up than ever atofficial level and Ministers have triedhard. But one or two departments havenot fully engaged.

Nevertheless, most intervieweesconfirmed the findings from the Taking it

Onconsultation, that Government policyis not joined up and that there is a realneed for better regional policyalignment. Many interviewees said thata lack of joined-up policy-makingbetween and within key Departments,such as ODPM, Defra, and the DTI,caused frustration amongstinterviewees, and was identified as aclear barrier to effective delivery ofsustainable development at the regional

30www.sustainable-development.gov.uk

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level. Interviewees identified localstrategic partnerships (LSPs) and sub-regional strategic partnerships (SSPs) askey partners for the delivery of regionalobjectives. Several interviewees

identified work being done in theirregion to improve links with theseorganisations but recognised that moreneeded to be done.

Interviewees also felt that Securing theFuturewas not yet being promoted andsupported within Government, whichhas had consequences for sustainabledevelopment at the regional and locallevel: Government has failed topromote sustainable developmentwithin government departments. Its ownprinciples of sustainable developmentare not widely promulgated withingovernment. Government has beenunable to drive this down to the regionaland local level, for example through theaudit process.

Our research also found that:

Central government needed to

provide more leadership to theregions

There is a lack ofunderstanding of the regionswithin central government

Cross-departmental PublicService Agreements (PSAs)would help to join-up policy

ODPMs Chapter 2 Agendashould be revised toincorporate sustainable

development.

Government itself has recognised thatpolicy needs to be better coordinated ata regional level. The Performance andInnovation Unit report, Reaching Out,found that there are too manyGovernment initiatives, causingconfusion; not enough co-ordination; andtoo much time spent on negotiating thesystem, rather than delivering.31

31Policy and Innovation Unit, Reaching Out: the

role of central government at regional and local

Following this report, in 2002, theCabinet Office and ODPM undertook astudy on incorporating regionalperspectives into policy-making for theCabinet Office and ODPM32with the aim

of assessing how to make best use ofregional perspectives when makingpolicy and planning implementation.The report was accompanied by a toolkitto help Government Departments andGOs work together effectively toimprove regional policy-making.33

Although the report and toolkit wereaimed at integrating regional policy-making, the findings from previousstudies, and the results of our ownresearch, suggests that there is stillmuch more to do. Government policy isstill not effectively joined-up and thereis a real need for better regional policyalignment. Furthermore, report andtoolkit only focused only on the role ofGovernment Departments and GOs andnot on other important regionalorganisations, such as RDAs and RAs.

Recommendation 8The Cabinet Office and ODPM shouldfollow up their 2002 study ofgovernment policy and its impact on theregions, Inco porating regionalrperspectives into policy-making, with awider review involving a range ofregional stakeholders, including RAs,RDAs and local government bodies. Thereview needs to identify and resolve anyconflicts at the regional level thatundermine sustainable development.The objective of the revie

Documents

20051128_The next steps_An independent review of sustainable development in the English regions