Publication of the Annual Report and the Benefits Realisation Plan
/On Friday 4 September, the City Region Deal’s Joint Committee approved an important plan for reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of the Deal’s activities and deliverables, and signed off our second Annual Report.
Annual Report
This year’s Report details the strong progress we’ve made in finalising business cases across the different themes of Innovation, Housing, Transport, Skills and Culture, gaining approval for 55% of the £1.3bn investment committed in the Deal Document. But – critically – the Report also explains how, in early Spring, the Deal partners quickly responded to the rapidly emerging Covid-19 pandemic across a number of fronts:
The launch of a COVID-19 Jobs Support portal on 3 April, just 11 days after the country was locked down.
Regional councils, SEStran and Transport Scotland formed a Transport Transition Group, and worked with operators to prepare measures for the main transport corridor routes into and out of Edinburgh.
The Data-Driven Innovation Programme allocated up to £200,000 in small grants to enable university staff and students to apply data-driven-innovation ideas in support of communities, services and businesses in the city region.
Construction commencing at the Borders Innovation Park and at the Queensway Industrial Estate in Glenrothes as part of the Fife Industrial Innovation Investment.
To read the full Report, follow this link
Benefits Realisation Plan
Our Benefits Realisation Plan (BRP) is a major step forward in evidencing outcomes and impacts from the Deal. It will demonstrate to both the UK and Scottish Governments the benefits of their support and ensure continued focus on inclusive growth to reduce inequality and increase wellbeing.
The BRP was developed over many months in consultation with both governments, as well as other key stakeholders. Not only does it address how the Deal is performing against objectives and delivery plans, but it also measures wider economic, social and other impacts that may be generated within the Region, Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.
In January 2020, Audit Scotland highlighted its keen interest in Scotland’s City and Growth Deals implementing monitoring and evaluation processes, so we are proud to have achieved this important milestone for our deal.
