Regional Development Agencies and GOs

John McDonnell has been asking some interesting questions about how management of various European Funds is being transferred out of Government Offices in the regions in the case of ERDF* programmes from GOs to RDAs under the auspices of Yvette Cooper at DfCLG and in the case of ESF* from GOs to DWP under the auspices of James Plaskitt with an operational transfer date of 1 October 2007 (in the case of ERDF).

Both GOs and RDAs have raised some issues down the years about accountability, as have the somethingly unelected Shadow Regional Assemblies that meet - in the shadows naturally - from time to time. Presumably many of the key staff who have been wrestling with these European Structural Funds will be asked to transfer or be seconded and may even remain at the same desks as they do so.

I think John McDonnell is wise to keep an eye on this. Somebody needs to. Apart from the terms and condition of the workers - and these regimes make for thankless and difficult work - there is a huge issue for me about how the voluntary sector will access the tapering funds over the next ten years. This has been tough and may be getting still tougher.

*TECHNICAL NOTES: European Regional Development Fund is essentially for capital projects though some revenue costs associated with them are also funded. European Social Funds largely fund job training, development and employability. Both Funds are complex with national, regional and local plans and pots of money; varying intervention rates; and ever changing rules and guidance.

ESF is particularly onerous. Bringing in co-financing where the whole funding package and not just the EU money is secured all at once seems to have worked particularly well for the larger players as have most of the other changes.

Because of the accession of Central European Countries the money for UK regions is tapering as less regions are less hard done by compared to EU averages.