RDA CORPORATE PLANS FOR 2005-08

TASKING FRAMEWORK

RDA Corporate Plans

2.1      The Framework requires each RDA to show in its Corporate Plan for 2005-08, how, in support of its statutory role and responsibilities, it will address the priorities identified in the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) for the region and contribute to the delivery of the Government’s PSA Targets on Regional Economic Performance, Sustainable Development and Productivity/Rural Productivity and through these to the delivery of a range of other PSA Targets, set out at Annex A.

2.2      The RDAs have been tasked to deliver a number of mandatory outputs, including a number of Core Outputs; details are at Annex B.  Possible components of the Core Outputs are described in Annex A of the Guidance on Corporate Plans issued by DTI.

2.3             The RDAs’ strategic role is to mobilise the actions of key regional and sub-regional partners in the public and private sector, and also in the voluntary and community sector, to support the achievement of regional economic development priorities as agreed in the RES for their region; the priority attached to particular sectors will vary from region to region. 

2.4      As authors of the RES, and through their relationships with local economic agents, RDAs are in a natural position to lead and coordinate discussions with partners and to influence the design and delivery of government policy and programmes through working with Departments. RDAs are increasingly active in non-project activities that do not produce traditional outputs, and so capturing this ‘catalytic’ and ‘influencing’ role is essential to full monitoring of RDA performance.  As RDAs’ SAV is a key part of their contribution to PSA delivery, it will be identified in RDA Corporate Plans and reporting. 

2.5       The RDAs are also required to deliver efficiency savings, rising 2.5% over each year of the Corporate Plan period, and to set out in their Plans details of how the savings will be achieved in terms of the specific outputs that each RDA will aim to achieve and the arrangements by which progress will be monitored.  Setting efficiency targets may entail reducing overheads and administrative costs, with the aim of releasing cash to allow more stretching targets to be set with respect to their existing responsibilities or to fund new activities in the future without the need for additional funding.

2.6       Under this Framework the RDAs are required to prepare their Corporate Plans for 2005-08, taking into consideration guidance issued separately by the Department of Trade and Industry, and submit these to DTI by mid-January 2005.