Objectives
1. What are the main aims that this funding should seek to achieve?
What are the main aims that this funding should seek to achieve?
To counter the creeping centralisation of services at all levels whether national, regional or local and thus ensure the survival of thriving rural communities.
2. How could funding be used most effectively to address spatial inequalities between areas and communities in Scotland?
How could funding be used most effectively to address spatial inequalities between areas and communities in Scotland?
By establishing local centres to administer funds, such centres to request levels of funding from specific national funds for allocation to projects in their locality.
3. Geographically, at what level would the priorities for funding be best set?
Geographically, at what level would the priorities for funding be best set?
Locally in a bottom-up, grassroots driven manner rather than simply to meet nationally prescribed needs that are too often inappropriate at a local level.
Alignment with Scottish Policy and Other Funding Streams
4. How could the use of future funding add value to other sources of funding focussed on similar objectives in Scotland?
How could the use of future funding add value to other sources of funding focussed on similar objectives in Scotland?
By concentrating spending where it will best address local needs rather than best-fitting overarching and often over-bureaucratised organisational structures.
Alignment with UK and EU Policy
5. What practical value would you see in future funding in Scotland being aligned with the UK Industrial Strategy and other spatially-differentiated UK economic policies such as the City and Regional Deals or the Industrial Strategy’s sectoral approach?
What practical value would you see in future funding in Scotland being aligned with the UK Industrial Strategy and other spatially-differentiated UK economic policies such as the City and Regional Deals or the Industrial Strategy’s sectoral approach?
Prefer the EU's structure to the UK' s narrow focus!
6. What practical value would you see in maintaining alignment with EU Cohesion Policy?
What practical value would you see in maintaining alignment with EU Cohesion Policy?
Greater long-term benefit for all parts of Scotland.
Evaluation and Monitoring Progress
7. How could we best evaluate the success of this new fund?
How could we best evaluate the success of this new fund?
By asking the people in the communities for quality feedback rather than relying upon simplistic tick-box targets.
8. What relevant parts of the National Performance Framework should this funding be targeted towards?
What relevant parts of the National Performance Framework should this funding be targeted towards?
Those of greatest relevance within each locality.
9. Which specific aspects of the monitoring and evaluation framework from European Cohesion Policy do you consider would be beneficial to retain for any new fund?
Which specific aspects of the monitoring and evaluation framework from European Cohesion Policy do you consider would be beneficial to retain for any new fund?
The least bureaucratic.
Allocation and Programme Duration
10. What approach should be used to allocate the funding at programme level - including the most effective duration of the programme that would better support the identified priorities?
What approach should be used to allocate the funding at programme level - including the most effective duration of the programme that would better support the identified priorities?
3-5 year funding allocated only after community consultation has been completed.
11. What would be the most appropriate partnership and governance structure to achieve the strategic objectives of the future funding?
What would be the most appropriate partnership and governance structure to achieve the strategic objectives of the future funding?
That which makes all politicians, from local to national, accountable to their electorate for ensuring that all relevant objectives are achieved.
12. What would be the most effective delivery model to ensure maximum leverage of funds from public and private sectors to regional investments?
What would be the most effective delivery model to ensure maximum leverage of funds from public and private sectors to regional investments?
That which keeps bureaucracy to a minimum whilst ensuring safeguards are robust and penalties for abuse are severe.
13. What capacity-building or other support is needed to ensure the ability of local partners and communities to participate in the programme?
What capacity-building or other support is needed to ensure the ability of local partners and communities to participate in the programme?
Capacity-building is a priority and funds need to be allocated to ensure each locality has the required capacity before any development funds are allocated.
14. What can be learned from the design and delivery of the current and previous European Structural Fund Programmes in Scotland?
What can be learned from the design and delivery of the current and previous European Structural Fund Programmes in Scotland?
Whilst there is much to praise from these programmes they are overly-bureaucratic, top-down, and cumbersome. We need a leaner system that maximises the proportion of total cost that is spent on the ground and is driven by local need.
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