Regional managers – architects of the regions
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Regional managers play an important role in sustainable regional development by involving stakeholders to implement strategies. They represent regions, identify potential, and support stakeholders in initiating and implementing projects. Regional management coordinates activities that transcend traditional boundaries and bring together different interest groups. It faces challenges like identifying projects and ensuring their viability, but can address these through networking, flexibility, and professionalization. Regional managers require qualifications in fields like project management, social and cross-border competencies. Their work is supported through continued education programs and knowledge platforms.
Regional managers – architects of the regions
- 1. Regional managers – architects of the regions Experiences from the New Regional Policy (NRP) in Switzerland September 7th 2012 11.00−12.30 Valposchiavo Sebastian Bellwald, Director regiosuisse Owner Planval AG Brig/Bern
- 2. The following slides are extracts from the publication «Praxisblatt Regionalmanagement» Contents «Praxisblatt Regionalmanagement»: 1. Background 2. Regional management and regional development 3. Roles and tasks of regional management 4. Environment and funding of regional management 5. Success factors and. challenges 6. Practice tools (published in 2011 in German, French & Italian)
- 3. What does regional management (RM) mean? • An organisation that steers (or manages) sustainable regional development by involving multiple stakeholders • Ideally on the basis of a commonly elaborated regional development strategy • RM is an essential component for the implementation of the NRP. Vice versa the NRP is only one of many stimulus programmes that RM has at its disposal.
- 4. Roles and tasks of RM • Representation of the region • Identification of regional potential • Motivation and support of regional stakeholders in initiating, planning and implementing projects («Midwife», «Facilitator», «Instigator») • RM is not be mistaken with a new territorial level between the state, canton and municipality. Regional governance rather than regional government.
- 5. Action arena «regional development»: functional spaces • Cultural • Societal ≠ municipial, district or cantonal border • Economic • Transterritorial cooperation: «Even if regional management is usually embedded into regional structures, it does not limit its actions to the region. Depending on the project or undertaking the action range changes, as well as the actor constellation.» Praxisblatt RM • (= variable geometry: territorial reference varies with the function; a region transcends its borders.)
- 6. Project example: Integrated use of biomass • Project idea – R&D for design of prototype to utilise biomass (integration of existing machines) – Output of the machine: pellets for heating/ power generation or as fodder – After completion of NRP funded phase: optimisation of machine to production, then sale of the machine to farmers as franchise partners Own use of the pellets or sale to public authorities Quelle: Bioburn AG
- 7. Eight challenges – and how they can be met 1. Identification of project initiators > Networking and communication 2. Communication between NRP and project initiators > RM as mediator/interpreter 3. Marketability of projects > Professionalisation with help of business model design (ex.) 4. Commercial viability of projects > Long-term project management 5. Interpretation of NRP terms for funding > Assessment of projects – flexible interpretation of terms 6. General (legal) conditions constraining innovation > Linking-up with responsible departments and perseverance 7. Delays in project schedule > Flexible programme duration 8. Project development after NRP funding > Wholistic support by RM
- 8. Key tasks and possible Communication functions of RM Networking Regional identity Development strategies Knowledge transfer Consult- ing Mediating between different Evaluation interest of projects groups Projects Project Processes management support
- 9. Regional management between the conflicting fields of routine and innovation Flexibility and capitalise on opportunities Security RM Readiness to assume risk Fault tolerance Consistency Routine Innovation Consolidation Output Process orientation orientation Professionalisation etc. Realise chances Regional performance
- 10. Legal forms and funding • Legal basis: service level agreement between canton and regional development agency (i.e. RM) • Forms: – Mandate to municipalities association – Mandate to a company – Integration into cantonal administration – Mandate to regional conference • Funding of RM: – Contributions from municipalities or organisations being part of the patronage – Basic or full financing from the canton – Project based funding – Income from services provided by RM – Sponsoring
- 11. Profile of qualification regional management Professional competence Personal Regional competence competence • High requirements • Possibly involvement Qualifications of third parties profile RM Crossborder management Social and networking • Specialisation competence competence possible with RM team Process Project competence competence
- 12. Information about offers of continued education for regional managers Study programmes: Agenda: Events of extraregional interest in the area of regional development in Switzerland and neighbouring countries
- 13. Information: formation-regiosuisse RM course • RM courses for the continued study of relevant topics, methods etc. of RM • Sign up for individual courses or the entire programme (5 ECTS) Coming-up courses: 12.–15. November 2012 Impact oriented regional development (incl. topic of gender) 28.–30. January 2013 Regional network management & communication 13.–15. May 2013 Regional entrepreneurship and regional economics 16.–19. September 2013 Special topic or process competence Registration and additional information in German, French, Italian: www.regiosuisse.ch/formation/formation-regiosuisse www.regiosuisse.ch/formazione/formation-regiosuisse www.regiosuisse.ch/weiterbildung/formation-regiosuisse
- 14. In summary: • RM are active in many parts of Switzerland to support stakeholders in developing and implementing their projects • RM are vitally important for the development of a region • Make use of RM for your projects and for exchange of experiences • On behalf of SECO, regiosuisse supports RM and other regional development stakeholders with knowledge platforms, events, continued education...
- 15. Thank you for your attention!