Review of Enterprise Agencies Purpose & Effectiveness - What do you think?

Click here to fill out the survey.

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy & Tourism committee are currently conducting a “fundamental review of the purpose of an enterprise agency and the success of recent reforms”.

During the committee’s consideration of the 2010-11 budget “fundamental questions were raised about the purpose of the enterprise network and its role in economic development”. Simply put, the committee are questioning the entire purpose of the enterprise network and the role it should be play in a modern economy.

Recently a call for written evidence was released. You can send us your views by filling out this survey. You can also discuss the issues via the blog and at upcoming member's only events in Edinburgh & Inverness (see new post). It covers the following questions:

Fundamental, first principles analysis

• Could the Scottish Government’s economic aims be achieved in a different way? Are there more successful or efficient models of delivery in other parts of the world?
• Could services be delivered as effectively, with greater efficiency, by a single agency or some other structure with increased shared services etc? Conversely, are a single economic strategy and the SE account management model suitable for both Scotland and the Highlands & Islands?
• What should be the role for a publicly-funded enterprise network, what activities should it be expected to deliver and what resources are required? Alternatively, what alternative exists to the current model in Scotland and what benefits would this have?
• Do the enterprise agencies’ methodologies for calculating the return on investment bear scrutiny? Which activities have been identified as delivering most return on investment?

Value of recent reforms

• What impact has the rationalisation of the enterprise network and the abolition of the LECs had on the quality or effectiveness of the services delivered?
• Has the transfer of activities, such as the Business Gateway service, to local authorities improved the delivery of services to local businesses and what evidence is there of this?
• What has been the experience of businesses that are not account-managed by Scottish Enterprise/Highlands and Islands Enterprise since the 2007 reforms? Are such companies finding it difficult to attract the support they need from the enterprise agencies and what evidence is there of this?
• How joined up are the various agencies that are now charged with supporting economic recovery? Are there examples of successful partnership working between, for example, SE or HIE and local authorities? How has the establishment of the strategic forum assisted in this regard?
• What distinctive contribution has been made by HIE as a result of its social/strengthening communities remit? Should the same obligation be applied to SE?
• Have COSLA and SE been able to agree on what constitutes local, regional and national regeneration? Are local authorities maintaining levels of local regeneration activities? What benefits have accrued from the transfer of local regeneration activities to local authorities? What has been the impact on regional regeneration projects? Have any regeneration projects failed or been cancelled as a consequence of this transfer of responsibilities?
• The Cabinet Secretary envisaged that Regional Advisory Boards would provide a link between local, regional and national delivery. How is this working in practice and what links have been provided?
• What advantages has the establishment of Skills Development Scotland brought in terms of the delivery of the skills agenda and have there been any difficulties?
• How will services be protected in light of any planned further restructuring exercise within Scottish Enterprise and/or Highlands and Islands Enterprise?