an article by Keith Shaw (Northumbria University, UK) and Fred Robinson (University of Durham, UK) published in Local Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit Volume 33 Issue 8 (December 2018)
Abstract
Governance in the English regions has been undermined and weakened by recent structural changes. Although well established during the New Labour era, the regional level of governance in England did not survive the post-2010 process of institutional churn shaped by economic austerity and central government’s aversion to the regional level.
This has subsequently led to rescaling to the sub-regional level and the introduction of devolution ‘deals’ involving new combined authorities with elected mayors.
This article looks at the experience of North East England, where regional structures have been broken up and the region disempowered by such changes. It reviews what has happened to governance in the North East over the past 20 years and discusses why the dismantling of regional governance matters.
While the region’s external relationships with central government are problematic, it is also argued that governance problems within the region are no less important and need reforming. Longitudinal research indicates that organisations providing public services in the North East have continued to be characterised by inadequate accountability, unrepresentative governance and lack of transparency.
The combined effects of the devolutionary consequences of Brexit and the ineffectiveness of small-scale ‘devo-deal’ interventions mean that the ‘Regionalist case’ in England will need to be refashioned and restated.
The article concludes by considering the case for reintroducing regional-level governance and points to ways of bolstering the accountability and effectiveness of this level of sub-national governance.
Showing posts with label regional_government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regional_government. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Are generic strategies ‘fit for purpose’ in a public service context?
an article by Ian R. Hodgkinson (Loughborough University, UK) published in Public Policy and Administration Volume 28 Number 1 (January 2013)
Abstract
The environment in which public sector organisations operate is becoming ever more volatile, with such organisations increasingly facing the dual pressures of growing customer expectations coupled with significant budget reductions.
This study presents an exploratory research model to uncover significant relationships between generic strategies and the business and social performance of public leisure providers, in an attempt to ascertain if generic strategies are fit for purpose in the public leisure sector.
The findings suggest that low cost and price-based strategies are inadequate for service delivery. Rather, a hybrid strategy – which seeks to add value while also having a cost base that permits low prices – is deemed fit for purpose in the public leisure sector, satisfying the dual strategic agenda of public leisure providers.
This study provides contributions to the strategic management, public management, and leisure services literatures.
Abstract
The environment in which public sector organisations operate is becoming ever more volatile, with such organisations increasingly facing the dual pressures of growing customer expectations coupled with significant budget reductions.
This study presents an exploratory research model to uncover significant relationships between generic strategies and the business and social performance of public leisure providers, in an attempt to ascertain if generic strategies are fit for purpose in the public leisure sector.
The findings suggest that low cost and price-based strategies are inadequate for service delivery. Rather, a hybrid strategy – which seeks to add value while also having a cost base that permits low prices – is deemed fit for purpose in the public leisure sector, satisfying the dual strategic agenda of public leisure providers.
This study provides contributions to the strategic management, public management, and leisure services literatures.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Managing for local resilience: towards a strategic approach
an article by Keith Shaw (Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK) published in Public Policy and Administration Volume 28 Number 1 (January 2013)
Abstract
The term resilience is increasingly being used to capture the challenges involved in managing in ‘hard times’.
This article aims to provide one of the first empirical studies of the term’s application to local authority interventions around emergency planning and climate change: two areas in which resilience has been particularly emphasised in local policy making.
Drawing upon research undertaken in the north east of England, the article considers how local managers have understood and applied the term, the extent to which it has been developed as a coherent policy agenda, and its strategic significance.
In reframing the debate on resilience in terms of discourses of ‘recovery’ and ‘transformation’, the article examines how, in addition to informing policy realities on the ground, resilience is also a normative, politically laden term, within which conservative narratives of uncertainty, vulnerability and anxiety compete with a more radical focus on hope, adaptation and transformation.
The study reveals concerns over the term’s longevity, tensions between the different interpretations of resilience, and the lack of a coherent strategic framework within which the different discourses on resilience could be considered and reconciled.
However, the article also captures the growing importance of a resilience narrative that is seen to add value in a period of austerity, integrate key features of climate change adaptation and emergency planning, and act as a ‘strategic lynchpin’ in relation to other policy areas, such as economic resilience.
Abstract
The term resilience is increasingly being used to capture the challenges involved in managing in ‘hard times’.
This article aims to provide one of the first empirical studies of the term’s application to local authority interventions around emergency planning and climate change: two areas in which resilience has been particularly emphasised in local policy making.
Drawing upon research undertaken in the north east of England, the article considers how local managers have understood and applied the term, the extent to which it has been developed as a coherent policy agenda, and its strategic significance.
In reframing the debate on resilience in terms of discourses of ‘recovery’ and ‘transformation’, the article examines how, in addition to informing policy realities on the ground, resilience is also a normative, politically laden term, within which conservative narratives of uncertainty, vulnerability and anxiety compete with a more radical focus on hope, adaptation and transformation.
The study reveals concerns over the term’s longevity, tensions between the different interpretations of resilience, and the lack of a coherent strategic framework within which the different discourses on resilience could be considered and reconciled.
However, the article also captures the growing importance of a resilience narrative that is seen to add value in a period of austerity, integrate key features of climate change adaptation and emergency planning, and act as a ‘strategic lynchpin’ in relation to other policy areas, such as economic resilience.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Phoenix from the ashes: can low carbon vehicles ensure the long-term viability of the West Midlands automotive cluster?
an article by Nigel Berkeley, David Jarvis and Jason Begley published in International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management Volume 12 Number 2 (2012)
Abstract
Whilst traditional automotive manufacturing regions continue to face tremendous competitive pressures new opportunities are emerging with strong governmental support to encourage the manufacture and adoption of low carbon vehicles (LCVs).
This paper examines such opportunities in the West Midlands region of the UK, where the automotive 'cluster' remains one of the largest in the country and where failure to adapt to changing markets could prove economically and socially damaging. It suggests that the region should build on its strengths at the upper end of the technology spectrum and establish itself as a leader in the area of LCV technologies.
In doing so, it is recognised that a coordinated and holistic approach is required, involving multiple layers of government, backed up by a strong and supportive policy framework. As such, the abolition of regional government in England presents a serious challenge. Whether new local delivery structures can fill the void given the centralisation of power, policy and funding for economic development remains to be seen and casts doubt on the extent to which potential opportunities and benefits presented by low carbon vehicles are fully realised.
Abstract
Whilst traditional automotive manufacturing regions continue to face tremendous competitive pressures new opportunities are emerging with strong governmental support to encourage the manufacture and adoption of low carbon vehicles (LCVs).
This paper examines such opportunities in the West Midlands region of the UK, where the automotive 'cluster' remains one of the largest in the country and where failure to adapt to changing markets could prove economically and socially damaging. It suggests that the region should build on its strengths at the upper end of the technology spectrum and establish itself as a leader in the area of LCV technologies.
In doing so, it is recognised that a coordinated and holistic approach is required, involving multiple layers of government, backed up by a strong and supportive policy framework. As such, the abolition of regional government in England presents a serious challenge. Whether new local delivery structures can fill the void given the centralisation of power, policy and funding for economic development remains to be seen and casts doubt on the extent to which potential opportunities and benefits presented by low carbon vehicles are fully realised.
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