Dan Peters 07 September 2020

LEPs need capacity boost to improve delivery, research finds

Local enterprise partnerships (LEP) would be better at delivering large-scale capital projects if they had more capacity, independent research for the Government has found.

The report for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that the average annual budget reported by LEPs was £1.6m.

Four out of 39 LEPs told researchers their capacity and capabilities were ‘insufficient in relation to the setting of strategy, developing and delivering programmes, and ensuring robust governance,’ with one saying they were having to ‘beg, borrow and steal because we don’t have sufficient capacities’.

Two out of five LEPs said they did not have the confidence to offer the terms and conditions necessary to recruit high quality staff.

The report read: ‘Several LEPs talked about, either at the focus groups or via the census, how they struggled to recruit more experienced staff due to the inability to offer terms and conditions that matched what was available from other employers locally.’

Researchers also recommended that ‘increased expectations be made of LEPs evaluation and validation practices of the projects they deliver, and of themselves’.

Chair of the LEP Network, Mark Bretton, said: ‘As business-led LEPs we do what needs to be done, and we adapt our capability and capacity to environments at rapid pace – a vital part of building the local economic recovery we all need.’

For more on this story, visit The MJ (£).

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

LGV Driver

North Yorkshire Council
£34,094 - £37,225 per annum pro rata
Would you like a rewarding role that allows you to work outside in some of the most scenic places in the country? Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Mobile Cleansing Operative

North Yorkshire Council
£24,796 - £25,989 per annum
Are you passionate about keeping communities clean and welcoming? Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Social Worker - Adopt Thames Valley

Oxfordshire County Council
£38220 - £45091
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the continued development of Adopt Thames Valley (ATV) Regional Adoption Agency. ATV launched in December 2017 and is the shared Adoption Service for Bracknell Forest, Oxfordshire, Reading Borough Council (Bri Woodley
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Executive Director of Housing

Bristol City Council
£160,505 - £190,505
Shape the future of housing in a city like no other. Bristol
Recuriter: Bristol City Council

Executive Director of Children & Families

Lewisham London Borough Council
£166,755 - £173,133
Lewisham’s Children’s Services have undergone significant transformation Lewisham, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Lewisham London Borough Council
Linkedin Banner