Overview

Regeneration East Midlands (REM) supports agencies in the region working within the growth agenda and in particular with a focus on “Growth Points”. Following the announcement of the growth point targets from GOEM REM formed an initiative that provides support for local communities which want to pursue sustainable growth through a partnership with Government. REM identified a skills gap around partnership working and sharing good practice – which could inhibit this initiative. By bringing together key agencies interested in Growth Points, REM developed a learning programme designed to encourage the engagement of regional stakeholders. The result is a commitment to effective partnership working and capacity building, with a clear emphasis on sustainable growth.

REM’s mandate is to support a collective approach to the delivery of the Growth Points initiative in Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Grantham, Lincoln and Newark-on-Trent. Over the last four years they became aware of the need to plug a skills shortage amongst staff. To address this they created a structured learning programme to help them get real value from the Growth Points agenda.

The programme was based on five areas: developing a robust mapping tool, masterclasses, the establishment of the growth points working group, training events and website development.

Participants gained useful knowledge designed to help them deliver the Growth Point programme, particularly in the area of working with other partnership organisations. As a result, participants now understand the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing and establishing networks to achieve sustainable growth. The result is a working group with a keen understanding of capacity growth and the value of partnership working as a way of promoting sustainable growth.

Summary
• Regeneration East Midlands (REM) supports agencies with an interest in the growth points agenda by identifying skills gaps and sharing good practice
• REM developed a programme of training activities to address these gaps including a mapping tool, masterclasses, a working group to encourage the engagement of regional stakeholders, other events and a website
• Individual participants are now more aware of the need to work together and have the skills to do so
• Partner organisations have benefited from an understanding of what other groups do and have increased the skills of their own staff
• The working group has now merged with the newly formed Urban Partnership Group and is using its knowledge of effective partnership working and capacity building to tackle the subject of sustainable growth and sustainable communities

» Background

Background

Regeneration East Midlands (REM) had been working for four years on issues surrounding the sustainable regeneration of communities. During that time they became aware of skills gaps within the sector. REM knew that a collaborative approach was the key to achieving real value from the Growth Points agenda. They understood it was essential to create a structured staff learning programme that would help promote partnership learning in the six sustainable growth points - Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, Grantham, Lincoln and Newark-on-Trent - overseen by REM.

» The Project

Overview «

The Project

REM set about providing relevant agencies with a framework to help them discuss aspirations and issues within the Growth Points initiative. At the heart of the programme was the need for partnership working and the sharing of good practice, a key part of the Egan Review’s ”generic skills” set.

{file:3}

The project involved creating a suite of training activities based around five themes:
• Developing a Robust Mapping Tool to capture lessons regionally and within growth points
• Masterclasses to explore topical issues that are vital to the creation of sustainable communities
• Establishment of the Growth Points Working Group to encourage the interaction and engagement of regional stakeholders
• Training events (such as workshops or conferences) to follow up on themes and issues raised during the mapping exercise and earlier pilot research
• Website development to facilitate further skills training, knowledge

» The Impact

Background «

The Impact

Participants gained useful knowledge concerning the benefits of collaborative and cross-boundary working, sharing and establishing good practice. Their thinking became more positive, which led to more planned co-operation.
Partners began to share information, issues and concerns as part of a growing commitment to knowledge sharing as a key part of best practice.

Staff and partners are now promoting new ways of working to achieve sustainable growth. Although the project may not continue, its legacy proves the value of cross-discipline working and knowledge sharing, partnership working and the development of best practice models with particular reference to place making and place management through the region’s Urban Partnership Group.

In fact the ‘Growth Points Working Group’ is a good example of a successful partnership that could be replicated in other urban regeneration/growth point areas. The result is a partnership focussed on capacity building and committed to effective partnership working as a way of tackling challenges of sustainable growth.

» Lessons Learned

The Project «

Lessons Learned

Partnership is the key to future success. The most important lesson learned on this project is the value of working in partnership to tackle the Growth Points agenda. Bringing partners together with a clear stake in the success of the project, finding common ground and developing shared action plans to tackle the issues lays the foundations for future success.

{file:2}

“Hands off” can lead to missed opportunities. Lack of representation at key points in the programme meant ASC may have missed key opportunities to promote their philosophy of sustainable growth. Similarly, the chance to share best practice on a national basis wasn’t always taken. Regular contact with ASC may have helped reduce these problems, showing that a hand-on approach is sometimes best.

» Reference

The Impact «

Reference

Susan Hallsworth
Regeneration East Midlands
Unit 8, Provident Works
Newdigate Street, Radford
Nottingham, NG7 4FD

External links
Regeneration East Midlands
Urban Partnership Group

Lessons Learned «