project co-financed

by the european union

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

grids

economy transport housing agriculture tourism nature

isbn 1-902647-55-6 © Cardiff University
partners:
Cardiff University, Wales
Latgale Regional Development Agency, Latvia
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia
Riga City Council, Latvia
Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania
Ministry of the Flemish Community, Belgium
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Republic of Ireland

associate-partners:
National Assembly for Wales
Welsh Local Government Association
Welsh Development Agency
Caerphilly County Borough Council

co-ordinator:
Iris Consulting, Brussels

best practice guidelines for instruments of regional development

and spatial planning in an enlarged eu

december 2005 1
 authors:
Neil Adams Project Co-ordinator, iris consulting and London South Bank University
Neil Harris Cardiff University

2
expert advice:
Professor Jeremy Alden, Cardiff University, Wales Juri Lass, Ministry of Environment, Estonia
Sandra Ezmale, Latgale Regional Development Ilze Kukute, Ministry of Regional Development
Agency, Latvia and Local Government, Latvia
Anders Paalzow, Stockholm School of Economics Victoria Phillips, Caerphilly County Borough
in Riga Council, Wales
Gaile Dagiliene, Ministry of Interior, Lithuania Jan Bennett, Caerphilly County Borough Council,
Uldis Kirsteins, Riga City Council, Latvia Wales
Joris Scheers, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Grant Duncan, Welsh Assembly Government,
Belgium Wales
Rene Van der Lecq, Ministry of the Flemish Gareth Hall, Welsh Development Agency, Wales
Community, Belgium Kevin Bishop, Welsh Local Government
Finian Matthews, Ministry of Environment, Association, Wales
Republic of Ireland Aled Thomas, Welsh Local Government
John Laffan, Ministry of Environment, Republic Association, Brussels
of Ireland Margaret Roberts, Cardiff University, Wales
Professor Klaus Kunzmann, University of
Dortmund, Germany
Lowie Steenwegen, Regional Planner, Flanders
Dirk Lauwers, iris consulting, Belgium
Graeme Purves, Scottish Executive, Scotland

3
CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

The GRIDS project

The characteristics and qualities of an effective regional development strategy
Avoiding the common weakness of regional development strategies

INTRODUCTION 8

The GRIDS project

Using the guidelines

PART 1 regions, regional development and spatial planning 10

1.1 Inter-regional co-operation 10

1.2 Defining ‘regions’ 10
Introduction
The European Union focus on regions
Regional policy, regional planning and spatial planning
1.3 The diversity of approaches to regional 12
development and spatial planning

PART 2 best practice guidelines 14

2.1 Introduction 14
Common weaknesses of regional development strategies
The critical elements of a good RDS
2.2 The purpose, scope and status of rds’s 14
Introduction
The purpose, role and scope of the RDS
The status and timescale of the RDS
The nature of the approach
2.3 Identifying and writing for your audience 22
Introduction
Identifying your audience
Writing style, terminology and the use of graphics and literary devices
Communication and marketing
Structure of the documents

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regional development strategies

grids

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 2.4 Defining principles, visions and objectives 26
Introduction
Addressing the European policy context
Reflecting national and higher-level principles
Fundamental principles
Core principles at the regional level
The vision, strategy and objectives of the RDS
Portraying a future spatial vision
Economic, social and environmental aims and objectives
2.5 Engaging stakeholders in the preparation of the rds 35
Stakeholder involvement and consultation
2.6 Information, data and analysis 39
Introduction
Data availability and analysis
2.7 Presentation, images and illustrations 42
Presentation of the material
2.8 Implementation and resources 43
Introduction
Legal and institutional framework
Delivery mechanisms
Financial, physical and human resources
Barriers to implementation
2.9 Monitoring, evaluation and review 50
Introduction
Assessment and appraisal
Targets and indicators
Monitoring and evaluation

PART 3 exhibition and case studies 54

ANNEX 62

4.1 Glossary of key terms 62

4.2 The project partners 64

5
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY

The grids project Avoiding the common weakness of

regional development strategies
GRIDS is an INTERREG IIIC project that is focused
on developing a series of best practice guidelines The project has reviewed a range of regional develop-
for regional development and spatial planning. It is ment strategies and spatial plans prepared in the
especially concerned with identifying and promoting partner countries. This has revealed that a number of
good practice within some of the smaller countries common weakness or difficulties exist. These can be
of the European Union. summarised as follows:
Project partners are based in Ireland, Wales, – Regional development strategies often include
Belgium, Latvia and Lithuania and include national, excessive analysis and description of the region
regional and local public administrations as well as and its various characteristics, rather than focus
academic institutions. The project has also attracted on the key features of importance for preparing
interest and involvement from government organisa- a RDS;
tions in Scotland and Estonia. – Some cases exist of limited success in engaging
The project has focused on exchanging experi- stakeholders in the development of the RDS.
ence between partners through a series of workshops Even in some of the more successful cases of
and conferences. involving stakeholders, some interest groups
Further information on the project and its key such as business representatives have been dif-
outputs can be found at the project website: ficult to engage. Limited awareness, publicity
www.interreg-grids.org and involvement mean that the RDS does not
therefore enjoy a high profile.
The characteristics and – Strategies often fail to acknowledge or ad-
qualities of an effective equately address difficult or problematic issues
regional development strategy and risk being criticised as overly optimistic.
– Many RDS documents fail to adequately
The project partners identify the following as the explain how the strategy and its related actions
key characteristics of a well-designed and effective have been arrived at, reflecting weak linkage
regional development strategy. An effective regional between analysis and the objectives of the RDS;
development strategy: – Many RDS documents lack clarity on the
– is embedded in its organisational, economic mechanisms or actions needed for imple-
and social context; mentation of the strategy. In addition, limited
– establishes a widely-shared vision for the future financial and other resources are dedicated to
development of the region; the implementation of regional development
– engages stakeholders in an open and produc- strategies. This is compounded by the limited
tive manner during preparation of the strategy; attention given to phasing of actions and for-
– communicates its key messages clearly to a mulation of clear targets.
variety of audiences; – Limited consideration is given to the develop-
– identifies clear mechanisms for delivery; ment of indicators and frameworks for moni-
– phases and sequences key investments toring the implementation of the RDS. There
and actions; is also an over-reliance on simple, quantitative
– establishes a simple but effective framework for indicators. Qualitative indicators are usually
monitoring. underdeveloped.

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

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6
The project team has devised a series of good practice
pointers to help improve the quality of regional
development strategies and ensure policy-makers try
and avoid the common weaknesses identified above.
These pointers to good practice are arranged in the
following sections:
– The purpose, scope and status of RDSs;
– Identifying and writing for your audience;
– Defining principles, visions and objectives
– Engaging stakeholders in the preparation
of the RDS;
– Information, data and analysis;
– Presentation, images and illustrations;
– Implementation and resources;
– Monitoring, evaluation and review.

Detailed pointers and recommendations are pro-

vided for each of these categories.

7
INTRODUCTION

The grids project – A conference in Riga (Latvia) in October 2005

attended by stakeholders from the national, re-
GRIDS is a project focused on developing a series gional and local levels in Latvia and Lithuania.
of best practice guidelines for regional development An Estonian delegation and a strong interna-
and spatial planning for countries and regions within tional team of academics and practitioners also
the European Union. Various partners with some supported the event.
previous experience of working together recognised – A final conference in Cardiff (Wales) in No-
that many of the smaller countries within the Euro- vember 2005, bringing together high-ranking
pean Union were facing similar policy challenges. civil servants and policy makers from various
The partners designed a project to examine and countries, and focused on ensuring more effec-
promote good practice in regional development and tive approaches to joined-up government.
spatial planning within the context of enlargement – Various documents providing information and
of the European Union. The project was successful advice including the guidelines, in addition to
in securing INTERREG IIIC funding for a two-year the maintenance of a project website (available
period from January 2004 with Cardiff University at www.interreg-grids.org where workshop
acting as lead partner. materials are available), leaflets disseminating
the project’s findings, as well as a book to be
The project’s various objectives include: published in 2006 with contributions from
– Providing a means of identifying, sharing both academic and professional partners.
and disseminating good practice applicable
to smaller nations throughout the EU where The GRIDS project has generated significant interest
regional development strategies are being pre- both within the partner lands and in other countries.
pared; The relevant ministries and some academic institu-
– Strengthening networking capacity and knowl- tions in Scotland and Estonia have shown particular
edge within and between the partner lands; interest. Discussions are ongoing as to how the
– Providing a platform for stakeholders from dif- research capacity of and the co-operation between
ferent countries to come together to promote the Celtic and Baltic countries could be further
more effective joined-up government through strengthened once the GRIDS project has finished. If
the activities of regional development and this can be achieved then it will provide a sustainable
spatial planning. output that will continue to facilitate inter-regional
co-operation and the sharing of experiences.
Key activities and outputs of the project include: The various partners are very pleased to make
– Four thematic workshops addressing different this valuable contribution to the ongoing debates on
approaches to regional development and the regional development and spatial planning within
content, principles and implementation of re- the context of the European Union.
gional development strategies. The workshops
were held in Dublin (Ireland), Cardiff (Wales), Using the guidelines
Brussels (Belgium) and Vilnius (Lithuania).
– A special workshop to bring together the This document is organised in several parts:
findings of the previous four workshops. The – Part 1 outlines the context for regional develop-
workshop was held in Latgale (Latvia) and ment and spatial planning, highlighting the
enabled partners to discuss the first draft of the significance of regions to European Union poli-
good practice guidelines. cies and programmes. It will be useful for

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regional development strategies

grids

8
 those not familiar with this context or those
needing to understand the activities of regional
development and spatial planning.
– Part 2 provides a detailed series of guidelines
and pointers to good practice. This is the main
section of the document and can be used as
a reference guide (see below). It is written
mainly for those closely involved in preparing a
regional development strategy.
– Part 3 provides some case studies and examples
of projects from the various partner areas.

The guidelines in Part 2 are based on the experience

of the various partners in the GRIDS project. They
reflect a diversity of different experiences and have
been written to have wider relevance across different
member states and regions of the European Union.
In writing the guidelines it is recognised that not all
of the pointers towards good practice will be suitable
in every context. There are, for example, different
legal and administrative contexts that may make
some of the guidelines difficult to accommodate. The
economic and social contexts in different regions
may mean that some stages in preparing a RDS need
to adopt a particular approach at that time and for
that region. The purpose of the guidelines is not to
prescribe a particular approach to preparing a RDS,
but to offer helpful advice and a series of useful
reminders for the varying stages of RDS preparation.
The guidelines are organised around the key
stages of the preparation of a RDS, from deciding
on the overall approach to the RDS (what is its role,
status and character), to defining its objectives, engag-
ing key stakeholders and engaging in the activities of
monitoring, evaluation and review.
The guidelines are therefore designed for each
stage of the preparation of a RDS and will be equally
relevant to those just embarking on a RDS or those
reviewing the success of an existing RDS.
A glossary of key terms is also provided at the
end of this document.

9
 PART 1 all the time. Sharing experiences on these issues is
one way to generate ideas that can be adapted to a
variety of local situations. That is why even though
regions, regional development these guidelines are the end product of the GRIDS
and spatial planning project much work still remains for partners and
other stakeholders to adapt the guidelines to their
own needs and local situations. It is hoped that the
inter-regional co-operation in the GRIDS project will
make a significant contribution to the ongoing de-
Part I provides some information on the context for bate in relation to regional development and spatial
regional co-operation within the European Union. planning throughout the EU.
It outlines the importance of Interreg as a means
of supporting learning across different regions. In 1.2 Defining ‘regions’
addition, it provides some general information on
the challenge of defining regions, as well as describes Introduction
the key terms ‘regional development’ and ‘spatial The term ‘region’ is used widely by policy makers
planning’. and officials. There is no simple definition of a region
and the term is used differently in different national
1.1 Inter-regional co-operation contexts. This creates some difficulty in cross-national
studies as participants attempt to understand the dif-
The Interreg programme is a Community initiative ferent meanings attached to the term ‘region’.
providing opportunities to share experiences in a The European Commission defines a region in
variety of fields. The various forms of inter-regional its Reference Guide to European Regional Statis-
co-operation are supported under Interreg IIIA tics (2004, p. 1) as ‘a tract of land with more or less
(cross-border co-operation), IIIB (trans-national definitely marked boundaries, which often serves as
co-operation) and IIIC (inter-regional co-operation). an administrative unit below the level of the nation
This reflects an increasing focus on regions through- state’. Regions within (or even across) nations may be
out the EU. defined based on a number of characteristics, rang-
GRIDS is an Interreg IIIC project. This pro- ing from administrative areas to shared geographic,
vided the flexibility to involve regions from through- cultural or socio-economic features, such as their
out the entire territory of the EU. This flexibility and landscape, climate, language, ethnic origin or shared
the resulting ability to share experiences across the history.
EU has proved to be invaluable in bringing various Regions based on these features rarely coincide
regions that share a number of common characteris- with the more precise boundaries that define public
tics together in order to seek innovative solutions to administrations. Administratively defined regions
common problems. should not be treated as fixed ones for the purposes
The GRIDS project illustrates the value of this of dealing with either spatial planning or regional
approach and it is hoped that the project will lead to development activities. Ideally, administrative regions
a sustainable partnership of co-operation between will be defined in a way that best captures how peo-
the participating lands and in particular between the ple relate to and understand regions, although this
Celtic and Baltic lands. is often difficult to achieve. Regions, as defined, are
It is anticipated that inter-territorial co-opera- therefore usually a compromise between administra-
tion will become the new Objective 3 during the tive and other characteristics.
next programming period post 2006 and that a
considerable increase in funds will follow. It is to be The European Union focus on regions
hoped that the rationale of the third strand, which Regional policies of the European Union have had
allows true inter-regional co-operation and network- to address these various issues in attempting to both
ing, will be retained so as to offer opportunities to establish a mechanism for common recording and
build on the much good work that has already been measuring of regional change and targeting policy
done. interventions. The European Union has a system of
Inter-regional co-operation has proved to be classifying regions to facilitate common recording
an extremely useful instrument and many answers of data for regional units. EUROSTAT established
have been generated to many questions. Many ques- a system in the early 1970s titled ‘Nomenclature of
tions remain however and new questions are arising Statistical Territorial Units’ (NUTS). This is a single,

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

grids

10
coherent system for dividing up the EU’s territory in
order to produce regional statistics for the Commu-
nity.
The European Commission publishes a large
amount of regional data through its EUROSTAT
office. This comprehensive regional database is
described in the European Regional Statistics Refer-
ence Guide(2004), which also provides a summary
of the principles underlying the NUTS classification.
It is a hierarchical classification, comprising levels
I to III. Each Member State is divided into a whole
number of regions at NUTS I level, and each of these
is then sub-divided into regions at NUTS II level.
The United Kingdom, for example, is divided into 12
NUTS I regions and 37 NUTS II regions. These are
further sub-divided into regions at NUTS III level, of
which the United Kingdom has 133.
The number of NUTS I regions forming a
member state of the EU ranges from one (as in the
case of Ireland) to as many as 16 (in the case of Ger-
many) and is based in part on population figures (see
figure below). The Baltic States are each classed as a
NUTS II region. Consequently, ‘national’ government
bodies may therefore be classified as regions for EU
purposes. Similarly, regional development strategies
may cover populations of between 100,000 and 6
million or more people.

Level Min. population Max. population

NUTS I 3 million 7 million

NUTS II 800 000 3 million
NUTS III 150 000 800 000
Source: European Regional Statistics (2004)

The Third Cohesion Report (February 2004) reaf-

firms a continuing emphasis on regions, regional
policy and the role of regional development within
the European Union. It sets out the European Com-
mission’s vision for the future of Europe’s policy to
reduce disparities and to promote greater economic,
social and territorial cohesion. The main focus of the
Report is the wide disparities in output, productivity
and employment that persist between countries and
regions. Disparities at the regional level are particu-
larly emphasised in the Third Cohesion Report.
Narrowing disparities in regional competitive factors
is a particular concern, with a focus on improving
infrastructure endowment, strengthening human
capital, and increasing the capacity of regions to in-
novate in the new knowledge-based economy.

11
 Regional policy, regional planning 1.3 The diversity of approaches to
and spatial planning regional development and
The terms regional policy, regional planning and spatial planning
spatial planning also require some definition as they
may be used differently in various national contexts. The project has assessed a variety of different types
Regional policy is a way of national govern- of regional development strategies and spatial
ment intervening in the distribution of various ac- planning frameworks. The distinction between a
tivities between its different regions, and has usually regional development strategy and a spatial plan
focused on the distribution of economic activities. In has been discussed several times during the project.
basic terms, it includes a wide range of activities to There are some important differences (see the above
encourage the redistribution of economic activities discussion), however in many cases the documents
to regions facing economic decline or restructuring. cover similar issues and have similar objectives.
Regional planning is quite different to regional For example, the project reveals that there are only
policy, and involves decision making at the regional limited differences in topic coverage between the
level in which co-ordinated action is applied to the various case studies. There are, of course, differences
whole or part of a region. Regional policy is seen of emphasis, with some of the case studies being fo-
as focussing on inter-regional issues, while regional cused very much on regional economic development
planning focuses on a wider range of issues within a and securing European Union funding, while others
single region. The mechanisms for regional planning adopt a broader perspective. Yet even with similar
– usually including the preparation and implemen- topic coverage, there is still a considerable diversity of
tation of a regional development strategy - and the approaches, often reflecting the social, economic and
institutions put in place to manage it, inevitably vary institutional context of the region. This section iden-
from one context to another. Regional planning may tifies some of the important dimensions along which
be carried out by decentralised administrative bodies the various case studies vary in their approach.
of central government or by elected regional govern- The various approaches include:
ments, depending on the institutional framework. – those that are prepared according to a highly
The term spatial planning is increasingly being formalised process, often prescribed or framed
used in some European Union member states. This by legislation, and those that are prepared with-
is particularly the case within north-west Europe out any specific constraints or requirements on
where various spatial planning exercises have been the process.
inspired by the preparation of the European Spatial – those that form part of a hierarchical frame-
Development Perspective. Spatial strategies or plans work of documents and strategies in which
have been developed in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and compliance between different levels is impor-
the English regions as well as in Flanders, Latvia, tant, and those that are prepared as stand alone
Lithuania and Estonia. These strategies each adopt a documents that are not required to comply
different approach, yet they are designed to contrib- with other documents.
ute to ‘joined-up government’ through identifying – those in which the RDS is seen as a specific pro-
how a wide spectrum of government policies (such gramme of actions or a framework for deter-
as in health, employment, education, transport, mining whether actions are in accordance with
environment, housing, culture, heritage and so on) the strategy (essentially a decision-making tool),
impact on different places. Spatial planning can be a and those in which the strategy is primarily a
particularly important vehicle for relating economic forum for debate and attaining some degree of
development policies to housing provision or trans- consensus on future actions.
port infrastructure. – those that are based on a detailed analysis of
Spatial planning and regional development or significant volumes of social, economic and
regional planning may be viewed as similar or very environmental data, and those that are not
closely linked activities. However, some regional obviously driven by extensive analysis of data.
development strategies focus primarily on economic – those that are well developed in their spatial
activities and therefore lack the wider scope of a spa- expression, often including many maps, illustra-
tial strategy. In this series of good practice guidelines, tions and a spatial expression of a strategy, and
RDS is used as an abbreviation for regional develop- those that rely primarily on text with limited
ment strategies, although we also use it to include spatial content.
reference to spatial strategies. – those that are designed to integrate a wide
range of different policy areas, and those that

best practice guidelines for

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12
 focus intently on regional economic develop-
ment.

Using these varying approaches, the case studies

evaluated in the GRIDS project can be categorised
according to two main and contrasting types of RDS:
– A highly formalised RDS: its content and even
objectives may be prescribed by legislation. The
process for preparing the plan is also prescribed
by legislation and will include specific periods
for consultation with key agencies and other
levels of government. The RDS will be required
to be in conformity with those of higher
administrative tiers. The strategy will be based
on detailed analysis of data that is presented
extensively in the document itself. The strategy
will include detailed actions and programmes
and implementation, monitoring and review
frameworks will be reasonably well developed.
The case studies from Lithuania, Latvia and
Flanders best represent this type of RDS.

– Informal types of RDS: neither the content of

the RDS nor the process by which it is prepared
is prescribed by legislation. Involvement of
interested groups and stakeholders will also be
less formal, and stakeholders may be engaged
in shaping the plan throughout the process.
The RDS is likely to be informed by other strat-
egies and will in turn be applied or taken into
account in other documents, yet its relationship
with these documents is not one of conformity.
The strategy is designed as a platform for action
and will not itself provide detailed series of ac-
tions. The case studies drawn from Ireland and
Wales best characterise this type of RDS.

This definition of two main types of RDS is clearly a

simplification and more detailed points are addressed
in the following guidelines.

13
 PART 2 –
between analysis and the objectives of the RDS;
Many RDS documents lack clarity on the
mechanisms or actions needed for imple-
best practice guidelines mentation of the strategy. In addition, limited
financial and other resources are dedicated to
the implementation of regional development
strategies. This is compounded by the limited
attention given to phasing of actions and for-
mulation of clear targets.
2.1 Introduction – Limited consideration is given to the develop-
ment of indicators and frameworks for moni-
Part 2 forms the main section of this document and toring the implementation of the RDS. There
is designed for use by those engaged in preparing is also an over-reliance on simple, quantitative
regional development strategies. It should be used as indicators. Qualitative indicators are usually
a reference guide. It is organised around the various underdeveloped.
stages of preparing a strategy. Users can identify the
guidance that is relevant to the stage of the strategy The critical elements of a good RDS
that they are currently involved in. The case studies examined in the GRIDS project
In addition to setting out a wide range of good exhibit a wide range of good practice features, many
practice points, it firstly establishes what tend to be of which are the basis for the guidelines in this docu-
the common weaknesses of many regional develop- ment. In addition, the case studies demonstrate that
ment strategies. This list of common weaknesses there are several simple elements, but very important
is based on the partners’ sharing of experiences of ones, that are critical to the production of a good
being responsible for or involved in the preparation regional development strategy.
of their strategies. The early sections of this part of A good RDS is one that:
the document also state the key elements of a good – is embedded in its organisational, economic
regional development strategy. The detailed good and social context;
practice pointers are based on this list of key ele- – establishes a widely-shared vision for the future
ments. development of the region;
– engages stakeholders in an open and produc-
Common weaknesses of regional tive manner during preparation of the strategy;
development strategies – communicates its key messages clearly to a
Some common weaknesses and deficiencies of variety of audiences;
regional development strategies have been identified – identifies clear mechanisms for delivery;
from the review of case studies. – phases and sequences key investments
– Regional development strategies often include and actions;
excessive analysis and description of the region – establishes a simple but effective framework for
and its various characteristics, rather than focus monitoring.
on the key features of importance for preparing
a RDS; Taking these critical elements into account, alongside
– Some cases exist of limited success in engaging the detailed guidelines, will enable those charged
stakeholders in the development of the RDS. with preparing a RDS to avoid many of the most
Even in some of the more successful cases of common criticisms and weaknesses.
involving stakeholders, some interest groups
such as business representatives have been dif-
ficult to engage. Limited awareness, publicity 2.2 The purpose, scope and status
and involvement mean that the RDS does not of rds’s
therefore enjoy a high profile.
– Strategies often fail to acknowledge or ad- Introduction
equately address difficult or problematic issues There are a number of diverse approaches to prepar-
and risk being criticised as overly optimistic. ing a regional development strategy (RDS) that have
– Many RDS documents fail to adequately been attempted in different parts of the EU. This
explain how the strategy and its related actions diversity is reflected in the case studies examined in
have been arrived at, reflecting weak linkage detail during the course of the GRIDS project. The

best practice guidelines for

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14
purpose, scope and status of a RDS are important features in relation to the various case studies before
aspects in influencing the type of approach chosen identifying good practice pointers and providing a
along with the institutional, political, cultural, socio- reasoned justification for why these specific aspects
economic and spatial context within which the RDS have been identified as good practice.
is to be prepared.
In general terms a distinction can be made The purpose, role and scope of the RDS
between the highly formalised comprehensive ap- RDS documents can serve or facilitate a number of
proach adopted in Flanders, Latvia and Lithuania different roles. The Celtic documents were prepared
and the much less formal approach that has recently in the absence of any specific national guidelines
been favoured in Ireland and Wales. The choice of whilst the Flemish, Latvian and Lithuanian docu-
the appropriate approach will depend on a number ments are prepared in line with detailed legislation
of factors including those mentioned above but what and guidelines.
is crucial is that the chosen approach The purpose and role of the
is relevant to the specific local situ- documents range from facilitating
ation. joined-up government, providing a
The Flemish Law on Spatial context for investment and levering
Planning in 1996 introduced a national and international sources of
hierarchical structure of planning funding, to enabling different sub-
documents whereby the 3 levels of regions to fulfil their potential. Those
government (Flemish, provincial RDS documents prepared in the
and local) were required to prepare Baltic States place a clear and explicit
a spatial structure plan with detailed emphasis on the leverage of European
vision and binding regulations. At Union funds as the principal purpose
the time in Flanders this formal of the RDS. Several of the documents
hierarchical approach was a neces- are also stated to be important vehi-
sary response to dealing with the cles for linking national, regional and
consequences of decades of passive local actions.
land use planning that had a number Interestingly a number of the
of negative spatial effects and the case studies represented the first time
new approach was an attempt to rec- that a RDS had been prepared at that
tify this. In new member states such particular scale. In such circumstances
as Latvia and Lithuania the RDS is it is often wise to learn to walk before
often closely linked to accessing the attempting to run. In other words,
structural funds and this also exerts to focus on a limited number of key
an important influence on the type issues rather than trying to be too am-
of approach and document chosen. bitious. In some cases the process was
The more formal approaches viewed as a learning exercise whereby
are often characterised by a rigid hi- the increased capacity of authors and
erarchical structure of documents for stakeholders would enable a wider
the various levels of governance and range of policy issues.
relatively detailed legislation that The scope of a typical RDS is of-
prescribes various aspects in relation ten not prescribed, for example by na-
to the principles, content and format tional guidelines or legislation, and is
of the RDS. The Celtic lands have opted for a much often self-determined. This has the potential to result
more informal approach in the preparation of their in a wide variety of different approaches to and scope
recent RDS’s¹ at the national level. In both Ireland of RDS documents. Yet the scope of RDS documents
and Wales the RDS followed the ESDP approach and in different national contexts is remarkably similar
was seen more as a forum for debate aimed at shap- and typically includes issues such as economic de-
ing future thinking and linking various policy areas. velopment, transport, urban structure, environment,
In this section we will look at various reasons infrastructure and energy. The approaches adopted in
why a RDS is drawn up, its role and scope; the time the Baltic countries do, however, place a noticeable
horizons for the various case studies and finally at the emphasis upon cultural identity issues in comparison
choice of an appropriate methodology. For each sub- with the remainder of the RDS documents whilst the
section we will first outline a number of common Welsh example also contains a strong emphasis on

¹ Irish National Spatial Strategy (2002) and Wales Spatial Plan (2004)

15
 community, health and education issues. designed to lever investment, coordinate funding
Despite the differences however, it is clear that arrangements or simply improve policy coordina-
the preparation and implementation of a RDS is in- tion. Where the purpose of the RDS is unclear this
creasingly becoming a cross-sector multi-disciplinary can create misunderstandings and conflicts and
issue. The RDS is increasingly being seen as a vehicle lead to the creation of false hopes and ultimately
to link other policy areas and promote and integrate disappointment
key strategic policies and issues such as sustainable
development. 4. Use the RDS as a strategic framework to facili-
tate and stimulate integrated and sustainable
spatial, economic and social development and
Pointers towards good practice contribute towards the achievement of the
objectives set in the Lisbon and Gothenburg
1. Choose an approach that is appropriate to the strategies.
scale of the region and purpose of the docu-
ment as well as to the spatial, social, economic Justification
and institutional context of the region. The simultaneous pursuance of competitiveness
and cohesion require the stimulation of economic
Justification growth with respect for the three pillars of sustain-
There are numerous factors that determine the suc- able development: economic, social and environ-
cess or otherwise of a RDS, over only some of which mental aspects. The spatial dimension of policy-
the authors have a degree of control. Any instru- making forms an important lever for integrating
ment can only be successful if it is appropriate to the three dimensions and identifying the spatial
the situation within which it is being applied. A structures and characteristics that have the poten-
successful approach undertaken in a region with a tial to drive the development of a region.
specific institutional background and with specific
spatial and socio-economic characteristics will not 5. Use strategic planning to test/link other secto-
necessarily be successful if copied without adapta- ral policies and to foster and facilitate joined
tion in another region. up government.

2. Be aware of and clearly state the purpose and 6. Political forewords with photographs and/or
role of the RDS to authors and stakeholders. signatures of diverse ministers can be a useful
unifying technique.
3. Recognise the difference between an over-
riding strategic development strategy and a Justification
development programme. One of the main distinctions between planning and
other policy sectors is its multi-disciplinary nature
Justification and as such planning has the ability to provide the
It is crucial that the authors of a RDS know in link between these diverse sectors. The concept of
general terms what the purpose of the specific RDS joined up government where there is an across the
is and its relationship with other strategies and board understanding of the mutual inter-depend-
that this is stated precisely and clearly both within ence of activities and actions is crucial.
the document itself and to all stakeholders involved RDS’s often have relatively small budgets
in the process. Explain, for example, whether it is allocated directly for implementation and there-

best practice guidelines for

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16
fore often rely on influencing the budgets of other 9. Be realistic about the limitations of the RDS
policy areas. Developments in all policy areas tend and focus on matters which such strategies are
to have a spatial impact of some sort and it is capable of influen-cing.
important that governments continue to work in an
increasingly integrated way in order to ensure more 10. Use the preparation process as a learning
coherent policies. By linking other policy areas in exercise to strengthen the capacity of authors
an integrated and positive way strategic planning and stakeholders.
can increase its relevance, power and profile for
other sectors. Simple techniques can often be used Justification
to create an atmosphere of unity (for example, the A realistic approach to the preparation of the RDS
foreword with signatures and photographs of all is im-portant so as to protect the credibility of the
Welsh ministers in the Wales Spatial Plan). process. A RDS cannot solve all problems in a region.
The preparation process provides a unique op-
7. Pay sufficient attention to areas and activities portunity to build the capacity of the authors and a
over administrative boundaries. wide range of stakeholders. An increased apprecia-
tion of the spatial impacts of sector policies among
Justification stakeholders will help to facilitate a more joined up
A common criticism or problem approach to Government.
with many RDS’s is the lack of
integration with and atten- The status and timescale
tion for neighbouring regions of the RDS
and their strategies. Whilst Government bodies may prepare
such neighbouring regions are a RDS in response to a legislative
invariably governed by a sepa- requirement to do so. Others may
rate institution, clearly spatial prepare a RDS without any such
problems and solutions do not obligation. A statutory require-
respect administrative borders. ment to prepare a RDS may not,
The RDS process offers the op- however, imply a special status of
portunity for regions to discuss the RDS in practical decision-mak-
common issues and issues that ing contexts. Nevertheless, such
cross administrative borders. issues can have important conse-
The RDS document can quences for the status or perceived
contain a clear summary of the status of a RDS document.
implications of the strategies The evaluation of approaches
of the neighbouring areas as indicates that the status of a RDS
well as recommendations for can change significantly as the
elements in those regions with a cross-border impact preparation of a document progresses. In the case
of both the Irish National Spatial Strategy and the
8. Involve a diversity of experts (civil servants, Wales Spatial Plan, approaches have started out as
academics, practitioners, consultants ....) in informal and relatively unconstrained by formal
the dedicated team drawing up the strategy. requirements, yet they have each increasingly turned
towards consideration of issues of statutory require-
Justification ment to prepare the RDS and the status that is
The responsibility for working day to day on writing afforded to the document. They remain, however,
a RDS usually falls to a small dedicated team within relatively informal approaches. This contrasts sharply
the parent organisation. It is always useful however with the approach in Flanders, Latvia and Lithuania
to have regular inputs into the process from plan- where the RDS is tied closely to legislation.
ners (and others) from a diversity of backgrounds. In certain cases the non-statutory status of a
The practical and institutional input of civil serv- RDS can stimulate the involvement of stakeholders
ants supplemented by the theoretical and reflective who may otherwise be reluctant to become involved
input of academics and the dynamic and commer- in a formal statutory process. In other cases the
cial orientated input of consultants can result in informal approach may provide an excuse for certain
a theoretically robust and realistic document that stakeholders not to become involved. Once again the
takes account of a wide diversity of interests. local situation will determine the most appropriate

17
 approach. What is clear is that the RDS should be
closely linked to the visions and objectives of other
regional strategies and that these strategies should be
mutually reinforcing.
A period of 20 years is a typical timescale cov-
ered in RDS documents. However, the period in the
Baltic countries is usually shorter and closer to 10-15
years with an associated development programme
for up to 7 years, reflecting the premise that a shorter
period is more appropriate in more fluid and rapidly
changing contexts and the close links between such
documents in the Baltic’s and the programming
periods in relation to the EU structural funds. A
common characteristic of a number of the RDS case
studies examined in the GRIDS project was the lack
of phasing built into the strategies.

Pointers towards good practice

11. Clearly identify the status of the RDS, its
place in the hierarchy and the relationship
with other strategies and highlight any legisla-
tive basis for the preparation of the RDS (if
applicable).

12. Try to ensure that the legislative basis for the

RDS is not too prescriptive in terms of the
process for preparing the RDS and what it
should contain.

13. Ensure close alignment with the vision and

objectives of other regional strategies through
a process of collaboration and discussion with
relevant stakeholders and ensure that regional
strategies are mutually reinforcing.

14. Consider providing a section highlighting how

the document itself could be used in different
decision-making contexts and whether the
document has a special status in decision-
making in particular fields.

15. Identify any higher-level documents that set

an important policy context for the develop-
ment of the RDS.

16. State clearly the implications of the document

for strategies and programmes of lower levels
of governance.

Justification
Whether or not the RDS is a statutory document,
clarity with regards to the status of the RDS and the

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

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18
relationship between the RDS and other policy docu- ing, evaluation and revision.
ments and areas is essential if it is to be successful. The overall strategy is something that will be
Whilst it can be useful to define the status of the progressively worked towards rather than imple-
document in legislation, this will not necessarily mented and achieved. Within this context a longer
ensure that such status is respected by others. The time horizon of up to 20 years is relevant. Where
status of the RDS will ultimately depend on how more detailed actions are identified these can be
it is perceived by the stakeholders involved in its incorporated into a development programme for the
implementation. short to medium term.
If the legislative framework is highly pre- Phasing can be a useful tool to be used in both the
scriptive and detailed this can result in a focus on RDS and any associated development programme or
procedure rather than the formulation of a shared action plan. Once again it provides clarity and is a
vision. It is also possible that legislative definitions useful tool in the context of monitoring, evalua-
can constrain the scope of the RDS by constraining it tion and revision of the RDS. Phasing should always
too narrowly to the traditional conceptions of spatial allow the RDS sufficient flexibility to respond to
planning and regional development. unforeseen circumstances and take advantage of
Clarity over the status and a perception that windows of opportunity. The level of detail should
the RDS is a useful and positive instrument for a not inhibit this flexibility as this can also reduce
diversity of stakeholders can facilitate successful the potential for innovation.
implementation. If the status of the RDS is clear
and people are convinced of its usefulness then they The nature of the approach
will be prepared to buy into the process in a posi- Over the years various approaches have been used
tive manner. A perception of ownership of the RDS for the formulation of RDS’s and other planning
between stakeholders will help to facilitate this. documents. More recently there has been a tendency
Stakeholders should be able to easily under- to move away from prescriptive master plan type
stand how the document could be useful to them approaches that aim to achieve a utopian end state
and what implications the RDS has for them. It is towards a strategic framework approach. As with all
also often useful to have a concise summary of the such terms however there is great diversity in how
implications of other policies on the RDS rather than these terms are interpreted.
passively stating that the RDS is in compliance with This point is illustrated by the fact that all
or takes account of other policies. case studies in the GRIDS project can be considered
and are considered by the responsible bodies to be
17. State clearly the time horizon for the strategy. strategic even though there is great diversity in terms
of process and product. The Flanders Structure Plan
18. A longer-term time horizon of 20 years should ide- is almost 600 pages long and extremely detailed
ally be adopted for the overall strategy of the RDS. compared to the Wales Spatial Plan, which is 76
pages long.
19. Identify a shorter time horizon if the context The Flanders Structure Plan covers strategic is-
is changing rapidly. sues in an extremely detailed way whereas the Wales
Spatial Plan is much more concise. As one might
20. Phasing should be considered for interim expect one of the criticisms of the Flemish SP is that
periods and for more detailed actions. it is too long and too detailed whilst at the same time
one of the criticisms levelled at the Wales SP is that
21. Allow room for flexibility in terms of delivery. it is too superficial and not specific enough. Once
again there were reasons why a particular approach
Justification was chosen in each of the cases studied and what is
The time horizon of the different case studies important is that the chosen approach is appropriate
examined during the GRIDS project varied according to the local situation. In general terms however there
to the local situation (time horizons tended to be seems to be a tendency to move towards more strate-
shorter in the Baltic examples reflecting the rapidly gic and less detailed approaches and documents.
changing circumstances) and the type of document Most of the RDS documents reviewed adopt
(development strategy or development programme). a dual approach to the organisation of material and
Whatever the type of document the time horizon content with material typically organised by topic/
should always be specified clearly for the purposes sector or theme (or a combination of the two) and
of clarity and to provide a framework for monitor- also subsequently by geographic area. Virtually all ap-

19
 proaches used spatial structures and characteristics of logical and encourages cross-border co-operation al-
an area to a greater or lesser extent to help to define though it is more difficult to organise and for people
territorial potentials that could be developed and so to relate to. On the other hand, elaborating develop-
give focus for development. ment perspectives for administrative areas is easier to
Most of the case studies seemed to favour a organise and also for people to understand, although
thematic rather than a topic based approach. Topic again it can tend to reinforce the silo mentality. The
based approaches look at traditional and easy to fact that there are advantages and disadvantages in
identify areas of work such as housing, economy, each approach is reflected by the fact that some of
transport and so on. Although this approach is often the case studies used a combination of two or all
easy to organise it can tend to reinforce the silo men- three of these approaches.
tality where each sector works on its own towards
its own goals and objectives. Looking at themes
such as building sustainable communities or how to Pointers towards good practice
strengthen areas and places helps to facilitate integra-
tion and ensures that diverse sectors are considered 22. Choose an approach relevant to the role, audi-
in relation to their impact on other sectors. ence and scope of the RDS, a thematic/topic-
However some approaches are deliberately based or area-based approach or a combina-
more abstract, aiming to shape the ways people think tion of these.
rather than prescribe specific solutions for specific
areas, a role that is left over to plans and strategies at 23. Try to organise the process and material
a lower level. This was the approach adopted in the in ways that stimulate integrated working
preparation of the ESDP. Where accessing the struc- between stakeholders from different sectors.
tural funds is the main priority of the RDS this will
also have a profound effect on the approach to be 24. Consider providing a concise summary of poli-
adopted. A more structured technical approach with cies affecting specific administrative areas and
direct links to the higher level programming docu- indicating which policies or themes require
ments such as the single programming document is cross-border co-operation.
likely to be required in order to be able justify access-
ing the funds. Justification
Again there was great diversity in the approach- The combination of a topic/thematic approach with
es studied in the level of detail in which the policies an area-based approach provides clarity and allows
are translated to specific geographic areas and also in the reader to see how the topic/thematic-based ma-
the way in which the areas are defined. The level of terial relates to specific areas and will help to avoid
detail required will depend on the local circumstanc- confusion about what policy applies where.
es and the role of the strategy although it should be Organising the process and material in a way
remembered that there is a fine line between staying that stimulates integrated working will help to
general enough to be strategic and being specific break down traditional barriers between sectors,
enough to be relevant and meaningful. foster an atmosphere of co-operation and help with
There were 3 main ways of defining the areas delivery of the strategy.
identified. First, areas with similar characteristics, Providing a concise summary of policies and
perspectives and potentials and with no fixed responsibilities per administrative area provides
boundaries were identified in some approaches clarity for policy makers and other interested par-
(such as the sub-regions in the Flemish and Latgale ties and ensures that they get an easy to find and
structure plans and Wales Spatial Plan). Second, areas comprehensive summary of how the RDS affects
were defined according to administrative boundaries them.
(administrative regions, districts and municipalities
etc. in the Irish and Lithuanian examples). Finally 25. Identify at an early stage a realistic range
development perspectives were elaborated for struc- of policies and topics that are relevant to or
tures according to their place in a spatial hierarchy should be covered by the RDS and develop
(gateways and hubs, main urban centres and small your approach accordingly.
urban centres etc.)
Spatial challenges do not restrict themselves to 26. Highlight roles and responsibilities of stake-
administrative boundaries. Elaborating development holders and administrative bodies either within
perspectives for territorially coherent areas is more the document or in supporting material.

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

grids

20
Justification
The range of policies/topics to be covered in the
RDS will help to determine which stakeholders
should be involved and how the process could be
organised.
It should be remembered that a large propor-
tion of the audience within a region will be pri-
marily concerned with how the strategy relates to
their specific area (either geographic area or area of
interest) and will want to know what the strategy
will mean to their every day lives. It is therefore
useful to organise easily identifiable layers of mate-
rial so that people and target audiences can easily
find material relevant to them.

27. The territorial dimension and territorial

context of a region are necessary elements in
a RDS.

28. Use spatial structures such as the physical

structure, the natural structure and the urban
structure to help identify the territorial capi-
tal, potential and the development perspec-
tives for specific areas.

Justification
Without the territorial dimension a RDS can remain
abstract and appear to be irrelevant to key stake-
holders. Policy-making that ignores the territorial
context for those policies can reinforce the sectoral
approach, encourage illogical decision-making and
lead to negative impacts on the quality of space.
Each region is unique and therefore each RDS
should be unique. A clear understanding of the spa-
tial structures in a region will help the authors of a
RDS to identify specific territorial capital (nature,
coastline, ports, concentrations of infrastructure...)
of a region and place it in its wider geographical
context.
A good understanding of the territorial di-
mension, context and spatial structures can lead to
the identification of specific potentials and develop-
ment perspectives whereby different areas can fulfil
their potential. Specific territorial capital can also
strengthen the identity of a region and be a useful
marketing tool (the Lakes of Latgale for example).

29. Avoid unnecessary detail in strategic docu-

ments and policies which could infringe on
the competences of others or reduce the flex-
ibility or ability of implementing agencies to
develop innovative solutions.

21
 Justification issue in regions such as Wales and the WSP is written
A strategic approach implies providing a framework in English and in Welsh within the same document.
within which other stakeholders have the flexibility The language issue did not receive the same attention
to pursue innovative solutions to specific problems in the other cases studied despite it being relevant
and challenges. Being overly detailed not only re- to a greater or lesser degree in Flanders, Latvia and
duces the possibility of innovation and infringes on Lithuania.
the competences of others but also creates the pos- Whilst the primary and secondary audiences
sibility for unnecessary and time consuming debate for the RDS are a priority it is in most cases ben-
about minor day to day details that are irrelevant to eficial for the RDS also to be accessible to a wider
the pursuance of the overall strategy. audience.
In terms of spreading good practice and mak-
ing a significant contribution to the ongoing EU-
2.3 Identifying and writing for wide regional development debate, it is desirable that
your audience information about the RDS is available in English
and in many cases also in other major languages.
Introduction The impact of the Flanders Structure Plan and the
Although the principal audience of the RDS docu- Flemish structure planning methodology in the
ments was relatively uniform, consisting invariably international arena for example was limited outside
of public authorities, the manner in which they are the Dutch-speaking world, as no English summary of
written varied greatly. Whilst the Flemish and some the document was produced.
of the Baltic documents tended to use slightly more This can also be important for smaller nations
technical language and a more sober layout, the attempting to reach a wider audience in order to
Celtic documents and the Latgale Structure Plan raise the profile of the region and attract foreign
adopted a more attractive style aimed at reaching investment. A number of the Lithuanian Regional
a wider audience. The importance of appearance Development Plans and the Estonian National
and writing style should not be underestimated as it Spatial Plan 2010 provide good examples where
can determine to what extent certain audiences will relatively detailed summaries of the documents have
study the document. been produced.

Identifying your audience

The principal audience for the various RDS docu- Pointers towards good practice
ments tended to be public authorities. The RDS
documents clearly demonstrate that they are to act 30. Identify your primary and secondary audi-
as a framework for the actions and decisions of a ences and adapt/develop your approach ac-
range of other public sector organisations. Whilst cordingly.
this audience can also be considered non-specialist,
the style in which such documents are often written 31. Be aware of language issues in relation to the
implies that a wider readership is also intended, with audience you are trying to reach.
members of the public in some cases constituting an
important, secondary audience. Justification
When identifying the audience for the RDS Within the context of a multi-disciplinary ap-
it will be important in many cases to be aware of proach it is likely that a RDS will have to engage a
language issues. Language is obviously an important wide diversity of stakeholders. It is important that

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

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22
 the authors are clear about who the primary and Other concepts in the documents however were less
secondary audience is for the RDS as this will have successful.
implications for the style of the document as well as One characteristic of planning and other
the plan process. disciplines is that certain concepts become fashion-
An inclusive RDS process and approach can able from time to time. A huge number of RDS’s
make a crucial contribution towards achieving social use phrases such as ‘sustainable development’ and
and economic cohesion and attention to language ‘polycentric development’ although it is sometimes
issues can form one of the cornerstones of an inclu- unclear if these concepts are clearly understood (they
sive approach. can mean different things to different people), and
Provision of summaries of the RDS in English adapted and applied to the specific local situation.
and/or other major languages will enable the RDS Some of the case studies included a glossary of
to reach a much wider audience, make a more key terms and abbreviations to make it easier for the
significant contribution to the international regional non-specialist reader. The exercise of preparing such a
development debate, raise the profile of the region glossary can also be useful for the authors of the RDS
and could help to attract foreign investment. in clarifying exactly what is meant by certain phrases
within the specific context of a particular local situa-
tion.
Writing style, terminology and the use
of graphics and literary devices
The choice of the primary and secondary audiences Pointers towards good practice
for the RDS has significant implications for the
writing style and choice of terminology that should 32. Use clear and simple language wherever pos-
be employed. A successful RDS needs to be acces- sible.
sible and understandable to the wide diversity of
stakeholders that form the primary and secondary 33. Write in a clear and accessible style to accom-
audience for the RDS. modate different audiences and increase the
The Wales Spatial Plan and the Irish National accessibility of the document.
Spatial Strategy clearly adopted a style that is easily
understandable for a non-specialist audience. This is 34. Avoid overly long detailed descriptive texts.
clearly illustrated not only by the writing style and
chosen terminology but also by the relatively short 35. Technical language that may not be widely
length of the documents and the attractive layout understood should be used only where neces-
and generous use of images. Much of the supporting sary and be clearly explained or defined in a
material and analysis were not included in the final glossary.
documents but were available via other means (cd-
rom, thematic sub-reports .....). 36. Consider using photographs and illustrations to
The Flanders Structure Plan adopted a different illustrate difficult words, phrases and concepts.
approach whereby the highly detailed analysis and
vision resulted in a much longer document (almost 37. Consider asking non-specialists to proof read
600 pages). Whilst there were valid reasons why this texts to see if they are easily understandable.
approach was adopted at that time in Flanders, the
length, writing style and less attractive layout effec- Justification
tively reduced the accessibility of the document to the Regional development and spatial planning are by
non-specialist audience. definition multi-disciplinary exercises. To be success-
The use of spatial concepts (e.g. gateways, hubs ful a RDS needs to be accessible to a wide diversity
etc.) appears to be underdeveloped across the vari- of stakeholders. In order to achieve this the message
ous RDS documents, with the Irish National Spatial must be portrayed in a form that can be easily under-
Strategy, Flemish and Latgale structure plans being stood by a non-specialist audience.
important exceptions to this. In general terms spatial
visions and concepts should convey messages in a way 38. Use simple spatial planning concepts where they
that is easy to understand and should not be over- help to clarify ideas for future development.
complex. Some of the spatial concepts in these docu-
ments succeeded in clarifying important messages in 39. Use slogans and metaphors where this helps to
a simple way that was relatively easy to understand. clarify a message.

23
 40. Use formatting practices and images to in- contacts to supplement information gathered during
crease the attractiveness of the documents and the formal process.
increase the user friendly feel of the document. There seemed to be relatively little attention
paid to the elaboration of communication and mar-
41. Avoid the use of buzz words unless their keting strategies and few examples used the whole
meanings are actually relevant to and trans- range of communication techniques available today.
lated in the strategy. In many cases consultation was limited to what was
expected under the statutory requirements governing
Justification the process.
Spatial concepts can help to clarify complex mes- Some of the examples studied made good use
sages especially where they can be easily expressed of the media at key moments in the process such as
visually. Slogans and metaphors also have the power the publication of the draft or final version of the
to achieve this in a limited number of words and RDS although few made use of a celebrity figure to
can also be useful for marketing the RDS. champion the RDS.
Any practices that can be employed to make
the document more attractive and consequently
more user-friendly will increase the accessibility of Pointers towards good practice
the RDS to a wider audience.
Concepts must be related and adapted to 42. Be innovative with the use of modern com-
the local situation if they are to be meaningful. It munication techniques.
is crucial that the authors of the RDS have a clear
understanding of what these concepts mean within 43. Know your target audience and develop an
the context of the specific RDS as such concepts appropriate communication strategy to reach
can mean different things to different people and and engage that audience.
their meaning can also vary in different contexts
and at different spatial scales. 44. Seek to create a transparent, open, effective
and positive communication culture in rela-
tion to the RDS.
Communication and marketing
Most of the processes in relation to the preparation Justification
of the RDS’s were governed by statutory require- A sophisticated listening, communication and
ments in relation to consultation with relevant consultation campaign can give the authors an
bodies and the general public and in general tended invaluable understanding of strategic and spatial
to be highly formalised. The usual techniques used development issues and challenges throughout the
included formal rounds of consultation with other region.
government bodies and agencies, area based and/or An effective communication strategy must be
sector based workshops and meetings, and public- audience focussed in its content, presentation and
ity in the media and on the internet. In some cases context and also needs to engage the interest of
outside views were only sought formally once a draft the audience by being creative. Clarity, consistency
of the RDS had already been prepared. and transparency are crucial to any communication
The consultation in relation to the Wales strategy so that the audience feel their views are
Spatial Plan was the most informal and this was a being taken into account even if any proposals they
deliberate approach adopted by the Welsh Assembly make are not accepted as part of the RDS
Government in order to make the process as inclu-
sive as possible. According to many commentators 45. Make full use of the media at key moments in
this approach was highly successful in Wales and the the RDS process to gain maximum publicity
consultation generated considerable reaction. and to help get key messages across.
Again the chosen approach has to be adapted
to the local situation. There is no guarantee that the 46. Pay sufficient attention to high profile market-
Welsh approach would be successful in the Baltic’s ing of the RDS before and after its adoption
for example where stakeholder and public participa- and try to maintain and capitalise on the
tion is still in its infancy and perhaps needs to be momentum generated.
undertaken in a more structured way. A number of
the case studies stressed the importance of informal 47. Consider involving well known public figures

best practice guidelines for

regional development strategies

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24
 periphery
Historical region Economically diverse region

core

Diverse region (urban-rural) Transit region

Peripheral region
Coastal region Developing region

in the marketing of the RDS. ner that is easy to follow will be more accessible to
a wider audience than a document with a complex
Justification structure that only seems logical to planners. The
The way in which the RDS is marketed can have an days when planners made plans that could only be
important bearing on the impact of the strategy. understood by planners are thankfully gone and
Marketing is important during the elaboration and the new spatial planning is much more of a process
implementation phases. There are also certain key involving a wide diversity of stakeholders.
moments such as the launch and adoption of the All documents contained a description of the
RDS that offer the opportunity for wide spread existing or evolving situation, a description of the de-
publicity. Such publicity not only raises awareness sired future situation in terms of a vision and strategy
but can also help to give the process momentum. followed by a section on implementation although
The status of a RDS can be raised significantly by the level of detail in each varied greatly.
a champion, and endorsement of the RDS by a The structure of the RDS will also be partly
popular public figure is likely to have significantly determined by its purpose. An overarching strategy
more impact than a team of dedicated experts with such as the Wales Spatial Plan will by definition
the same message. require a different structure than a RDS where the
The process that led to the publication of primary purpose is to access the structural funds
the Wales Spatial Plan has been widely praised. The such as the Lithuanian RDP’s. However the spatial or
Welsh Assembly Government devoted significant territorial dimension is crucial in both.
time, effort and other resources to ensuring the
WSP was well marketed. Key moments received sig-
nificant publicity and after adoption the planning Pointers towards good practice
team from the Welsh Assembly Government organ-
ised a number of regional forums for stakeholders 48. Avoid an overly complex and intricate struc-
throughout Wales to ‘sell’ the WSP and explain its ture to the RDS document.
implications and the opportunities that it offered.
49. Key sections of a RDS could cover the follow-
ing elements:
Structure of the documents - the spatial/territorial context in the form of a
Another important determining factor in relation concise description of the region identifying its
to the accessibility of the RDS is the structure of the specific character, key trends and current and
document. As with the other aspects such as writing future drivers of change
style, a document that is structured in a logical man- - the spatial/territorial issues and challenges

25
 identified by interpreting the data analysed in The spatial/territorial objectives should
relation to the context illustrate how the strategy contributes to the out-
- the spatial/territorial vision identifying how comes identified in the vision. Objectives should be
the area will be changed as a result of the realistic, clear, focussed and concise and not be too
delivery of the RDS narrow and mechanistic.
- the spatial/territorial objectives specifying the
direction and degree of desired change.
2.4 Defining principles, visions and
50. Make use of checklists to self-evaluate objec- objectives
tives and other aspects of the strategy.
Introduction
Justification The establishment of the series of principles and
A simple logical structure to the RDS document will objectives that will set the overall context for a RDS
greatly enhance its accessibility to a wide non-spe- is an extremely important activity. It is important
cialist audience. that these principles are widely supported and
The spatial/territorial context provides agreed upon as they provide the framework for all
insight into the main aspects relating to geographi- subsequent policies, programmes and actions. The
cal, economic, environmental, social and cultural, preparation of the Latgale Regional Development
transport and mobility aspects and the main Plan, for example, placed emphasis on the generation
inter-relationships between places. It also helps the of a vision from within the region. The over-riding
author to identify specific territorial capital that vision in the Wales Spatial Plan was also subjected to
makes the region unique. discussion and debate.
The spatial/territorial issues and challenges A clear set of agreed principles, the develop-
are identified on the basis of the context and ment of an agreed vision to work towards and its
should also have attention to links to other strate- translation into a set of more detailed objectives
gies and initiatives. They form the starting point should help to bring longer-term coherence and
for the formulation of the strategy. understanding to various policy interventions. Some
The spatial/territorial vision will derive from approaches to developing regional strategies can
the issues and challenges already identified. The indeed be objectives-led, as is the case in Wales, in
vision should contain easily understandable mes- which a strategy is primarily oriented around a series
sages to enable it to be sold to stakeholders and of shared objectives for the future development of a
the general public. The vision should also be specific region.
enough to relate to (be able to identify outcomes Few organisations are able to engage in the
and results) and abstract enough to be strategic. activity of defining principles and visions without re-
The vision also needs to give expression to other lating them to those of other organisations. In some
relevant strategies, programmes and initiatives. contexts, for example in some of the Baltic states,

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 portfolios. This enables wide political support to
hierarchy of the human settlements be developed for the Plan a well as ensuring policy
integration.
supra-regional centre
This section of the guidelines emphasises
regional centre
the importance of taking into account the various
sub-regional centre
principles of other organisations that may impact
rural centres
on the RDS, including those of organisations at dif-
ferent levels of government. The guidelines encour-
age authors of RDS documents to account for the
European and national context as a means of linking
regional policies to wider debates, agendas and fund-
ing mechanisms. This section also provides guidance
on dealing with thematic and spatial principles, as
well as highlighting some of the most common prin-
ciples and objectives related to the economic, social
and environmental dimensions of RDS’s.

Addressing the European policy context

there is considerable emphasis on conformity of The European policy context has become an increas-
principles between different levels of government. In ingly important aspect of regional development
other contexts, lower-tier government organisations and spatial planning. The policies of the European
have considerable freedom to define their objec- Union impact on various sectors, from agriculture,
tives and only need take higher-level objectives into the environment and transport through to economic
general account. development, social policy and competition policy.
Most strategies will be developed within the Significant funding opportunities are also available
context of other governmental objectives and it is to support the application and implementation of
important for regional development strategies to be these policies. Indeed, some small-scale, local initia-
framed in a way that fits with and integrates into tives have proven to be extremely successful through
the wider policy context. Increasingly, this means making effective connections to and use of European
that strategies need to take into account European, funding.
supranational, national and other regional strategies. Recent policy developments and discussions
Nevertheless, the experience of various strategies also within the European Union have focused on territo-
suggests that it is important to modify any higher- rial cohesion as an additional objective alongside
level principles in order to tailor them so that they the long-standing objectives of economic and social
are appropriate to their regional context. cohesion. This focus on territorial cohesion has
Some spatial strategies have placed emphasis important implications for those engaged in regional
on ensuring vertical integration between different development and spatial planning activities within
levels of government (e.g. the Irish Spatial Strategy), member states. It promises to play an important part
while others have emphasised horizontal integration in the formulation of future cohesion policy in the
by focusing on joined-up government across a range period from 2006. The emphasis of such policy is
of different sectors and government departments (e.g. on ensuring more balanced development across the
the Wales Spatial Plan). The integration of different European territory and reducing spatial disparities
strategies and policies, whether emphasising vertical between the different parts of Europe. It is also in-
or horizontal integration, is an important character- tended to bring greater coherence to various sectoral
istic of regional development planning and spatial policies that have a spatial impact. Member states
strategy making. Specific mechanisms may need to and individual regions will be expected to co-operate
be established in order to ensure effective integra- with one another to help realise territorial cohesion.
tion between different policy areas. In the case of Both regional development and spatial planning
the Wales Spatial Plan, the Welsh Assembly Govern- activities at the regional level will be seen as central
ment has established a high-level working group that to assisting with delivering on wider European
meets regularly to ensure that the objectives of the objectives. Spatial planners’ experience based on
Wales Spatial Plan are informed by and influence interpreting documents such as the European Spatial
other policy areas. The group is a cabinet commit- Development Perspective will prove to be increasing-
tee and involves ministers with a range of different ly valuable within the context of the wider territorial

27
 cohesion debate. tions and principles in a manner that is appropriate
There is significant variation in the extent to to the region.
which the principles at the EU level are reflected
in the content of the different RDS documents.
In some, they are reflected very strongly (see, for Pointers towards good practice
example, Ireland’s NSS and various examples of
Regional Development Plans in Lithuania), espe- 51. Identify and take into account the policies
cially in developing the concept of ‘balanced regional in supranational and trans-national policy
development’ and encouraging ‘territorial cohesion’. frameworks.
For example, the concept of balanced regional devel-
opment, so central to the content of the European Justification
Spatial Development Perspective, has been adopted RDS documents that take into account the policies
as the main guiding principle within the Irish Spatial in supranational and trans-national policy frame-
Strategy. Yet in other examples of RDS documents, works facilitate access to the funding programmes
EU level principles are referenced but not applied in that are allocated to the implementation of
a specific way. European policies and principles. In addition, such
The Wales Spatial Plan and the Structure Plan documents can provide useful information on the
for Flanders only provide general linkages with characteristics of a particular territory within the
European policies and strategies. This to some extent wider, European context. For example, they may
reflects different levels of awareness of European Un- highlight areas facing common policy issues, such
ion policies. In some regions awareness of European as those areas characterised as being peripheral.
policies is high at the national level, yet is limited at They may also assist in addressing cross-border
regional and local level. This needs to be improved issues with adjacent countries, highlighting impor-
and steps taken to increase awareness and under- tant, strategic gateways or transport corridors.
standing. The European Spatial Development Per-
spective, for example, has been influential in devising
the strategy and objectives of some RDS documents, Reflecting national and
but in others the connection to the ESDP is not higher-level principles
evident or explicit. For some, visions and strategies Principles at the national level may be non-existent
derived from the European Spatial Development Per- or of limited influence in certain countries. In such
spective have been useful in refining the higher-level cases, the preparation of a RDS will be determined
principles into a more specific and appropriate form largely by principles established at the regional level
to be addressed at regional level (e.g. Latgale SSP). and by addressing the principles contained within
Transnational visions, such as the Visions and supranational and transnational policy documents.
Strategies around the Baltic Sea 2010 (VASAB 2010) In some instances – such as the Irish Spatial Strategy,
initiative for the Baltic Sea region, have influenced the Wales Spatial Plan and the Flanders Structure
the preparation of Regional Development Plans in Plan – an emphasis is placed on reflecting the diversi-
the counties of Latvia. Access to opportunities for ty of different geographic areas and ensuring that the
funding appears to be a very important element in principles contained in the plan or strategy reflect
ensuring consistency with higher-level principles, the different sub-regions. However, in other countries
and this is particularly evident in the case studies the principles established at the national level are
drawn from Latvia and Lithuania. especially important and influential. RDS documents
Principles at the EU level may not always be may, in such cases, be expected to align closely with
capable of reflection in a RDS due to the issue of the the principles and objectives at the national level.
scale at which such concepts are meaningful. The In some cases, formal mechanisms are in place to
definition and illustration of urban and rural regions ensure conformity between documents at different
at the overall European scale, or the categorisation of levels. The institutional landscape of the respective
certain areas of the European Union as ‘peripheral countries needs to be taken into account here.
regions’, may need refinement at the regional and Principles established at the national level may
local levels if they are to be meaningful. There can be contained within legislation (e.g. Latvia). These
be a tendency to simply adopt the principles from a will usually consist of a series of basic and high-level
higher level and impose them on the local situation principles related, for example, to sustainable devel-
without really adapting them to the local situation. opment, protection of the environment or those of
Policy-makers should therefore adapt such defini- ‘proper planning’. Alternatively, these national level

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principles may be established in a select number of Justification
policy documents such as a national development National level principles cannot be imposed on
plan or national spatial plan, or in a wide range of a region but must be tailored to the particular
different documents. Some RDS documents contain circumstances of any particular region and reflect
a specific section in an early part of the RDS that its distinctive characteristics. Principles identified,
translates higher-level principles into the national or for example, at EU level may require refinement
regional context, explaining how the RDS contrib- to reflect more appropriately to circumstances at
utes towards the delivery of national objectives. Con- regional level. National level principles therefore
flict is not usually perceived as occurring between need to be translated into their context. The way
the principles expressed at different levels. This is in which principles need to be adapted or modified
either because of strong mechanisms for consistency to fit their regional context should be explained in
between different levels and adherence to stated prin- the RDS. However, it is important to state which
ciples or the principles being framed very generally principles are derived from legislation as these may
and flexibly. not be capable of modification in the same way
that other principles are.

Pointers towards good practice

Fundamental principles
52. Identify the range of policy documents that In this section, the term fundamental principles is
provide the context for the RDS. used to refer to the most important, high-level prin-
ciples expressed in a RDS, or the stated corporate or-
53. Identity the significant policies at national ganisational principles of the organisation responsi-
level that need to be reflected in the RDS. ble for the RDS. They are those principles that apply
across different policy sectors. Most RDS documents
Justification are prepared within a wider organisational context.
It is important that a RDS document reflects or They are often prepared by public organisations that
addresses the wide range of policy documents are responsible for a much wider range of activities,
that provide the context for its implementation. functions and policy areas. Organisations responsible
Some funding programmes may depend on certain for preparing a RDS usually have stated corporate
national policy objectives being reflected in RDS responsibilities that are to be built into and reflected
documents. Failure to account for these policies in that organisation’s entire range of activities. These
may mean certain programmes are not accessible as will often by stated very generally as principles, as is
a result. RDS documents may also be an important the case in the context of Latvian regional develop-
means of giving effect to national policies. RDS ment plans, but they will be important in directing
documents that rely on formal approval by national- resources towards particular activities. They are also
level government should pay particular attention thought to be influential in shaping the implementa-
to helping to deliver national policies. However, tion of a RDS, even if not stated explicitly in the RDS
there are limits to the national policies that a RDS document as a set of principles.
can fully account for. It is therefore important that Project partners’ experiences highlight the
the RDS document makes clear the most important interesting issue of flexibility in fundamental princi-
policies at national level that have a bearing on the ples being interpreted at lower levels. In some cases,
preparation and implementation of the RDS. RDS documents promote some flexibility to allow
for more localised determination of principles and
54. Include a section that translates higher-level priorities, being critical of principles that are simply
principles into the national or regional con- replicated in a highly structured and hierarchical
text. fashion.

55. Distinguish clearly between principles derived

from legislation and those that are not. Pointers towards good practice
56. Ensure that policies derived from higher levels 57. Keep priorities focused and limited in number.
are suitably modified to reflect circumstances
in the region. 58. Communicate a select number of priorities
over the plan period.

29
 59. Consider whether a series of themes could or-
?
allow for implementation issues to be addressed
ganise material better than individual topics. more locally.

Justification 62. Identify whether key principles are compatible

The fundamental principles on which a RDS is based with each other.
need to be clearly stated in order that they can be
clearly understood by all of those who may have 63. Acknowledge and be honest about expected
a role in their implementation. By stating a few, conflicts.
selected principles it becomes clear what are the
most important aspects of a RDS. Too many ‘head- 2004 Justification
2020
line’ principles risks confusion over the underlying The fundamental principles on which a RDS is based
reasons for preparing the RDS. If the key principles may be framed in a very general manner and may
are kept simple and stated clearly, then they can appear to be in tension with each other. For exam-
act as organising ideas that can easily be recalled ple, stated key principles on economic growth may
as the RDS is developed and implemented in detail. appear alongside other principles that prioritise the
Fundamental principles are most effective if limited protection of environmental assets. This also re-
in number to between 3 and 5 clearly-framed prin- flects the sometimes aspirational dimension of key
ciples. Cross-cutting themes can help to organise a principles. The RDS should identify and anticipate
wider range of topic-based principles if they are too any potential conflicts between the key principles
many in number. One example of such a theme is and, if possible, also identify what approach will
‘improving quality of life’. be taken when such conflicts do arise. Dealing with
expected conflicts in an open and honest manner
60. Frame the principles flexibly to allow for local can prevent RDS documents being criticised as ‘wish
interpretation. list’ documents that fail to recognise the difficult
choices to be made.
61. Keep aims and objectives realistic and capable
of implementation. 64. Link the aims and objectives of the RDS to the
wider corporate objectives of the organisation.
Justification
Fundamental principles are usually framed in 65. Be careful to tie principles and issues into the
general terms and therefore allow for a degree of existing institutional arrangements for imple-
flexibility in their application. It is useful to design mentation.
an element of flexibility into such principles so that
they allow for local interpretation. This enables poli- Justification
cy makers and those responsible for implementation RDS documents usually relate to a wide variety of
to adopt different approaches to realising the same different policy fields, from housing, transport and
objectives that fit better with local circumstances. planning to social policy, employment and health.
This allows for innovation at the local level while To be effective, a RDS needs to impact on this wide
also promoting certain key principles and desired range of different activities and can better achieve
outcomes. Yet it is also important for key principles, this by linking its principles closely to the organi-
aims and objectives to be kept realistic and capable sation’s corporate objectives. This also ties the RDS
of implementation. Again, a series of carefully cre- into those different policy fields. Similarly, the
ated, fundamental principles can be defined that implementation of a RDS also relies on connecting

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 effectively with a wide range of different pro- Few of the documents of the project partners
grammes and budgets. Implementation is improved are expressly concerned with the redistribution of
by developing the RDS in a manner that is compat- wealth and expressed in such direct terms, although
ible with the wider institutional context. the Baltic countries’ case studies are stronger than
others in this respect. A small number claim to be
66. Ensure that there is sufficient debate and concerned with both creating and redistributing
consultation about the basic principles at the wealth. Some documents are directed very clearly
start of the process. towards creating more wealth and prosperity for the
Justification region as a whole but with some actions to sup-
Engaging stakeholders in debate early on in helping port peripheral areas, while others state simply that
to frame the fundamental principles will help to in- wealth creation is the priority objective. In yet other
crease stakeholder involvement and ownership. This examples, the Wales Spatial Plan being a good exam-
can be an important element in consensus-building ple, an approach is adopted that looks to realise the
through promoting agreement on the central princi- potential of different areas rather than simply see the
?
ples on which the RDS is to be based. issue as one of creating or spreading wealth.

Core principles at the regional level Pointers towards good practice

The project partner experiences in preparing RDSs
highlights that there are differences in the stated 67. Identify the potential of different geographic
aims of regional policy. Economic and social issues areas in contributing towards regional eco-
are generally prioritised, even if only marginally, over nomic growth.
environmental issues. Some approaches are explicit
about the priority of economic development goals.
2004 Justification
Despite this general ordering of principles, there 2020economic growth is one of the central
Promoting
remains considerable variety in the range of core objectives of most RDSs. Targets for economic
principles expressed at the regional level. growth may be stated in an RDS, although these
Some approaches are concerned primarily need to be established as realistic targets based on
with physical characteristics and spatial structure the growth potential of different sectors and dif-
(e.g. ‘deconcentrated clustering’ etc.) while others ferent geographic areas. A sound RDS will identify
continue to focus on ‘traditional topics’ such as hous- what the economic potential of different areas is
ing, transport, tourism, and enterprise. Yet others are and how they might contribute to an overall devel-
focused on addressing more general concerns such as opment strategy. Establishing the realistic potential
sustainability and regional identity. In some cases, the of different areas will also enable a growth strategy
issues and principles addressed at regional level are to be revised if it becomes clear that different
very tightly constrained by principles stated in legis- geographic areas cannot support the level of growth
lation. In some cases, the core principles at regional that is indicated.
level are not precisely defined but framed very gener-
ally in order to be capable of elaboration at a lower 68. Identify the areas to which improved prosper-
level. In other cases, core principles at the regional ity is to be spread.
level are not capable of elaboration or subjected to
consultation and are simply derived from national 69. Identify the key mechanisms to be used for
documents. spreading prosperity.

31
 Justification
In addition to promoting economic growth, many
RDS documents also promote the more balanced
distribution of economic growth as a means of
addressing income and other disparities. This is
sometimes expressed as the objective of spreading
prosperity. However, this is a very general objec-
tive and a good RDS should identify those areas
to which prosperity is to be spread. It should also
identify some of the mechanisms for doing this in
order to demonstrate the feasibility of achieving
more balanced development.

The vision, strategy and objectives

of the RDS
The overall vision, strategy and objectives expressed
in RDS documents are usually simple, but also rather
vague and abstract in character. Visions are often
used in RDS documents to convey a general message
of the kind of region that is hoped for. The vision is
typically accompanied by a strategy that is designed
to set the general direction required to achieve the
stated vision. The purpose of a strategy is not to
set out a detailed list of actions or a programme of
activities, but to establish the general approach to be
taken. Most visions and strategies tend to be formed
around a series of primary themes, including the
functions of and relationships between urban and
rural areas, the development of the economy, improv-
ing accessibility, protecting the environment, and
making effective use of human resources.

Pointers towards good practice

70. Ensure that the vision, strategy and objectives
are simple and easy to understand.

71. Ensure that the vision, strategy, values, aims

and objectives are related well to each other.

Justification
The vision, strategy and objectives expressed in
a RDS need to secure the support of stakehold-
ers if they are to be implemented effectively. The
vision should be widely supported and is central to
communicating a clear message on what the RDS
is intended to achieve. For this reason it should
be simple, easy to understand and easily commu-
nicated to a wide audience. The strategy should
also be capable of being expressed in simple terms.
Objectives are usually more detailed, but should still
be expressed in as simple a form as possible. It is

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 important that the vision, strategy and objectives document being strategic and being specific.
relate well to each other so that they are supportive
of each other and demonstrate a clear progression Justification
from a vision, to a strategy and to a more detailed Policies need to be strategic enough to guide frame-
set of objectives. works to be elaborated at the lower levels without
imposing unnecessary levels of detail. Strategies
72. Focus your strategy on medium and long-term also need to be specific enough for stakeholders to
issues and avoid excessive detail. be able to relate to them.

73. Keep the strategy focussed on a limited 75. Provide a clear expression of the desired future
number of priorities and measures. spatial structure.

Justification Justification
A vision should express a set of desired changes Providing a clear expression of the desired future spa-
over an extended period of time. A strategy should tial structure for an area allows various public bodies
also express how those changes will be realised over and the private sector to channel their investment
similar periods of time. A vision is not realised and a and funding to areas that support the implementa-
strategy is not implemented within a short space of tion of that spatial structure. These organisations
time. They should therefore be framed with reason- will be able to identify the particular places that
able time frames in which change can be achieved. are identified, for example, as growth centres or as
Authors of RDS documents should avoid including centres for the concentration of particular activities.
too much detailed and short-term information in The future spatial structure will identify where devel-
the section on vision and strategy. It should at most opment should take place, how transport and move-
communicate a select number of priorities that are ments patterns will change, and how that structure
carefully explained. Too much detailed information will evolve with future development and growth or
undermines the clarity and focus of the strategy managed decline. Patterns of activities are only likely
and leads to it becoming quickly outdated. The vi- to change in the medium and longer term if a future
sion and strategy are the elements of the RDS that spatial structure is clearly defined.
should have some stability.
76. Ensure sufficient dialogue and cross-board sup-
port for the spatial vision at an early stage.
Portraying a future spatial vision
The presentation of an analysis of the existing Justification
economic, social and environmental contexts and The spatial vision contained within a RDS is a
the existing or evolving spatial structure is a com- powerful mechanism that can impact on the activi-
mon feature of many RDS documents. In the case ties of a wider range of stakeholders. It is therefore
of Regional Development Plans in Lithuania the important that it is subjected to consultation and
establishment of the present context forms an im- that stakeholders support the spatial vision.
portant part of the document. Nevertheless, not all
RDS documents are explicit in portraying a desired 77. Stimulate other policy areas to think about
future spatial structure. The Irish Spatial Strategy is the spatial impact of their policies and to
an exception to this and is relatively well developed estimate their spatial needs in the medium
in its proposals for spatial change, identifying a series and long-term.
of gateways and hubs, in addition to specific propos-
als for settlements. Similarly, not all of the RDS Justification
documents identify development priorities for their A desired future spatial vision will only be effective
areas. Nevertheless, some RDS documents do include if the actions and decisions of a wide range of
specific and stated criteria for the prioritisation of public and private interests align with that vision.
particular types of project. It is useful to encourage various different policy
areas (such as housing, transport, health policy) to
think about how their own policies have particular
Pointers towards good practice spatial effects or impacts within the region. Only if
these spatial impacts of different policy areas are
74. Ensure an appropriate balance in terms of the understood and suitably modified will they make

33
 a positive contribution towards implementing and – Minimising waste generation.
realising a desired future spatial vision. – Increasing energy efficiency.

Social aspects:
Economic, social and environmental aims – Ensuring parity of access to infrastructure and
and objectives knowledge.
An effective RDS attempts to secure an appropriate – Encouraging the rational and effective use of
balance between economic, social and environmen- human resources.
tal aims and objectives. The securing of an appropri- – Promoting the diversity of the cultural environ-
ate balance between these three separate aspects has ment.
indeed been fundamental to the preparation of the – Protection of cultural legacy.
Flanders Structure Plan. However, other case studies, – Reducing poverty and unemployment.
most notably those in Latvia and Lithuania, demon- – Strengthen education, training and lifelong
strate the difficulty that can be faced in promoting learning.
economic growth while attending simultaneously – Tackling social exclusion.
to social and environmental objectives. In many of – Managing population migration.
the case studies, social and environmental aims have – Securing improvements in health and health
deferred to economic goals despite an intention to service provision.
secure a more balanced approach. – Facilitating ethnic integration.
The following lists provide a series of examples – Protecting and promoting the use of national
of different aims and objectives for each of these ele- languages.
ments. It also identifies some of the aims and objec-
tives contained within selected RDS documents that Spatial aspects:
can be said to have a spatial dimension that relates – Concentration of development in urban areas
to particular spatial structures or patterns. All of the and strong emphasis on the quality of space.
following are derived from the documents and strate- – Recognising the differentiated character of
gies studied or prepared by the project partners. rural areas (decline or pressure).
– Rural diversification and development.
Economic aims and objectives: – Coordination of activities and sectors.
– Encouraging the integration of economic activ- – Optimise use of existing transport
ity in nodes. infrastructure.
– Securing an improved balance of economic – Promotion of economic clusters.
activity across the territory. – Strengthening the relationships between places
– Increasing competitiveness of businesses and and promoting networks of smaller
encouraging fair and equal competition. settlements.
– Fostering sustainable economic growth.
– Promoting diversification of the regional
economy. Pointers to good practice
– Attraction of foreign direct investment.
– Promoting innovative enterprise and the 78. Ensure sufficient integration between eco-
knowledge-based economy, including R&D nomic, environmental and social aims and
and the educational sector. objectives.
– Improving the skills base in the working popu-
lation. 79. Ensure that the principles of sustainable
development underpin and link the various
Environmental and sustainability aspects: strands.
– Preservation of open space.
– Strengthening alternatives to car-based 80. Ensure that the principles of sustainable
transport. development are addressed at the outset of the
– Maintaining and promoting diversity. process.
– Protecting cultural heritage.
– Protect, conserve and improve the natural 81. Subject the content of the strategy to an exter-
environment. nal sustainability appraisal and/or Strategic
– Reducing pollution levels. Environmental Assessment.

² Both Latvia and Lithuania are classed as NUTS level II regions

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 Justification ers are recognised as being important players in the
Effective RDS documents consider the economic, implementation of regional development strategies
social and environmental aspects of regional devel- through their own subsequent programmes and as
opment simultaneously. They can become important managers of complementary resources. Regional
instruments for policy integration. Effective inte- development agencies hoping to influence the wide
gration of these three different elements can make array of stakeholders in a region, in both the public
for more realistic strategies that take into account, and private sectors, will need to ensure there is op-
for example, some of the environmental impacts portunity for their involvement at various stages in
of growth and the social consequences of protect- the preparation of the strategy. Wider public involve-
ing environmental resources rather than securing ment may also be necessary too.
economic growth. Sustainable development can act Various different mechanisms have been used
as an important concept for addressing the chal- to engage stakeholders. In the case of the Wales
lenges arising from integrating the three different Spatial Plan, ‘key partners’ have been identified and
elements. However, sustainability concerns need engaged in a formal stakeholder group and steering
to be embedded in the process from the outset if committee consisting of external partners and gov-
they are to be successfully incorporated into the ernment officials. Similar mechanisms were put in
RDS. From the earliest stages, the RDS strategy can place for the preparation of the Irish Spatial Strategy
be assessed in terms of its sustainability. Subject- where the importance of developing networks on
ing the strategy to an independent sustainability cross-cutting themes was clearly recognised. In Lat-
appraisal can help to determine the effective- gale in the preparation of the Regional Development
ness of the RDS in securing economic, social and Plan both sectoral and geographic working groups
environmental benefits. Regional development of stakeholders have been supported and developed.
strategies are also impacted on by the requirements Specific ‘task forces’ have also been established in
of Strategic Environmental Assessment under the the counties of Lithuania to ensure participation of
terms of the relevant EU Directive (2001/42/EC). key partners in the preparation of regional develop-
This is especially the case for those strategies that ment plans. In some cases - the Irish National Spatial
are required by legislation or are prepared according Strategy being a good example - the preparation of
to a process specified in legislation. This requires the strategy itself was supplemented by an extensive
the likely significant environmental effects of draft range of topic papers which have been made publicly
plans to be considered according to a required available.
procedure. Reference should be made to national Despite the existence of such mechanisms for
measures implementing the Directive. engaging stakeholders, stakeholder involvement in
the preparation of regional development strategies
and spatial strategies is often informal. Even in cases
2.5 Engaging stakeholders in the where formal consultation processes are required by
preparation of the rds legislation, for example in Lithuania where statu-
tory obligations are in place, informal approaches to
Stakeholder involvement and consultation stakeholder consultation have been used to supple-
Engaging stakeholders in the preparation of regional ment the more formal requirements. Informal con-
development strategies has become increasingly tacts and opportunities for consultation are of equal
important. In some cases, as in the preparation of the importance even where extensive formal consulta-
Flanders Structure Plan, the process is claimed to be tion is built into the process. A highly formalised
as or more important than the plan itself. Stakehold- consultation process does not on its own guarantee

35
 the degree of agreement and ownership necessary for
successful implementation.
Some approaches, such as that in Wales, are
characterised and have been defined by their open,
inclusive and consultative process. Such widespread
engagement and consultation is not common to all
of the approaches and in some cases less emphasis
is placed on engaging stakeholders and ensuring an
open and transparent process of consultation and
engagement.
It can be difficult to sustain the involvement of
stakeholders throughout the process of preparing a
regional development strategy. It is important to keep
stakeholders and the wider public informed at key
stages in the process and inform them of the actions
taken following their involvement. In addition to the
good practice identified below, readers should also
see the section on the effective use of communication
and marketing techniques within the material on
‘Identifying and writing for your audience’. This will
enable policy-makers to both develop appropriate
consultation and engagement processes and design a
wider marketing and information programme.

Pointers towards good practice

82. Identify the key stakeholders in the region and
involve them in the process from an early stage. Justification
In addition to the identified key stakeholders
Justification whose involvement is critical to the success of the
The successful preparation and implementation RDS, there is also a wide range of other interests
of a RDS relies on the involvement and support of who ought to be involved in a wider network of
a wide range of stakeholders, although some of stakeholders. This could be an extensive list of
these will be key stakeholders whose involvement organisations and individuals interested in regional
is central and essential. These stakeholders – which development. In some cases, such organisations will
may include major companies in the region, key simply wish to be kept informed of developments
public investment agencies and so on – should be in preparing the RDS, while others will wish to
involved early in the process of preparing a RDS. become involved in particular stages or aspects of
The key stakeholders will each have their own strat- the RDS.
egies and programmes and early involvement is an
opportunity to identify the key aspects of their dif- 84. Engage stakeholders in a manner appropriate
ferent strategies and relate these to the formative to the overall approach to the RDS.
ideas in preparing the RDS. It is also a useful idea
to communicate to this important audience some 85. Emphasise the importance of both formal and
of the key principles on which the RDS is likely to informal contacts and dialogue in the plan
be based. Establishing a stakeholders’ forum or a process.
partnership board are useful ways of securing the
involvement of key stakeholders throughout the Justification
process of preparing the RDS. Guidance is provided elsewhere in this document
on the variety of different approaches that exist
83. Establish a wider team of stakeholders who to preparing a RDS. The way in which stakeholders
are consulted regularly at various stages of the are engaged in preparing the RDS should reflect
plan-making process. the particular approach to the overall preparation

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of the RDS. Approaches that are data-rich and preparation of the RDS. This may be expressed as
technical in character will need to devise different a timetable that states the level and nature of the
approaches to stakeholder involvement than those issues that will be presented for discussion (for
that are based on developing a regional consensus example, key principles, strategic issues, detailed
on a future development strategy. Those responsible considerations). This helps stakeholders understand
for preparing the RDS need to think carefully about that they will be invited to comment and become
the purpose of involving stakeholders and develop involved at key stages and allows them to schedule
consultation and involvement strategies that fit resources accordingly. It is also useful to state early
their approach. A range of formal and informal con- on whether stakeholders will be able to comment
sultation exercises and methods can help to secure on a full consultation draft of the RDS that many
the involvement of a wider range of participants, will expect as an important opportunity to influ-
including those who are not used to or familiar ence the content of the RDS. Careful explanation of
with formal consultation mechanisms. how comments and suggestions will be dealt with
enables stakeholders to develop reasonable expecta-
86. Decide on how and when key stakeholders tions on their involvement.
will be engaged in the process of preparing the
RDS. 88. Identify whether your organisation has suf-
ficient skills in engaging stakeholders, and
87. Identify early on whether stakeholders will be upgrade such skills, second staff or employ
invited to comment on a consultation draft of specialist consultants where appropriate.
the RDS and/or on thematic sub-reports.
Justification
Justification The team responsible for preparing a RDS will need
It is useful to inform stakeholders at an early to have a range of skills. Effective engagement
stage in the process of the opportunities that will of stakeholders is an activity that demands an
be available to them to become involved in the awareness of and experience in consultation and

37
 engagement techniques. This is especially impor- for generating response and discussion prior to the
tant if an open dialogue with stakeholders is to be preparation of a draft or complete RDS document.
achieved. Staff may benefit from additional training
in the effective use of such techniques. If this is not 93. Publish a summary of consultation responses
possible, then external facilitators can be useful, and identify the organisation’s responses to
especially at discussion events, and may also have issues raised.
the added advantage of being neutral facilitators of
discussions with stakeholders. 94. Provide an account of the key changes made
between the consultation version and the final
89. Identify whether your key stakeholders have version of the RDS.
any particular training requirements in order
to help them engage with the process. 95. Where comments or proposals have been sub-
mitted but not included in a revised version
Justification it is important to communicate the reasons
Many stakeholders will be well organised and have as justification in order to avoid alienating
participated previously in a range of different con- stakeholders who may otherwise feel that their
sultation exercises with government organisations. voice is not being heard
However, other stakeholders, including ‘hard-to-
reach’ groups, may not be familiar with or have the Justification
capacity to engage in government consultation ex- Stakeholders expect to be engaged in fair and open
ercises. Government organisations can take positive processes of consultation and involvement. They ex-
measures to help under-represented stakeholders pect that their responses to consultation exercises
engage in such exercises through capacity building will be carefully considered and taken into account
and training. wherever appropriate. In addition, a good RDS
should respond to sound arguments and address any
90. Consult with key stakeholders on the main challenges to the content of the RDS in a reasona-
principles and strategic issues. ble way. The provision of a summary of consultation
responses can assure stakeholders that their com-
91. Ensure the public is consulted and ‘on board’ ments have been registered and addressed where
for the principles contained in the RDS. necessary. Similarly, a simple explanation of the
main changes that have been made to the RDS in
Justification response to consultation responses can help to pro-
Early involvement of stakeholders is important vide an assurance that responses have been properly
in discussions on the main principles and strate- addressed and accounted for, in addition to helping
gic issues to inform the RDS. This is especially so understand any significant changes between differ-
in approaches which are based on developing a ent versions of the RDS. It is also important to state
consensus or vision on the future development of which suggestions and comments have not been
a region. Securing agreement on key principles can adopted and reasons given for why this is the case.
be an important first step in identifying the main Addressing arguments and suggestions openly can
features of the RDS and a valuable resource for help in delivering a sound RDS that is responsive to
maintaining focus when the detailed aspects of the carefully argued suggestions.
RDS are developed.
96. Clearly identify the author of the document.
92. Consider using topic papers to stimulate
discussion on key issues. 97. Provide contact details for a single point of
contact within the organisation responsible for
Justification the document. Include telephone, postal and
Many stakeholders find it easier to engage with email contact details.
and comment on detailed issues in RDS documents.
Early discussions on the key principles or the 98. Identify how people can obtain additional
content of the RDS can be unstructured and fail to copies of the document.
engage stakeholders. Topic-based papers, such as on
key growth areas or particular sectors (e.g. tourism, Justification
manufacturing, services), can be useful vehicles This series of simple recommendations for good

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 practice is designed to make it easier for stakehold-
ers and members of the public to access documents new primary road

and additional information. They include making it

clear which organisation is responsible for preparing
existing parallel
the RDS, and providing a range of different ways of road infrastructure

contacting that organisation. These simple details

can demonstrate that an organisation takes engage-
ment with stakeholders seriously.
regional connection

upper local connection

local connection
2.6 Information, data and analysis passage of an upper level through urban/rural centres

rural centre
Introduction
The collection, analysis and use of spatial data is one
of the aspects that planners throughout the EU are
looking as part of the ESPON initiative. ESPON is
the European Spatial Planning Observation Network,
sponsored by the EU Community Initiative Interreg
III. Work is ongoing to develop a common system of
data at the NUTS II level although it is recognised
that large discrepancies can exist within NUTS II
regions (e.g. the discrepancies between Riga and
Vilnius and rural areas in the Latvian and Lithuanian
NUTS level II regions²). It is undoubtedly extremely
difficult to collect and compare meaningful data at
the EU level and it is often difficult to compare data
from different countries due to the diversity of ways
the data is collected. This is also the case for different
sectors within the same country most of whom use
diverse methods and structures for data collection.
Despite the differing approaches to data col-
lection none of the approaches examined appeared
to have had great problems due to a lack of data. In
Latvia and Lithuania comprehensive data is pub-
lished annually and broken down to the national, re-
gional/county, district and local administrative units.

Data availability and analysis

None of the approaches to preparing a RDS appear
to have been severely constrained by the availability
of data. Existing data sources are usually sufficient to
allow key trends relevant to the RDS to be identified.
Proxy data is also used where first-choice data is not
available. More detailed and comprehensive data is
often desirable, yet this does not prevent progress
from being made on the preparation of a RDS.
Limited availability of data may however
preclude the adoption of particular approaches to
preparing a RDS. In cases of data restrictions, objec-
tives-led approaches or those based on an assessment
of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
(SWOT analysis) may be necessary. Data at the re-
gional level often appears to be created in a ‘bottom-
up’ fashion through the aggregation of more locally

39
 generated data. This bottom-up approach however
often means that data is collected in different ways in
different regions meaning data is often not compa-
rable.
Whilst it is generally accepted that detailed
analysis is necessary to allow informed decision-mak-
ing, a number of the RDS documents did not incor-
porate this analysis into the RDS document itself
but made it available in other forms (sub-reports, cd-
roms ....). In relation to the preparation of a RDS the
aim of the data-analysis is usually to identify overall
trends and it is important to avoid over analysing.
Analysis is never 100% comprehensive due to passage
of time. If the focus on analysis is too strong it is pos-
sible that such analysis will become too quantitative
and less visionary and this can slow down and hinder
the preparation process.
Data collection should not be a task for one
agency, rather all policy areas need to take respon-
sibility for collecting relevant data and a common
system for doing this would be hugely beneficial.
In order to work a top-down format is required to
ensure that the data collected is comparable.
The discrepancies in data collection and
problems with comparison when various sectors are
collecting data for their own purposes are a common
feature of most of the partner organisations. As a re-
sult it is often extremely difficult if not impossible to
be able to assess the spatial impact of the policies and
spending programmes of the various line ministries.
The Welsh Assembly Government approached/
tackled this challenge in terms of its Wales Spatial
Plan and its task of co-ordinating the spending plans
of all Government Ministries in terms of spatial
impacts by developing a set of 6 domains (income,
employment, health, education, skills and training,
and housing deprivation and access to a wide range
of services) that could be used to assess the spatial
effects/impacts of various sectoral policies of a wide
range of Government Ministries.
Each domain is based on a combination of
indicators, i.e. a very large mass of statistical data has
been reduced/summarised into 6 key domains/crite-
ria. The success of this approach depends on it being
a very transparent and widely accepted measure/map
of the economic and social strength/vitality of all
urban and rural areas. The Index is also supported by
a GIS database allowing it to be applied to a variety
of spatial scales. The Latvian Ministry of Regional
Development and local government are also cur-
rently trying to develop a similar system.
This raises an important issue for regional de-
velopment: a regional development strategy/regional
spatial strategy is focused on both the region as a

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whole and its local communities. Justification
The Wales Spatial Plan is used by the WAG as a Whilst detailed analysis of data will be of interest
‘Gateway Policy’ tool. All policies and spending pro- to certain specialists and is certainly necessary in
grammes of the Welsh Assembly Government have many cases in order to be able to make informed
to pass the ‘Gateway Test’ i.e. how will policies and decisions, only the main points and conclusions of
programmes have an impact spatially within Wales? such analysis are of interest to the wider audience.
By making such detailed data and analysis available
Pointers towards good practice outside the main body of the RDS will allow those
who are interested to consult it whilst at the same
99. Conduct a ‘data audit’ prior to embarking on time not making the RDS document appear too long
the preparation of the RDS and establish any and technical.
data needs required to support the selected The key purpose of data analysis in relation to
approach. a RDS is to identify general trends and challenges.
Over analysis can be extremely time consuming,
100. Avoid collecting extensive, unnecessary data have little additional benefit and can lead to endless
and keep new data collection focused on that disputes over minor details that are irrelevant to
which is necessary for preparation of the RDS. achieving the overall strategy.

101. Use proxy data where this is possible and first- 108. Recognise the importance of relevant and
choice data is not readily available. accurate data and that data collection is a
constant ongoing process.
102. Ensure that data is capable of disaggregation
at the appropriate scale. 109. Consider setting up a specific and preferably
independent unit for continuous and focussed
103. Ensure that any modelling packages (e.g. data collection and analysis.
demographic models) are compatible with the
approach to preparing the RDS. 110. Consider using the RDS as a ‘Gateway Policy’
tool to assess the spatial impact of policies and
Justification programmes of other sectors and link them
Data collection and analysis can become an end together.
in itself leading to a loss of focus. It is therefore
crucial to have a clear idea of what data you have 111. Share data with other departments, organisa-
and what data you need from the start of the proc- tions, regions .... and work towards a common
ess. This will enable you to collect any additional database linked to a GIS resource.
data necessary in a focussed way and avoid wasting
valuable resources collecting and analysing unneces- 112. Develop a transparent system of common and
sary data. widely accepted criteria to measure the impact
of other departments’ spending programmes.
104. Consider publishing detailed analysis,
research and topic papers in a separate form Justification
(sub-reports, cd-roms ....) and not in the RDS Regional laboratories can be established to ensure
itself. that relevant and focussed data collection and
analysis is an ongoing process. Such laboratories
105. Provide a concise account of the nature of also provide a point of contact for other regions to
regional disparities within the RDS itself. discuss data, collection, analysis and use and the
development of common systems.
106. Do not over analyse and accept that analysis As policy formulation in the form of a RDS
is never 100% comprehensive due to the time has become a multi-disciplinary process involving a
factor and frailties in data availability and diversity of stakeholders it is important to be able
accuracy. Use analysis as a tool to identify to monitor the spatial impact of sector policies and
general trends. spending programmes. In this way the RDS can be
a tool to integrate the policies of all sectors in an
107. Consider your ability to monitor the data organisation.
that is being collected and analysed. The success of any such monitoring system

41
 rests on it being a very transparent and widely Plan was based without overloading the document
accepted measure/map of the economic and social itself with technical data and mapped information.
strength/vitality of all urban and rural areas.

Pointers towards good practice

2.7 Presentation, images and
illustrations 113. Keep the documents as short as possible by
avoiding too much descriptive text.
Presentation of the material
Most RDSs are primarily text-based documents, usu- 114. Include any supporting material and/or
ally supplemented with the use of maps and tables. technical justifications that are not essential to
Photographs and illustrations are also used in some the strategy in annexes, sub-reports or on an
cases, while others also include a series of case studies accompanying CD-ROM.
to illustrate key issues. The Regional Development
Plan for the Latgale region of Latvia is one such Justification
example where photographs Many readers of RDS documents
have been used to enliven will wish to know the key proposals
the document and appeal of what it is that the document
to a wider range of readers. proposes or its key strategy and
Another example is the Wales programmes. They are concerned
Spatial Plan that is illustrated with the impact that the RDS
throughout with photograph- is likely to have on their activi-
ic material. ties. RDS documents do not need
In terms of illustra- to be extensive. The RDS should
tive materials, it is natu- avoid lengthy descriptive text, for
rally expected that most RDS example keeping descriptions of
documents include some the economic profile of the region
illustrative materials, usually simple and focused on key points.
in the form of detailed or Extensive background information,
schematic maps, to depict the if it is required, can be satisfacto-
present spatial structure of rily included in separate documents
the region. Such illustrations as background papers.
will highlight key settlements,
major transport and other 115. Make the document as
infrastructure, plus designated user friendly and attractive as pos-
protected areas. Fewer docu- sible in terms of layout.
ments use similar illustrations
to identify the proposed or 116. Use colour and text
future spatial structure of formatting techniques to soften and
the region or use illustra- break up the text.
tions to communicate spatial
concepts. This is an important point as images and Justification
illustrations can be used to powerful effect in com- There are various techniques and mechanisms for
municating key ideas behind the strategy. making RDS documents more engaging and much
The representation of background and other easier to use, for both professional and public
data in RDS documents is usually done using basic audiences. These include the use of colour-indexed
methods, including tables, graphs, pie-charts and sections, headers and footers for different sections,
related forms. Some provide supplementary informa- use of easy-to-read fonts of a suitable size, and
tion in annexes or on CD-rom to avoid making the frequent and clearly marked titles and sub-titles.
document too long, or overloading the document
with graphics illustrating large quantities of data. 117. Use illustrations to support the material
The consultation draft of the Wales Spatial Plan contained in the text. Include maps, diagrams,
made effective use of a CD-rom in allowing inter- photographs and illustrations wherever ap-
ested readers to access the information on which the propriate.

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 118. Use simple and easily understandable dia- mentation can therefore be a dynamic and fluid
grams and schemes to clarify spatial concepts concept.
and to increase the attractiveness of the docu- Some of the examples had a dedicated action
ment plan or development programme to be approved
within or alongside the RDS, others as an entirely
119. Ensure that such illustrations are sufficiently separate element, whilst some had no such dedicated
clear and specific so that the reader can relate implementation plan. Good examples of action plans
to them that are approved alongside or within the RDS can
be found in various national and regional strategies
Justification in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Whilst implemen-
Many RDS documents make use of some means of tation can be interpreted differently it is important
illustration, although few make use of the full range that the authors and stakeholders of a particular RDS
of possible illustrative materials. Making use of know clearly what is meant by implementation in
diagrams, maps, graphic illustrations and photo- their specific case.
graphs can help a document appeal to a range of The attracting of funding and investment for
different audiences as well as specific projects or proposals
communicate key messages in is one of the means by which
a number of different ways. implementation of a RDS is
For example, photographs can attempted. RDS approaches in
support the text and carry the Baltic countries are heavily
messages forcefully to differ- influenced by the possibility of
ent audiences. levering European Union fund-
ing for regional development as
a means of implementation. The
2.8 Implementation and approach adopted in Ireland,
resources Wales and Flanders reflects a
broader investment context and
Introduction are directed towards the secur-
Implementation, together with ing of both public and private
monitoring which is looked at investment.
in the next chapter, of the RDS The Lithuanian Regional
are clearly aspects that receive Development Plans were the
relatively little attention during only example of a RDS examined
the drafting of the strategy itself. during the GRIDS project that
Many of the documents are not explicitly demonstrated a detailed
explicit on how they will be im- approach to the costing of fund-
plemented and limited consid- ing of the measures included in
eration is given to the resources the strategy, adopting a project-
necessary for implementation. led approach to implementation.
An important question The project-led approach
in relation to this is what is favoured in some of the Baltic
implementation? What do we mean by implementa- documents is entirely understandable as the primary
tion in any given case? Once again the perception aim of many of these documents is to access EU
of what implementation actually means was diverse structural funds. This approach has the advantage of
amongst the various examples studied. In the case of being extremely practical and it also forces authors
the Lithuanian RDPs implementation refers to the to consider the costs of the actions they identify and
implementation of projects whereas in the case of the propose. Another advantage is that this approach
Wales and Irish examples implementation is a much stimulates the formation of partnerships. One weak-
more abstract concept. ness recognised in both Latvia and Lithuania, how-
In general terms the more strategic and abstract ever, is that this approach can lead to organisations
a RDS is, then the less we can speak of implementa- preparing long and unrealistic ‘wish lists’ of projects,
tion in the traditional sense. These examples tend to and it often tends to be the easiest rather than the
provide an ever-evolving strategy and set of values to best projects that get approved.
work towards rather than actually achieve. Imple- The remainder of the approaches rely very

43
 heavily on influencing the budgets and resources adopt a flexible approach to implementation in the
of other programmes and reflect the fact that the hope that this approach would be receptive to local
strategy itself is backed up with little or no dedicated needs.
funding. In order to facilitate implementation, some Whilst legislation in this field can be useful
of the RDS documents prescribe binding regulations and is often necessary there was a feeling among
on government bodies or agencies. the partners that it should not be too detailed and
Several of the RDS approaches have been restrictive as this can reduce flexibility and the ability
undertaken with limited staff resources and, in the of stakeholders to seek innovative delivery solutions.
case of Ireland also produced within a tight timeta- Reducing the complexity and increasing the flex-
ble. The staff resources available may influence the ibility with regards to implementation procedures
approach to preparing a RDS. Limited staff resources and regulations allows the adaptation of priorities
will, for example, make it difficult to adopt an ap- to take advantage of windows of opportunity, and to
proach that demands the generation of significant facilitate and stimulate innovative delivery.
amounts of new data.
Implementation depends, amongst other
things, on a number of key factors: the institutional Pointers towards good practice
and legal framework, the available delivery mecha-
nisms and the dedicated resources. 120. Ensure that the implementation approach
adopted is appropriate to the institutional re-
ality bearing in mind any constraints imposed
Legal and institutional framework by the institutional and legal framework.
The institutional background against which RDS’s
have to be implemented have changed beyond rec- 121. Ensure that implementation is flexible enough
ognition in many countries in recent years. Although to allow the adaptation of priorities to take
the histories and reasons are very different there account of windows of opportunity and be
has been a tendency in many countries (including receptive to local needs and culture.
the UK, Flanders and the Baltic States) to move
towards devolution of power to the regions. This has 122. Ensure that any legislation in relation to im-
provided new opportunities and challenges, and has plementation is not too detailed or restrictive.
often played a crucial role in the generation of RDS’s.
The pace of change can cause problems and 123. Use legal requirements where necessary to pro-
the regional development process in the Baltic vide a backbone for the long-term programme
States since independence has taken place against and to clarify responsibilities.
a background of ongoing institutional reform and
uncertainty, coupled with the relative instability of Justification
central government. As time progresses this situa- Where implementation relies heavily on influencing
tion is likely to stabilise and be replaced by a more the budgets of other policy areas this has serious
favourable environment for RDS preparation and implications for involving these other policy areas
implementation. in the process. Such an approach will not succeed
Whilst implementation responsibilities are without the support of these other policy areas.
not always clearly specified in the RDS documents, Failure and disappointment can be the big-
it is important that these responsibilities are situ- gest enemies of regional development implementa-
ated within the institutional reality. In the Baltic tion. It is therefore crucial that implementation
examples, where a bottom-up approach to regional programmes are realistic and do not raise false
development has prevailed, the implementation of hopes amongst stakeholders.
a RDS depends to a large extent on finance and co- Over-detailed and rigid implementation
operation of the municipalities who partly fund the frameworks will restrict the possibilities of an in-
counties and regions. novative and flexible approach to implementation. A
Whilst there are benefits of this bottom-up degree of flexibility is necessary to allow adaptation
approach there is a question whether this reliance on in the light of unforeseen events or circumstances
the lower levels restricts the regions ability to act stra- that are certain to arise during the course of a 15-20
tegically. Legislation and regulations dealing with all year time horizon.
aspects of the RDS, including implementation, tends An overly prescriptive legal approach can
to be relatively detailed. The Celtic lands tended to reduce the ability of key stakeholders to adapt to

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44
 changing circumstances, although in certain cases a ments was generally weak and was often restricted to
certain level of legal requirement and responsibility a very basic outline of when certain actions should
can be helpful. be undertaken. As most of the examples covered are
the first time such a RDS has been elaborated at that
specific level and due to the fact that implementation
Delivery mechanisms is ongoing, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of
Given the diversity of multi-disciplinary stakeholders the various delivery mechanisms at this time.
involved in the implementation of a RDS and given
that implementation will often rely on the RDS
influencing the budgets of other sectors, cross- sector Pointers towards good practice
co-operation is vital. Most examples tended to rely on
a combination of formal and informal contacts and 124. Ensure that every effort is made to secure
a number of partners identified co-operation and consensus and increase the ownership of the
consensus as the most important delivery mechanism document amongst as many stakeholders as
available for the implementation of a RDS. possible.
In a situation where it is necessary to influence
the budgets of other areas cross-sector support is 125. High-level inter-departmental or inter-minis-
essential. For example, in order to try and facilitate terial co-ordinating structures can contribute
this the Welsh Assembly Government have a Cabinet significantly to strengthen horizontal co-opera-
Sub-Committee chaired by the Minister responsible tion with regard to the implementation of the
for planning. A similar high level inter-departmental strategy.
working group monitors the implementation of the
National Spatial Strategy in Ireland. Justification
The delivery mechanisms in the Baltic States, Given the diversity of multi-disciplinary stakehold-
along with the other processes and structures neces- ers involved in the implementation of a RDS and
sary for successful regional development, are still be- that implementation will often rely on the strategy
ing developed. Often strategic partnerships tended to influencing the budgets of other sectors, co-op-
be stronger at the local level and at the project level eration and consensus, where stakeholders work
than at the regional/national level although these are towards the elaboration and implementation of a
developing over time. shared vision can be the most important delivery
Elsewhere there was a tendency to rely, at least mechanism available for the implementation of
initially, on existing structures as delivery mecha- the RDS. Where stakeholders feel that they part
nisms. These existing groups however tended to own the RDS they are much more likely to view its
have a number of shortcomings. Many have been implementation in a appositive light.
criticised for not being robust enough to deal with Where the RDS is a cross-sector initiative
difficult cross-border issues and also tend to lack it is also important that there is high-level co-
resources. They also tended to be unrepresentative operation and discussion during the preparation
often being made up primarily of professional local and implementation processes to ensure that the
authority officers. In some cases the RDS identifies various parts of government are signed up to the
the setting up of specific structures but no action has implementation process. Without this agreement
been taken. successful implementation of a cross-sector RDS will
Another common feature of the various RDS’s be impossible.
examined was that the degree of phasing in the docu-

45
 126. Consider the use of existing structures for also help to increase accountability.
implementation initially. By sharing experience between similar struc-
tures both at home and in other regions it will be
127. Make sure that the implementation groups possible to identify and develop good practice. Such
have clear tasks, responsibilities and missions co-operation can also help to reduce the danger of
and that they have the means at their disposal unnecessary duplication of work.
to undertake their tasks in an informed way. Delivery mechanisms and implementing struc-
tures need to be robust enough to deal with diffi-
128. Ensure that such implementation structures cult cross-border issues in order to avoid a situation
are as representative as possible of the groups whereby the least problematic solution is always
that they are representing and that they meet the preferred option rather than the best solution.
regularly enough to perform their function Such a scenario can lead to a loss of credibility for
(two times per annum or more often if neces- the RDS process.
sary) and report regularly to the relevant
co-ordinating body (once per annum or more 131. Differentiate between long-term goals and
often if necessary). short-term actions and choose an appropriate
form of instrument to act as a framework for
129. Ensure that implementation structures co- the short and medium-term actions.
ordinate their information gathering, policy
making and project implementation functions 132. Consider linking the strategy to a flexible im-
with the other structures and authorities who plementation timetable or action plan where
have similar tasks in other regions. the short and medium term actions, responsi-
bilities and funding are clearly identified and
130. Ensure sufficient attention for cross-border regularly reviewed and revised.
aspects and closely monitor situations where
co-operation between administrative units is Justification
required. For the purposes of clarity it is important to ensure
that the degree of phasing included in the RDS is
Justification sufficient to have a clear overview of the implemen-
There are usually a number of structures in place in tation process. Reference can be made in the RDS
any given region with responsibility for discussing to the more detailed phasing included in a related
issues covered by the RDS. In order to save time and action plan or development programme. Such a
other resources, to avoid alienating these structures related action plan or implementation timetable can
and to make optimal use of existing resources it is be revised annually or bi-annually as appropriate
often a good idea to use existing structures initially in order to provide the flexibility necessary in the
where they are available. These structures can be implementation process.
supplemented by new arrangements (new struc-
tures or new responsibilities for existing structures) 133. Maintain the momentum of the strategy once
where existing structures are not or prove not to be it has been published/adopted by starting the
robust, responsive and comprehensive enough. implementation process as soon as possible
Sufficient resource allocation from the outset
is important if hopes are not to be raised artificially. Justification
Clear definition of tasks and responsibilities will Certain key points in the RDS process provide the

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 opportunity to obtain significant publicity and it is investigated.
important to capitalise upon these moments. The The Baltic examples, probably due to their
publishing and adoption of the RDS is one such mo- more project-led approach and aim to access the EU
ment and if the implementation process can start Structural Funds, tended to contain more detailed
quickly then this provides the opportunity to build cost estimates than the Celtic examples where the
on this momentum and capitalise on any good will success of implementation depends largely on policy
developed during the process. integration and effective networking with other
policy areas. A number of the RDS examples were
used as a consideration in the budgeting processes to
Financial, physical and human resources determine government budgets.
The success or otherwise of the implementation
of a RDS can, to a large extent, rely heavily on the
amount of human, financial and physical resources Pointers towards good practice
allocated to the task. In many cases human resources
are often the primary implementation resource. In 134. Ensure that the implementation programme
general terms there was a feeling that the human is realistic in terms of the level of human,
resources allocated to the task were limited. In the financial and physical resources available.
Baltic countries and Flanders the availability of suit-
ably qualified and experienced human resources was 135. Avoid extensive but unrealistic ‘wish lists’.
quoted as a problem. Such limitations will certainly
have an impact on the ability of the implementing 136. Allocate and/or identify sufficient resources for
agencies to perform their functions. the implementation of the RDS.
A RDS can be prepared with limited staff re-
sources, although it appears that this is dependent on 137. Identify the range of funding programmes that
the selected approach. A relatively small core team could be used to assist with implementing the
supplemented periodically by inputs from a wider RDS.
group often drove the process. In some cases such
as Flanders, academics formed part of the core team 138. Review and revise budgets to see how wider
being involved on a weekly basis. Various adminis- resources can assist with plan implementation.
trations in both Latvia and Lithuania have involved
international teams, periodically and resources 139. Foster a culture of innovation among imple-
permitting, in various RDS processes. This openness menting agencies in terms of seeking sources of
to sharing experiences is a recognition that expertise funding for implementation.
and good practice in the field is constantly evolving
and that such openness can be extremely beneficial. 140. Share experiences with neighbouring/compa-
The experience of the Irish NSS demonstrates rable regions and countries and discuss your
that limited staff resources need not mean an ex- adopted approach in the in the international
tended preparation period. The predominantly bot- arena.
tom-up approaches in the Baltic States mean that the
regional level is often reliant on the human resources Justification
and good will of the local authorities for imple- An overly ambitious implementation programme
mentation. It was also felt that the lack of human, that bears no relationship to the human, financial
financial and to a certain extent physical resources and physical capacity available could generate false
available in the Baltic States is a characteristic of the hopes and lead to disappointment. Failure can be
public sector in general. one of the greatest enemies of implementation.
Another common feature of the RDS examples It is important that the process is adequately and
studied was that there was usually very little finance consistently resourced from the outset in order to
specifically allocated to implementation and that as a avoid fluctuations in the level of expectation and
result implementation is often reliant on influencing delivery that can reduce the credibility of the entire
other policy areas and budgets of external agencies. RDS process.
None of the examples went as far as to identify and Flexibility is an important pre-requisite of
allocate specific budgets for complete implementa- innovation and whilst it can be useful to identify
tion although some, particularly the Baltic examples, possible sources of funding for implementation
did suggest possible sources of funding that could be implementing agencies should have the ability to

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 seek alternative sources of funding.
Sharing experiences will facilitate an enrich-
ing learning process for all involved and provide
diverse insights into ways of approaching specific
challenges. By discussing your approach in the
(inter)national arena you will be making a valuable
approach to the ongoing regional development
debate and have the opportunity to forge new
partnerships and co-operation with similar regions
elsewhere. An outsiders view on a specific challenge
within your region can often provide a new insight
and may well be more easily accepted by policymak-
ers and stakeholders than if the same suggestion
came from within the region.

Barriers to implementation
A variety of possibilities were cited as being the main
barriers to the implementation of the RDS and many
of these were related to shortcomings and charac-
teristics in the adopted approach. The most consist-
ently identified barrier related to the lack of a truly
integrated and joined up approach to governance.
Clear and consistent political commitment is
required for successful implementation and where
this commitment is lacking or ambiguous the
implementation process is at risk. Apathy amongst
stakeholders and the general public can have the
same effect. A lack of understanding of key issues
amongst policy makers and stakeholders was cited as
a problem in some cases. In many cases the fragility
of consensus caused problems and some partners felt
that the implementation timetable was not subject to
sufficient political debate.
A number of partners also cited a lack of clarity
in terms of the status of the RDS and/or the various
implementation procedures and responsibilities that
are in place as an important barrier.
In terms of human resources, the lack of experi-
enced and qualified staff was considered a significant
barrier in both Flanders and the Baltic’s. It is likely
however that a lack of human resources will always
be cited as a problem in line with the principle
that more could be done if more quality staff were
available. In the case of Flanders and the Baltic States
new legislation in the late 1990’s and accession to the
EU in 2004 respectively increased the demand for
qualified planners. In both cases it was inevitable that
the supply would be inadequate until the education
system in the respective countries had time to satisfy
the new demand.
A lack of human resources capacity can also
lead to a situation where solutions from elsewhere
are simply taken and imposed in another area with-

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out being adapted to the specific locality. 145. Identify a relevant common enemy (e.g. flood-
The lack of phasing and indicators in most of ing or congestion).
the RDS documents was also cited as a barrier to
implementation and to the ability to monitor the 146. Publicise stories of successful projects as widely
implementation process. as possible and make people aware of the posi-
In many cases however the absence of signifi- tive elements of the RDS.
cant dedicated financial resources as well as the lack
of indicators is a direct result of the chosen approach. Justification
In Wales there was a conscious decision to adopt a Considerable time and effort will be required to
consensual, collaborative and non-prescriptive ap- generate and maintain consensus amongst politi-
proach that is allowed to develop as implementation cians, stakeholders and the general public. Without
proceeds. The objectives of the RDS are ones to work this consensus however the implementation process
towards rather than be implemented and achieved. is likely to fail or become marginal and diluted. A
Effective strategic partnerships and robust good basic understanding of the relevant issues and
delivery mechanisms are a pre-requisite for successful options and of the delivery mechanisms for imple-
implementation. In most cases both are still in the mentation is required in order that policy makers
process of developing and are likely to be amended can make rational and informed decisions. Specific
and adapted as shortcomings and problems come to and targeted training can significantly increase the
light. The stimulation of more integrated working is capacity of policy makers and stakeholders.
equally relevant across sectoral and geographical/ad- Consultation, consensus and collaboration are
ministrative boundaries. key words in the approaches to regional develop-
Whilst co-operation across administrative ment that have evolved in recent years. Just as with
boundaries is an issue in all countries studied, the the preparation of the documents the implementa-
implementation of regional projects in the Baltic tion process should have these concepts at it’s core
States has often been hampered as municipalities do in order to facilitate the co-operation of a diversity
not have the resources and ability or in many cases of stakeholders.
the inclination to take the initiative for a project that The identification of a common enemy can
will have benefits to stakeholders and other local help to focus minds and be a useful ally for imple-
authority areas. It is the responsibility of central and mentation. Many people are unaware of the role
regional governments to encourage stakeholders to that a RDS can play in their everyday lives. Publicity
think strategically and not to confine their thinking for specific projects and initiatives linked to the
to within their own administrative boundaries. Such RDS will raise awareness and can foster a posi-
exercises can be important in terms of capacity build- tive image. Success stories should be publicised to
ing and exchanging knowledge and experiences. inspire others, nothing succeeds like success!

147. Build sufficient flexibility into the imple-

Pointers towards good practice mentation structures and process to allow the
adaptation of priorities to take advantage of
141. Ensure political consensus is generated and windows of opportunity as well as allowing
maintained. lower levels to adopt an approach that fits
with their local needs.
142. Consider training for policy makers and stake-
holders in order to create a knowledgeable 148. Ensure that the adopted implementation
community within which rational decision procedure is appropriate to the type and role
making will be central. of the RDS.

143. Elaborate a visible implementation programme 149. Strike an appropriate balance between a bot-
or timetable that is subject to political debate. tom-up and top-down approach.

144. Ensure that the implementation process is Justification

consultative, consensual and collaborative and The RDS should be able to deliver at both the
endeavour to secure consensus and the buy in regional and local level. A successful RDS provides a
of a wide range of stakeholders from the earli- roadmap for the future development of the region
est possible stage . as a whole, but also for its localities/communities.

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 2.9 Monitoring, evaluation and review strategies that do not include any targets or perform-
ance indicators. Yet it is important that a sufficient
Introduction framework is in place to enable an appropriate assess-
Regional development or spatial strategies should ment of progress to be made.
not be seen as an end in themselves. Organisa- The importance of designing effective and
tions having prepared a RDS will need to be aware appropriate frameworks for monitoring evaluation
of whether the implementation of the strategy is and review is clear. However, it is in these areas that
proceeding as planned, whether sufficient progress is there appears to have been least attention to detail
being made and if it is on course to achieve certain and where there is significant scope for improving
milestones or targets. This demands that effective ar- practice in the preparation of regional development
rangements are made for the monitoring, evaluation strategies.
and review of the RDS. However, it is these aspects of
preparing a RDS that are often the most neglected. Assessment and appraisal
These guidelines argue for serious consideration Varying timescales are identified in the RDS docu-
to be given to monitoring and review early on and ments for formal review or replacement and range
throughout the process. from 4 to 8 years. Some of the RDS documents, the
Many of the arrangements for monitoring, Wales Spatial Plan being one such example, are to
evaluation and review can be made in advance of be subjected to a sustainability appraisal of their
completion of the RDS itself and doing content.
so can ensure that an understanding
of how the strategy will be monitored
is built into the design of the strategy Pointers towards
from an early stage. For example, objec- good practice
tives and targets can be designed in a
form that is known to be capable of 150. Review the RDS regularly.
being monitored. Advance frameworks
for monitoring can therefore demon- 151. Revise the RDS on an approxi-
strate that monitoring has not been mate timetable of every 5 years.
considered as a separate activity from
the preparation of the strategy. Effective Justification
monitoring can be a demanding task Regional development strategies and
even if monitoring frameworks are spatial strategies are intended to
designed well, requiring significant effect change over the longer term.
staff time and financial resources if it is The effects of any strategy may
to be done as required. take some time to become appar-
In addition to arrangements ent. However, regular review of the
for monitoring, a framework is also needed for the RDS is necessary. In some cases, annual review will
evaluation and review of the RDS. Monitoring in- be appropriate. This is most likely to be the case
formation will be the basis for a review, yet a review with those RDS documents that focus on economic
will be a broader consideration of whether the RDS development issues. This does not mean that the
continues to be based on an appropriate strategy, if RDS should be revised each year. Frequent revision
the strategy is effective or becoming dated. The re- of the document can create an unstable policy con-
view of a RDS will determine if a revision is required text, yet documents also need to be subjected to
or if any adjustment of the strategy and actions is review and revision if they are to remain relevant
necessary. and relate to their context in an appropriate way.
It is important to recognise regional develop- A necessary balance needs to be achieved between
ment strategies or spatial plans as the regional scale a RDS being up to date and the creation of a
cannot be monitored in the same form as more stable policy context for effective implementation.
detailed or more local plans. These strategies are by Depending on changes in the regional context, the
nature strategic, longer-term documents for which review may only need to be a partial one. Alterna-
extensive targets and performance measures are not tively, significant change in the prevailing context
appropriate. Depending on the overall approach to will demand a more fundamental revision of the
the RDS, some aspects of monitoring may not be RDS. In the case of RDS documents that embrace
appropriate at all. This is evident in some spatial a wider range of policy issues, and aim to effect

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 change over the longer-term, annual review will not
be appropriate. Review should occur every 2 years or
more to recognise the longer-term and wider scope
of the documents.

152. Subject the RDS to independent appraisal of

its main economic, social and environmental
issues.

153. Publish and take account of the findings of the

appraisal.

Justification
Independent appraisal of a RDS can help to reveal
any deficiencies that need to be addressed and can
be undertaken during the preparation of the RDS
(for example, at draft stage) or on completion of action plans and specific projects than to strategic
the RDS as an accompanying document or to inform documents.
the next review of the RDS. Independent appraisal Some RDS documents do however make use of
also forms an objective review of the RDS by a specific and quantitative indicators for sectors, and
specialist, external organisation. It can therefore the case studies drawn from Lithuania and Latvia are
be useful in assuring stakeholders and others that better developed in identifying targets and indica-
the strategy is a robust and appropriate one. Funds tors. Regional Development Plans in Lithuania, for
should be allocated for commissioning the inde- example, include a range of thematic indicators. The
pendent appraisal. Publishing the independent ap- Flanders Structure Plan is also based on a well-devel-
praisal also adds to the open and inclusive approach oped system of ‘spatial bookkeeping’, with indicators
to preparing a RDS. If the organisation responsible and targets for a range of different topics including
for preparing the RDS disagrees with some of the housing, industrial land and the environment.
conclusions of the independent appraisal, then it Only in Ireland and Lithuania does there ap-
may be appropriate to issue a statement alongside pear to be any serious consideration of the measur-
the appraisal that identifies any points of disa- ing of outputs and impacts. The preparation of RDP
greement or any conclusions that have not been documents in Lithuania has a more formal monitor-
accepted. ing process than the remainder of the RDS approach-
es. The team responsible for preparing the Irish NSS
Targets and indicators is actively considering implementation research.
Very little attention has been paid to the develop- In general terms the Baltic examples seem to
ment of indicators for monitoring and assessing the be more advanced with the elaboration of targets
implementation and success of regional development and indicators although these are generally mostly
strategies. Few RDS documents include pre-estab- very general, traditional and quantitative. It is also
lished mechanisms for monitoring or implemen- noticeable that where indicators have been identified
tation. The Celtic documents do not seem to be they predominantly relate to economic development
concerned with identifying indicators and monitor- aspects.
ing mechanisms initially. Work is ongoing in Ireland The Baltic countries also seem to make more
whilst the Wales Spatial Plan only identifies general use of phasing, timetables and action plans. The level
commitments rather than specific milestones mean- and type of targets and indicators used needs to be
ing they are very difficult to measure. The approaches appropriate and not too detailed. Work seems to be
in these countries may also mean that detailed ongoing throughout the EU to develop satisfactory
mechanisms for monitoring and performance meas- indicators. The availability and reliability of data is
urement are not desirable. There are some questions important when considering the development of in-
and concerns about whether any forms of indicator dicators. It should also be borne in mind that targets
are relevant when considering the preparation of and indicators, like all aspects that rely on statistical
strategic plans. Some view indicators – particularly data, can be manipulated.
those that are specific and measurable – to be of
greater relevance to implementation programmes,

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 Pointers towards good practice Justification
Using too many indicators reduces the clarity of the
154. Devise a series of appropriate targets and document and requires a disproportionate amount
indicators to establish a framework for the of time to monitor. Indicators should be carefully
monitoring of the RDS. designed and selective. The indicators should be
sufficient to enable an assessment to be made of the
155. Strategies should contain appropriate phasing, overall strategy. They are not intended to support
targets, milestones and performance indicators. the detailed measurement of outputs.

156. Targets and indicators should relate to the key 161. Use indicators that are based on data that can
features of the RDS. be collected without undue difficulty.

Justification Justification
The purpose of establishing a series of targets and Reasonably effective monitoring should be capable
indicators is to enable the progress towards the of being undertaken without requiring extensive
RDS’s aims and objectives to be monitored and collection of new data sets. Available data can be
evaluated. They should form part of the wider refined over time, although some form or monitor-
appraisal of the effectiveness in implementing the ing is usually possible with readily available data.
RDS. For the sake of clarity and transparency, these Monitoring and assessment frameworks should be
should be included in the RDS itself. In addition to initially designed to make use of available data and
targets and indicators, a RDS should identify any refined as data collection capacity is increased.
phasing of actions over the strategy period. If a RDS
is to be implemented over a 15 or 20 year period, 162. Devise qualitative indicators to supplement
then it should be possible to give an indication of quantitative indicators.
the sequence of important investments and activi-
ties. More detailed planning should be dealt with Justification
outside of the strategy, for example in action plans Indicators contained in RDS documents are usually
and programming documents. Nevertheless, strat- quantitative in nature, being based on measurable
egy phasing should be included in the RDS. Targets effects and impacts. However, not all aspects of a
and indicators should be used selectively and it is RDS can be readily framed in quantitative form.
important to remember that they focus on the key They should be supplemented by qualitative indica-
or critical features of the RDS. tors. Qualitative indicators or assessment criteria
can be particularly useful for evaluating the strate-
157. The strategy should include both strategic and gic aspects or key principles of a RDS.
more specific, topic-based indicators.

158. Relate the key indicators directly to the objec- Monitoring and evaluation
tives of the strategy. Most examples of RDS documents demonstrate that
relatively limited emphasis is placed on the develop-
159. Link the strategy to an action plan and ment of prior evaluation frameworks. Monitoring
include more detailed phasing, targets, and evaluation do not appear to be pre-established in
milestones and performance indicators in the the various approaches. Lithuanian practice demon-
action plan. strates a more formal monitoring process than the
others. Here, monitoring committees are established
Justification and reported to regularly every six months. However,
Strategic indicators are used to assess the overall even here, evaluation and review are new processes
strategy and its implementation. These are different and will take some time to be developed more fully
in character to more detailed indicators that may and effectively.
relate to specific topics, subjects or policies. Strate- Arrangements for the monitoring of RDS docu-
gies benefit from including both types of indicators. ments are typically only given any real consideration
Detailed indicators can be grouped or ‘bundled’ and once the RDS is substantially completed. In some
linked directly to strategic, key indicators. examples, the issue of developing indicators and
monitoring frameworks has only commenced once
160. Avoid using too many indicators. the RDS was finalised. Both the Irish Spatial Strategy

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and the Wales Spatial Plan fall into this category,
with consideration of how monitoring and evalua-
tion would be conducted only considered after the
finalisation of the strategy. Benefits can be achieved if
the design of monitoring frameworks is considered
during the preparation of the RDS, including ensur-
ing a better degree of fit between the RDS and its
monitoring.

Pointers towards good practice

163. Give consideration to how the implementa-
tion process will be monitored and evaluated
from an early stage even where no formal
prior evaluation frameworks are set up.

164. Ensure that monitoring and evaluation

frameworks and structures are set up quickly
after the publication of the strategy and any
associated action plan.

Justification
Early discussion of how the RDS will be monitored
and evaluated enables a better relationship to be se-
cured between the RDS and the monitoring frame-
work. It also enables work to commence early on
identifying and additional data collection required
for monitoring purposes. Monitoring should start as
soon as the strategy is published.

165. Share experiences on monitoring and evalua-

tion structures and techniques.

Justification
Monitoring and evaluation are key aspects of RDS
preparation in which innovation is possible and ar-
eas where organisations can learn a great deal from
each other. Many aspects of monitoring and evalua-
tion are also transferable between organisations.

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 PART 3
exhibitions and case studies

This section contains the exhibition panels that were

prepared for the final activities in the GRIDS project.
The panels contain an overview of the rationale of
and conclusions from the project, as well as 6 case
studies that were visited during the course of the
operation. The chosen case studies reflect a diversity
of themes but were all considered in different ways to
be examples of good practice.
The first example presented is from Ireland
where Laois County Council reacted to a perceived
disappointment in a positive manner and embraced
the opportunities offered in a higher-level strategy.
Two examples are drawn from Wales where Caer-
philly County Borough Council has sought innova-
tive solutions to the problems posed by industrial
restructuring (e.g., the collapse of the South Wales
coal industry). The aspects in relation to the use of
sustainable principles and the engagement of the
local community on the process were particularly
impressive.
During the Flemish workshop the GRIDS team
were able to witness the excellent work being done
by Regionaal Landschap Kempen and Maasland in
showing that the natural environment and sus-
tainable tourism can be important instruments of
regional development. There are two examples drawn
from the Baltic States. First, from Lithuania, the
Kaunas City Development Strategy seeks to develop
Lithuania’s second largest city as a multi-functional
city with a focus on offering a high quality of life to
its residents. Second, from Latvia, some of the work
being done by Livani District Council, a small rural
municipality in Eastern Latvia is presented because
it may serve as an inspiration to other small munici-
palities in peripheral locations throughout the EU in
promoting regional development projects.

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61
 ANNEX

4.1 Glossary of key terms

Brownfield site A site that has previously been developed and is available for re-use. It may also be
referred to as previously-developed land.

Cluster A geographic concentration of activities, usually used to refer to a concentration of

industries and research institutions in a particular location.

Corridor A linear area usually linking two or more settlements in which transport and other
infrastructure is concentrated.

Espon European Spatial Planning Observation Network, an initiative sponsored by the EU

Interreg III programme.

European Spatial A document published in 1999 following agreement between the then 15 EU
Development Perspective [esdp] member states. It contains a series of 60 policy options for member states to take into
account in spatial development.

Eurostat The Statistical Office of the European Communities

Gross Domestic Product [gdp] A widely used measure of economic wealth, with GDP per capita being a measure
often used to compare regions in terms of their comparative wealth. Figures are
shown as an index of some wider area (e.g. regional GDP/capita as a percentage of the
EU average).

Incubator A collection of small, starter units designed to enable smaller enterprises and busi-
nesses the opportunity to grow in size and output.

Interreg A Community Initiative funded through the European Regional Development Fund
designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU, by foster-
ing the balanced development of the continent through cross-border, transnational
and interregional cooperation.

Land bank A series of sites held by a developer for future development, usually referring to land
for industrial or housing development.

Land use planning The activity for determining policies and allocations for the future development of
land and exercising regulatory controls over development.

Mode of transport The means by which a person travels, such as by car, rail, bus or plane.

Nuts Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – a means of dividing national geo-
graphic areas in order to facilitate the collection and comparison of statistical data.

Nwma North Western Metropolitan Area

Polycentric Development that is promoted in many different settlements rather than in a single
development settlement, designed to avoid over-concentration of activities in a single, specific loca-
tion. Such development may recognise the interdependence of different settlements.

Regional development An organisation, which may be a public or semi-public agency, that is responsible for
agency [rda] promoting the development of a region. It will usually be responsible for preparing a
regional development or regional economic strategy.

Regional development A document outlining a framework for future development of a region, usually with
strategy [rds] an economic focus.

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 Sectoral Relating to particular sectors, such as the housing sector, economic sector etc.

Settlement structure The pattern of cities, towns and villages and the relationships that exist between
them.

Sme – (small to medium enterprise) An independent business with a small number of employees or limited turnover

Spatial development Change in the pattern and distribution of activities across a geographic area.

Spatial planning An activity usually undertaken by the public sector designed to better understand
how a particular area functions and impact on its future spatial development. It
encompasses a wide range of different policy areas, from the land use planning system
to economic, health and transport policies.

Spatial vision A statement or graphic image of how a particular geographic area will be in the
future; it is an expression of a desired future that includes reference to particular
places or areas.

Statutory Required by legislation.

Strategic Employment Site A large-scale site usually reserved for inward investment projects that are intended to
generate significant employment opportunities.

Supranational The level above the national level, often used to refer to the activities of the European
Union.

Sustainability appraisal An assessment of the effects of a strategy or plan against a series of social, economic
and environmental criteria designed to encourage more sustainable practices – see
sustainable development.

Sustainable development Sustainable development foresees in the needs of the current generation without
endangering the needs of the future generations. In order to achieve sustainable
development there is a consensus that economic, social and environmental aspects
are to be taken into account simultaneously.

Territory A term referring to a geographic area that is usually consistent with the administra-
tive area of a political body. A territory is a physical space that is also attributed with
some deeper meaning or sense of ownership or belonging.

Territorial capital Specific spatial characteristics that define the unique spatial context of each region

Territorial cohesion Extends beyond the notion of economic and social cohesion by both adding to this
and reinforcing it. In policy terms the objective is to help achieve a more balanced de-
velopment by reducing disparities, preventing territorial imbalances and by making
both sector policies that have a spatial impact and regional policy more coherent.

Trans European Networks [tens] Strategic routes at the European scale comprising road, rail and other infrastructure
designed to improve connections between different parts of Europe.

Transnational strategy A strategy or plan that includes the whole or part of two or more different nation
states.

VASAB 2010 Vision and Strategies Around the Baltic Sea – an intergovernmental programme
developed under the INTERREG programme.

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 4.2 The project partners

Lead partner Partners

School of City and Regional Planning Ministry of Interior (Lithuania)
Cardiff University Contact Gaile Dagiliene,
Glamorgan Building Undersecretary to the Minister of Interior
King Edward VII Avenue T. +370 5 271 70 72;
Cardiff CF10 3WA E. [email protected]
Wales
Latgale Regional Development Agency (Latvia)
Contact Professor Jeremy Alden, Contact Sandra Ezmale
(Professor of International Planning Studies) T. +371 46 24 3000;
T. +44 (2920) 875 281; E. [email protected]
E. aldenjd@cardiff.ac.uk
or Dr Neil Harris Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (Latvia)
T. +44 (2920 )876 222, Contact Anders Paalzow (Rector)
E. harrisnr@cardiff.ac.uk T. +371 701 5800;
E. [email protected]

GRIDS Co-ordinator Riga City Council (Latvia)

Neil Adams (iris consulting, Brussels Contact Uldis Kirsteins (Project manager)
and London South Bank University, UK) T. +371 7037931;
T. +44 (0)207 815 5868; E. [email protected]
E. [email protected]
Department of Environment,
Heritage and Local Government
(Republic of Ireland)
Contact Finian Matthews (Senior planner)
T. +353 1 888 2446;
E. fi[email protected]

Ministry of the Flemish Community (Belgium)

Contact Joris Scheers
T. +32 2 553 1601;
E. [email protected]
or Rene Van der Lecq
T. +32 2 55 38426;
E. [email protected]

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partners:
Cardiff University, Wales
Latgale Regional Development Agency, Latvia
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia
Riga City Council, Latvia
Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania
Ministry of the Flemish Community
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Republic of Ireland

associate-partners:
National Assembly for Wales
Welsh Local Government Association
Welsh Development Agency
Caerphilly County Borough Council

co-ordinator:
Iris Consulting, Brussels

lay-out:
Iris Consulting,
Kazernestraat 45 1000 Brussels
Tel +32 2 289 16 00 – Fax +32 2 289 16 99
www.irisconsulting.be

best practice guidelines for instruments of regional development

and spatial planning in an enlarged eu

www.interreg-grids.org