Accountability and Regional Governance

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan While
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Democratic Deficit ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Stakeholder Interests ◽  
State Apparatus

This article looks at the emerging role of the regional chambers in England. Ostensibly acting as the first step towards elected regional government, these new partnerships have become an integral part of New Labour's pragmatic approach to English regionalisation. Providing a counterweight to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), regional chambers are intended to provide an inclusive forum for the various local and regional stakeholder interests. The remit of these voluntary bodies will include monitoring the activities of the RDAs and providing strategic input into a range of regional policy initiatives. Focusing on developments in two English regions, the article considers whether regional chambers will be able to compensate for the democratic deficit that has long been an intrinsic part of the regional state apparatus in England.

A Decade of Decentralisation? Assessing the Role of the Government Offices for the English Regions

2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1395-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Musson ◽  
Adam Tickell ◽  
Peter John
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
The Government ◽  
Role Of The Government

The Government Offices for the English regions were established in 1994 to coordinate the regional activities of three central government departments. A decade on, regional government in England is greatly expanded, and two other institutions of regional governance, the Regional Development Agencies and the Regional Assemblies, have also been created. In 2002 the Labour government proposed that this ‘triad’ of regional governance should be further reformed and strengthened, in some places being brought to democratic account. In this paper, we argue that academic research on the English regions has generally focused on the Regional Development Agencies and to a lesser extent the Regional Assemblies, to the exclusion of the Government Offices. This focus has led some to overstate the extent to which regional government represents the real decentralisation of power. Focusing on the role of the Government Offices, we argue that central government retains a great deal of power over the ‘triad’ institutions, which in their current form may be unable to challenge the structure of power in the English state.

Regionální disparity ve voličském chování: Prostorová analýza voličské podpory České pirátské strany v krajských volbách

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Maškarinec
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Spatial Data Analysis ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Regional Politics ◽  
Electoral Support ◽  
Regional Elections

The presented paper deals with the regionalization of the electoral support of the Czech Pirate Party (Pirates) in regional elections using methods and techniques of spatial data analysis. The aim is to answer the question whether the territorial distribution of Pirate electoral support allows this party to participate in governance at the regional level and thus influence the form of regional policy in individual regions. The results of the analysis show that the spatial distribution of Pirates’ electoral support in regional elections differed quite significantly not only from the pattern found in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament and elections to the European Parliament, but also between individual regional elections. This suggests the current lack of anchorage of Pirates’ electoral support in regional politics, but at the same time, it may have its origins in the second-order character of regional elections and the candidacy of many local and regional entities in regional elections. On the other hand, the results of the regional elections in 2020 meant that the Pirates received seats in all regional councils, but especially in nine of the thirteen regions they joined the regional government (similarly to two years earlier when they joined government of capital city of Prague), gaining the opportunity to influence, with regard to its priorities, the form of regional governance in most Czech regions.

scholarly journals INSTITUTIONAL PROVISION INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3(65)) ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
V.F. Goriachuk ◽  
D.F. Dukov
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
The State ◽  
State Governance ◽  
State Fund ◽  
Manual Mode

During the years of independence in Ukraine, a certain set of investment instruments of state governance for regional development has been created: state and regional target programs, regional development agreements, agreements on implementation of interregional projects, programs for overcoming the state of depression, the State Fund for Regional Development (DFRD), and others. However, their level of performance is quite low.Notwithstanding the provisions of the State Strategy for Regional Development for the period up to 2020, regional development agreements and programs to overcome the state of depression of the territory are not implemented at all. The use of the DFRR in the "manual mode" reduces the role of the fund in solving the tasks of regional policy of the state.One of the main investment instruments of state governance for regional development are regional target programs. The analysis of target programs of the Odesa Oblast, which operated in 2015, showed that most of them did not meet the priorities of the economic and social development strategy of the Odessa region and (or) have other defects.Agreements on the implementation of interregional projects, the implementation of which contributes to the improvement of socio-economic development of two or more regions, have not been used at all. The same situation with regard to programs to overcome the state of depression of the territory.The inadequate institutional support of the DFRD leads to its underfunding, non-compliance with the rules for distributing its funds between regions, and non-compliance with the priorities of regional development.The article proposes: to return the practice of using agreements on regional development as a mechanism for coordinating the interests of central executive and local self-government bodies in relation to the implementation of strategic tasks of regional development; based on the principle of subsidiarity, delegate to the regional level the authority to develop programs to overcome the state of depression of the territory; to implement methodological recommendations for the evaluation of regional target programs.

From Government to Governance: Polish Regional Development Agencies in a Changing Regional Context

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ferry
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Democratic Accountability ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
Structural Funds ◽  
Policy Environments ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
Policy Arena ◽  
Theoretical Analyses

This article charts the evolving role of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in Poland. It argues that changes to regional institutional and policy environments, linked to processes of regionalisation, EU accession, and the administration of European Union structural funds, have prompted increasing diversification of RDA activities. Moreover, questions of democratic accountability and economic efficiency are becoming increasingly pointed. Has regionalisation boosted the democratic accountability and regional orientation of agencies? Has administrative reform simplified agencies' delivery of development programmes? What influence has the administration of structural funds had on this? The article explores these issues, stressing generally that theoretical analyses of RDA activities must take increasing account of agency “positioning,” i.e., their role and purpose in an increasingly crowded and complex regional policy arena. Future scenarios for the evolution of RDAs in Poland are also outlined.

Trends of new regional policy development in EU member states

2019 ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stepan Davymuka ◽  
Vasyl Kuybida ◽  
Lyubov Fedulova
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
State Regional ◽  
The Eu ◽  
State Regional Policy

Slow transformations in socio-economic development of Ukrainian regions in the context of public authorities’ decentralization policy show poor efficiency of both state regional policy in general and regional policies of territories’ development in its former forms. This activates discussions and search for more efficient and adequate approaches to management of spatial development in the context of implementation of European integration course, taking into account the experience of European Union. The paper aims to outline the nature of modern role of regions in the context of regional policy and to reveal and explain the trends of practical implementation of new regional policy in the EU with further development of recommendations for authorities to be considered in strategic governance of territorial development in Ukraine. The nature of modern role of regions in the context of regional policy is outlined and conceptual foundations of new EU regional policy are defined. Special attention in paid to the increasing role of local actors and public authorities’ decentralization in the process of regional development governance. The trends of forming and implementation of new regional policy in the EU are revealed and specified, including the compliance with the established European values, interrelation between the goals of the policies of EU regions and cities with stimulation of economic growth and improvement of the quality of life based on strategic investment; structural changes in forming of European budget, innovative imperative of EU regional development and strengthening of external integration of regions. Based on the analysis of European experience, the lessons for authorities responsible for state regional policy of Ukraine are outlined. Targeted recommendations for state authorities are suggested to be taken into account in the process of forming and implementation of regional development strategy in conditions of decentralization of authorities and ongoing European integration processes. Special role is paid to the need to apply “soft” measures of regional policy that contribute to more extended attraction of informal institutes and creation of conditions for involvement of all regional actors into the process of making and accomplishment of management decisions.

scholarly journals The region and the smaller enterprise: A discussion of appropriate investigative methodologies

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Pownall
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Development Research ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Aid Policy ◽  
Shed Light

Regional policy instruments are typically driven by economic rationales, from either a firm or industrial perspective. Yet too often, these rationales are taken as ex ante to the contexts within which firms and industries compete. Recent regional development research has urged a better link be developed between the individual, the firm, and their context, so as to understand the role of regions in supporting effective competitiveness of organizations. In this article, recent research themes are explored that may shed light on the nature of this relationship and that can be developed into an investigative methodology that could aid policy practitioners in generating policy instruments that reflect differing societal constructions of SME reality.

Core–Periphery Relations in the European Union and the Role of Central Places in Europe with a Focus on Regional Policy in Britain and Germany

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bennett C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Regional Development ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The North ◽  
Nation States ◽  
The One ◽  
Depressed Regions ◽  
The Eu

Core–periphery analysis is vital to an understanding of the European Union (EU) and regional development. The European Economic Community (EEC), which would eventually become the EU, was formed in 1957 in order to promote progressive economic integration. Recognizing that there were depressed regions within both peripheral and core nation-states, the EC adopted a programme with the goal of bringing those regions into convergence. Its programme is essentially a liberal centre–periphery model similar to the one proposed by Friedman. Many of the nation-states within the EC also have their own regional policies and programmes regarding intervention within their own spatial boundaries. To present an approach for comparison this article will focus on two examples of regional policy: Britain's attitude toward regional development in the North and the German programme for integrating East Germany.

scholarly journals The Current Principles of Regional Development Management and Regional Policy Formation

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (515) ◽  
pp. 128-133
Author(s):  
O. Y. Churikanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
The State ◽  
Investment Policy ◽  
Development Management ◽  
Regional Development Strategies

The article is concerned with the current principles of regional development management and formation of regional policy. The key aspects and mechanisms of regional governance such as public administration and regionalistics are examined. The directions of research in the sphere of regional development management are provided. The main stages and components that provide for the implementation of the State policy of regional development are considered. Based on both Ukrainian and European regional development strategies, the following key principles of regional development management and regional policy formation are allocated: regional development based on the principles of sustainability; regional development based on the principles of circular economy; regional development based on the principles of typologization of regions; regional development based on the principles of investment policy. Each of these principles is considered separately in terms of the importance of application in the formation of regional development policy. During the analysis, it was noted that the topical issues in the formation of regional development strategies on the basis of sustainability were and remain the issues of assessment of the achieved results, which are distilled down to the development of a single conception and determination of the relevant goals of the group of indicators on which this conception should be based. It also emphasized the need to develop certain measures for the implementation of circular business models, development of transition strategy and policy of both the State-controlled and regional support. It is specified that in order to effectively develop territories in the management of regional development and formation of regional policy, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of each region, and therefore to perform a preliminary typologization. When considering regional investments in the formation of a regional development strategy, it is emphasized that in the formation of an effective investment policy at the regional level, the application of the approach based on the typologization of regions both in terms of development in general and in terms of investment development in particular becomes an important aspect. The general conception of regional development management and regional policy formation has been formed. The author emphasizes the conformity of such a conception to modern conditions for the development of Ukrainian regions.

scholarly journals Role of Local Mass Media Control of Regional Governance in Indonesia (Case Study in East Nusa Tenggara)

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Jonas Klemens Gregorius Dori Gobang ◽  
Frans Salesman
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Local Mass ◽  
Local Media ◽  
The Impact

Background. Decentralization of the authority to manage government and regional development has been regulated in Law Number 32 of 2014 concerning Regional Government. However, in its implementation there are many deviations found in the form of corruption of local officials causing a loss of quality in human resources. The researcher tried to reveal the role of local mass media to control local governance so that its implementation did not cause corruption in the development budget carried out by regional government officials. Method and material. Using qualitative analysis of news texts published by local mass media with and content of corrupt behavior of regional officials in East Nusa Tenggara Province. Various secondary data is used to supplement this research information. Respondents of journalists and local media editor in chief. Results. Local media coverage revealed 100 regional heads were arrested and convicted of corruption. The impact of the worsening social conditions in the East Nusa Tenggara the high prevalence of stunting is 40.30%; 2,669 infants with malnourished babies, 1,142,790 poor people (21.35%) in 2018. Conclusion. It has been punished by regional officials who are perpetrators of corruption as a result of local media coverage. Corruption has a systemic impact on decreasing the quality of human resources in East Nusa Tenggara.

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