The OECD LEED Programme (Local Economic and Employment Development)

1. The OECD LEED Programme(Local Economic and Employment Development) Debra Mountford, Senior Policy Analyst, OECD LEED.ILEX Regeneration Conference, 21 May 2009

2. LEED – created 27 years ago in response to economic reconstruction and rising unemployment With a Mandate to: • improve the quality of public policy, both economic and social, designed and implemented at the local level; • assess and propose methods for the growth of high-quality self-employment and entrepreneurship as a means of local economic development and employment creation; • serve as a critical link both between local, national and international actors; • analyse and promote forms of local partnership between the private, public and non-profit sectors with the aim of supporting local economic and social development.

3. Local Economic Development • makes an important contribution to national economic performance. • is not like other local municipal services, it is: • A market facing activity operating over longer timeframes • With broader geographies than municipal boundaries • Aimed at stakeholders who are often not local citizens/voters • An activity that needs public-public, public-private, and private-private co-ordination • Requiring wide collaboration, which demands Exceptional leadership skills amongst local government leaders and their partners.

4. Delivering local development - Why Development Agencies? • Pace of response to investors/developers. • Scale of intervention possible. • Reputation and credibility of city ‘negotiators’. • Costs and risk sharing opportunities. • Value and benefit capture opportunities. • Unlock under-used assets. • Increase efficiency in land, property, and local investment markets. • Overcome ‘co-ordination failures’ arising from fragmented jurisdiction. • Economic crisis

5. Distinctive features of LDAs • Economic roles: • Build markets by acting within them: • Entrepreneurial, risk and cost sharing, • Assets, investment, marketing, infrastructure, planning, promotion. • Outside normal ambit of Government. • Implementation roles: • Dedicated professional teams. Un-distracted by other mandates. Project management skills. Financial skills. Monitor progress and impacts. • Innovation. New tools, new approaches, new partners.

6. Distinctive features of LDAs • Leadership roles: • Set out a strategy towards a new future. • Galvanise the instincts of leaders. • Translate multiple visions into coherent programme. • Co-ordination/Governance roles: • Help fragmented territory achieve co-ordination. • Cross border, cross tiers, cross sector organising. • Independent broker/leader role. • Shared ownership.

7. What Agencies should aspire to • Being world class to help reshape an economy. • Being well equipped to face future challenges. • Conscious of its role within the city and internationally. • Never be afraid to innovate

8. Agencies that have shaped places and changed lives • Laganside Corporation • Barcelona Activa • Milan Metropoli • Bilbao Metrolopli 30 • Johannesburg Development Agency

9. Defining the fundamentals - Barcelona Activa’s ABC Brains Airports Roots Cohesion Entrepreneurship Leadership Openness Network Ambition

10. And the ABC for Derry-Londonderry? • Your Regeneration Plan to reshape your future • Delivered by ILEX URC and stakeholders