The 13 multi-area agreement (MAA) pilots are gathered around the table with local government minister, John Healey, to discuss the progress they have made so far – and what they need from the Government to make them more successful.
Two things become rapidly apparent. First, no two MAA models are the same. Second, despite their widely-different briefs and local circumstances, all the areas share a common goal – building skills and improving educational attainment in an effort to enhance the social and economic chances of local people.
For some of the assembled people, that is the only goal, while for others it is one of two or three priorities – one of the MAAs even has a long list of goals. Other key subjects for the bodies include transport, housing and waste.
The ambition and scale of the targets vary too, but one representative explain: ‘It started too broad. Now we are starting to drill down into what is really needed.'
Another agrees: ‘We are looking very broadly. We're not looking as deeply as we could. We may find that we need to focus in.' Mr Healey kicks off the debate by admitting the Government is still ‘finding our way' on MAAs. He admits the problem, so far, is they are often seen as just a ‘development' of local area agreements (LAAs).
‘If I'm honest, the department can often see them in those terms, and that is a mistake,' he says. It is particularly a mistake since some councils, it later transpires, are so busy concentrating on the LAA refresh that it is difficult to get them to commit at all to the work of the MAA.
Mr Healey urges people to look at MAAs less in terms of the performance indicators and ‘more in the context of the sub-national review.' But crucially, he urges local authorities to do more to ‘contribute to the economic prosperity of their areas' – and not just in terms of regeneration projects. ‘If we look at the way economies function… what is clear is that they don't respect local authority boundaries.'
Mr Healey quips that he is not ready to re-draw local authority boundaries again, just yet.
So, clearly, the minister has high hopes for the MAAs in terms of delivering economic growth on behalf of the Government. He has followed the sub-national review over from his previous post in the Treasury in an effort to pursue this agenda. What he is not keen on, when it comes to the MAAs, is prescription. While the Government wants to support the sub-regional agenda, he says there will be no statutory framework.
There are a number of issues and ‘asks which come from the representatives of the MAAs. The first is the issue of devolving powers. It is often hard, we hear, to understand what powers the body has or even needs – and how they will differ from the powers of the individual councils.
‘Although it's often clear which powers should come from the local level up. When it comes to devolving down from central government, the picture is far from clear.'
Getting the members on board has also been an issue for some of the bodies. Although the politicians are often seen to ‘approve' the moves of the MAAs, they are largely officer led – or at least have been up to now. Pulling them in to create a cross-boundary cohesive plan for the area has been slower than it may have been.
A further difficulty is to identify what the MAA is for. With a city-wide strategy and local government powers, it is easy to be left with the question, why bother?
As one representative points out: ‘What my chief executive colleagues would say is, "We've done that without an MAA", so tell me what an MAA can help me do that I can't do already.' In short: ‘Where is the added value?'
Although the Government is not keen on forcing local government down the path of MAAs, that in itself is something of a hindrance.
Being a voluntary process, many authorities have little time for all but the necessities. And as with many central government initiatives, those around the table are keen to ensure they are not wasting their time. Under current plans, funding will disappear after 2009. As one delegate says: ‘There is no evidence it will carry on after that.' Getting the members on board has also been an issue for some of the bodies. Although the politicians are often seen to ‘approve' the moves of the MAAs, they are largely officer led – or at least have been up until now.
Pulling them in to create a cross-boundary cohesive plan for the area has been slower than it might have been.
It is not a level playing field. Several of the delegates point to the difficulties of the different capacities – and shear size – of the partners involved. The discussion acknowledges it is ‘tough' when one large authority overshadows the other partners, or where there is even more ‘complexity' in an area with unitaries, districts and councils. And it's not just the complexity of local government which can be a problem – there are other partners outside councils to take into account. One MAA representative claims they will have to find a way to bring the private sector ‘into the local government structures'.
‘We need to work with them to see how they plug in and how they are most comfortable working with us.'
So, where is the prize for the MAAs. Despite the difficulties, making them work it is generally agreed at the table that they are a good way forward. ‘They are vehicles for long-term economic recovery', and a catalyst for opening up partnerships.
The ‘bigger prize' will be to align all the funding for the agencies involved into one pooled budget to make things happen.'
Inevitably, the question of increased freedoms and flexibilities comes up. There is a request for a more certain funding regime and a common appraisal system across government departments so MAAs will not have to put forward their proposals to different parts of Whitehall in different ways.
Mr Healey is keen to point out MAAs are not a prescription or a blueprint – they must be different in different areas. He describes the key issues as the ‘3Vs':
The minister pledges to go back to the Government with the ‘very specific asks' of the MAAs, including:
