The recent pursuit of regional planning agendas in England has coincided with a strong push from the government towards an evidence-based, information-intensive approach to policymaking, with the increased use of statistical indicators to inform and evaluate emerging regional policies. In this paper we aim to examine the monitoring arrangements, and the way indicators are used, in the development and monitoring of key regional strategies (Regional Planning Guidance, Regional Economic Strategies). The idea is to examine indicator usage and monitoring arrangements from a political–managerial perspective through an exploration of the realm of rational–technocratic activities of monitoring within the institutional environment of Regional Planning Bodies and Regional Development Agencies. Following a review of academic literature, we explore the regional intelligence management and the monitoring arrangements of the two key regional strategies in each of the English regions. The analysis is based on documentary and web-based reviews as well as in-depth interviews conducted with key regional actors.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AltvaterE, 1992, “Fordist and post-Fordist international division of labour and monetary regimes”, in Pathways to Industrialization and Regional Development Eds StorperMScottA J, (Routledge, London) pp 21–45
2.
AminAThriftN, (Eds), 1995Globalization, Institutions, and Regional Development (Oxford University Press, Oxford)
3.
AstleithnerFHamedingerAHolmanNRydinY, 2004, “Institution and indicators—the discourse about indicators in the context of sustainability”Journal of Housing and the Built Environment197–24
4.
Audit Commission, 2000On Target: The Practice of Performance IndicatorsAudit Commission for Local Authorities and the National Health Service in England and Wales, London
5.
BakerM, 2002, “Government offices and the regions and regional planning”, in Contemporary Issues in Regional Planning Eds MarshallTGlassonJHeadicarP, (Ashgate, Aldershot, Hants) pp 70–87
6.
BakerMRobertsP, 1999, “Examination of the operation and effectiveness of the structure planning process: Summary report”, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 4/H1 Eland House, Bressenden Place, London
7.
BakerMWongC, 2001, “The use of regional intelligence to inform regional policy”, in “Proceedings of the Regional Studies Association Annual Conference ‘Regionalising the Knowledge Economy’”, Regional Studies Association, PO Box 2058, Seaford BN25 4QU, pp 74–77
8.
BakerMWongC, 2004, “Developing regional intelligence capacities in the English regions”, paper presented at the Association of European Schools of Planning 2004 Congress, 1–4 July, Grenoble; copy available from the authors
9.
BakerMDeasIWongC, 1999, “Obscure ritual or administrative luxury? Integrating strategic planning and regional development”Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design26763–782
10.
BakerMRobertsPShawR, 2003, “Stakeholder involvement in regional planning”, Town and Country Planning Association, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1 5AS
11.
BarleyS, 1990, “The alignment of technology and structure through roles and networks”Administrative Science Quarterly3561–103
12.
BlackmanT, 1995Urban Policy in Practice (Routledge, London)
13.
BlakelyE J, 1994Planning Local Economic Development: Theory and Practice2nd edition (Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA)
14.
Cabinet Office, 1999Modernising Government Cm4310 (The Stationery Office, London)
15.
Commission of the European Communities, 1991Annual Report on the Implementation of the Reform of the Structural Funds 1989 (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg)
16.
DesanctisGPooleM S, 1994, “Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: Adaptive structuration theory”Organization Science5121–147
17.
DETR, 1999aPlanning Policy Guidance Note 11: Regional Planning—Public Consultation DraftDepartment of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (The Stationery Office, London)
18.
DETR, 1999bState of the Region IndicatorsDepartment of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (The Stationery Office, London)
19.
DTI, 1998Regional Competitiveness IndicatorsDepartment of Trade and Industry (The Stationery Office, London)
20.
DTI, 2002Regional Competitiveness and State of the RegionsDepartment of Trade and Industry, HMSO, London
21.
DTLR, 2001Planning: Delivering Fundamental Change Green Paper, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (The Stationery Office, London)
22.
DTLR, 2002Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions Cm 5511, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (The Stationery Office, London)
23.
EMRA, 2002, “Integrated regional strategy”, East Midlands Regional Assembly, First Floor Suite, Council Offices, Nottingham Road, Melton Mowbray, LE13 0UL, http://www.emra.gov.uk/irs/
24.
European Commission, 2000aEuropean Spatial Development Perspective (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg)
25.
European Commission, 2000b, “Indicators for monitoring and evaluation: An indicative methodology”, The New Progamming Period 2000–2006 Methodological Working Papers 3 (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg)
26.
GiddensA, 1984The Constitution of Society (University of California Press, Berkeley, CA)
HeldD, 1991, “Democracy, the nation-state and the global system”Economy and Society20138–172
29.
InnesJ, 2002, “Improving policy making with information”Planning Theory and Practice3102–104
30.
InnesJ EBooherD E, 2000, “Indicators for sustainable communities: A strategy for building on complexity theory and distributed intelligence”Planning Theory and Practice1173–186
31.
McPheeRZaungP, 2000, “The communicative constitution of organizations: A framework for explanation”, paper presented to the annual conference of the Western States Communication Association, Sacramento, CA, http://www.westcomm.org/
32.
McPheeR DZaungP, 2001, “Organizational theory, organizational communication, organizational knowledge, and problematic integration”Journal of Communication51574–591
33.
MilwardH B, 1996, “Symposium on the hollow state: Capacity, control and performance in interorganisational settings”Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory6193–195
34.
MilwardH B, 2000, “How networks are governed?”, in Governance and Performance: New Perspectives Eds HeinrichC JLynnL EJr, (Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC) pp 238–262
35.
ODPM, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU
36.
ODPM, 2002aMonitoring Regional Planning Guidance: Good Practice Guidance on Targets and Indicators
37.
ODPM, 2002bPlanning and Compulsory Purchase Bill (The Stationery Office, London)
38.
ODPM, 2003aConsultation Paper on Draft Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11)-Regional Planning
39.
ODPM, 2003bSustainable Communities: Building for the Future (The Stationery Office, London)
40.
ODPM, 2003cMaking it Happen: The Northern Way (The Stationery Office, London)
41.
ODPM, 2004aConsultation Paper on Planning Policy Statement 1: Creating Sustainable Communities (The Stationery Office, London)
ODPM, 2004cPlanning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks (The Stationery Office, London)
44.
ODPM, 2004dThe Northern Way: Moving Forward (The Stationery Office, London)
45.
ODPM, 2005aCore Output Indicators for Regional Planning (The Stationery Office, London)
46.
ODPM, 2005bLocal Development Framework Monitoring: A Good Practice Guide (The Stationery Office, London)
47.
PinderJ, 1980, “Policy and research 2”Policy Studies18–13
48.
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004Public General Acts—Elizabeth II chapter 5 (The Stationery Office, London)
49.
ProvanKMilwardH B, 2001, “Do networks really work? A framework of evaluating public sector organisational networks”Public Administration Review61414–423
50.
SQW Limited, 2002, “Regional economic strategy evaluation study”, a final report to One North East, SQW Limited, Enterprise House, Vision Park, Histon CB4 9ZR
51.
StöhrW B, 1987, “Regional economic development and the world economic crisis”International Social Science Journal112187–197
52.
Tewdwr-JonesMWilliamsR H, 2001The European Dimension of British Planning (Spon, London)
53.
van GestelTFaludiA, 2005, “Towards a European territorial cohesion assessment network: A bright future for ESPON”Town Planning Review 76 article 7
54.
WongC, 2000, “Indicators in use: Challenges to urban and environmental planning in Britain”Town Planning Review71213–239
55.
WongC, 2003, “Indicators at the crossroads: Ideas, methods and applications”Town Planning Review, 74253–279
56.
WongCBakerMJefferyPKiddSRobertsP, 2004a, “Local development framework monitoring and the annual monitoring report”, a draft final report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool, Liverpool
57.
WongCJefferyPGreenAOwenDCoombesMRaybouldS, 2004bDeveloping a Town and City Indicators DatabaseOffice of the Deputy Prime Minister, London
58.
WSA, 1999, “Review of the local government research programme”, a final report to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, William Solesbury and Associates, http://www.local.dtlr.gov.uk/research/final1∼1.doc
