Pathfinder Phase 2 Final Evaluation
Introduction
This is the executive summary from a document reporting the findings of an evaluation commissioned by the Rural Action Zone Pathfinder Officer Group (YF, or ‘the client’), and undertaken by Meridienpure in January 2008, into the Peak District Rural Action Zone (RAZ) Rural Delivery Pathfinder.
This evaluation is ‘Phase 2’ of a two-phase evaluation, and the overall aim of this evaluation was to focus on the delivery of activities supported by the Pathfinder, identify any good practice and look at how the experience of delivering the Pathfinder could be carried forward by local partners once the funding draws to a close
About the Pathfinder, the Partnership & Activities
The vision for the Peak District Rural Action Zone Pathfinder is: "To enhance access to services that support business and community enterprise in rural areas". The Business Plan for the initiative identifies a number of potential initiatives to improve delivery of services. These are:
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To explore the benefits and resource implications of a single point of access (such as a web-based information portal) to make service delivery more streamlined and effective.
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To develop opportunities for co-location / tandem service delivery (based on the recommendations of research commissioned by the Derbyshire Dales and High Peak Local Strategic Partnership and funded by the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership).
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To simplify the advice and the grant giving “maze” for businesses and the community (either through remote access points across the area and/or streamlining existing organisational structures to make them fit for Pathfinder purposes).
To this end specific projects the pathfinder has supported include:
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A web portal offering links to business support providers, local authorities and support providers;
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The development of a protocol agreement to continue partnership working beyond the lifetime of the Pathfinder;
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The development of a Pathfinder Enterprise Fund – to add value to existing grants through the promotion of networking and joint working;
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The hosting of a number of public events, including ‘rural careers fairs’, and advice for small firms seeking public-contracts;
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A range of multi-agency projects serving to improve service access by making co-location easier.
The Pathfinder is overseen by the Peak District Rural Action Zone Pathfinder Officer Group, which is commonly referred to as the Pathfinder Partnership – a group which reports to the Peak District Rural Action Zone. The partnership has a wide membership with both private and third sector representation.
In April 2006, the Pathfinder Partnership agreed a revised strategy and Action Plan for the programme. Framing the review of that plan was an already completed consultant’s study examining the options around a Call Centre-based approach to delivering business support in the light of then-anticipated changes in business support through the regionalisation of Business Links and a strengthening of the Business Link brand, policy changes which have had significant impacts for the delivery of the Pathfinder.
Pathfinder Projects
The evaluation focuses on four key projects supported by the Pathfinder:
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Partnership protocol agreement;
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Single entry point website;
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Pathfinder Rural Hub in Bakewell;
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Pathfinder Enterprise Fund.
Each of the projects has been designed around the changes to business support services. Thus none of these key projects has been precisely as envisaged at the outset of the Pathfinder but have developed in line with its broad objectives. With this drastically altered policy framework in mind, the evaluation is positive about these projects:
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There is clear evidence they have advanced the simplification agenda;
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On-going self evaluation has been an important component in their design;
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Where relevant forward strategies have been carefully worked through
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The projects generate Strategic Added Value (SAV) for the Regional Development Agencies
Though projects have not yet developed to show meaningful impact, several projects have great potential to make a meaningful impact on the local economy well beyond the lifetime of the Pathfinder itself. One key issue for the evaluators is that the forward strategies developed need to be monitored to ensure the potential of these projects are maximised.
Views on the Impact of the Pathfinder
Stakeholders we spoke to were very positive about the impact of the Pathfinder both in terms of projects and rural strategy. The development of the Peak Directions web site was the single project most likely to be held up as a demonstration of achievement. Partners were:
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Excited about the web-site’s content and how the site could develop in the future;
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Impressed by the growing user base;
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Quick to point out the development of the Peak Direction’s concept, its logo and identity was also a key outcome of the Pathfinder process;
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Through the Protocol, Peak Directions would remain a focal point for promoting business support in the Peak;
The Pathfinder had initially tried to deploy existing staff to oversee the work, but stakeholders felt made that the project successes were due to the employment of a dedicated Project Officer to oversee the work, together with:
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The close relationship between the POG and the Project Officer;
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The ability of the Project Officer to develop projects as a self-starter;
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That the project officer has remained with the programme right until the programme end;
On a broader strategic level, stakeholders felt:
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The Pathfinder had developed meaningful projects through a consensus approach between partners;
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There was evidence of aligning corporate policies to address Peak District issues;
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Engagement of key agencies who were in danger of drifting away from the area;
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The Protocol would ensure joint working in business support will continue and by so doing avoid duplication and ensure access to services.
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Whilst the partners, and supported activities in the Rural Action Zone were said to have tended to be focused on individual local authority areas, the Pathfinder had enabled a Peak-wide perspective;
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In this respect the Pathfinder has created the partnership infrastructure for close agency working to continue;
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The influence of the Pathfinder beyond its project brief can also be seen through examples of its involvement in regional partnerships.
Though many still saw some role for the Pathfinder Partnership, of greater concern is how the ‘Peak District area’ will continue to be seen as such by future funders. Partners clearly see the need to retain some form of vehicle to represent the concept of a Peak District Area, particularly given a number of anticipated changes to local and sub-regional governance which will impact on the Peak District:
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Future rural structures may be County-wide, leading to concerns that resources will drift away from the Peak;
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The Sub-National Review which proposes a further extension to the role of Local Area Agreements (LAAs) to achieve a wider range of economic development-based targets, at a time when existing LAAs are not felt to fully reflect the needs of the Peak District, which straddles two LAAs;
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A reluctance to consider a Multi-Area Agreement to reflect the cross-boundary nature of the Peak District
Conclusions
The conclusions in the report reflect on the Pathfinder initiative from the perspective of, in turn, the Haskins Review which was the pre-cursor for the initiative, and related DEFRA objectives and local ambition. Our overall conclusion is that the Peak District Pathfinder has made tremendous strides toward meeting some of the challenges raised by Haskins. As an initiative:
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The Pathfinder for the Peak District has delivered a small programme of activities that has the potential to have a significant impact upon the way the unique challenges, opportunities and wonderful natural environment of the Peak are developed on economic, social and environmental terms.
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It is clear from stakeholder feedback that a dedicated officer and management/policy/admin support has made a positive difference to Pathfinder work and achievements.
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The Pathfinder has emphasised that the Peak District as a sub-region is unique: Though it is administratively complex, it is recognisably a ‘single area’ with an identity which resonates among its stakeholders
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We are confident that there is a Pathfinder legacy; but less assured that the cross boundary and administrative issues will not suffocate or dilute this.
Future Challenges
As a result of the Pathfinder, two RDAs and two Business Link partners now have a better understanding, focus and commitment to the rurality issues of the Peak and a “peer” challenge and agreement that maintains their attention. Thus, the Pathfinder can point to strategic and operational achievements against the challenges it set itself. However a challenge remains which includes:
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Long term work with micro and small firms;
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Access to affordable workspace (and relevant managed services should there be proven demand);
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Access to training for management, staff and would-be-entrepreneurs;
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Establishment of further service and agency co-location where feasible within the Peak.
The full phase 2 evaluation report is attached below:
