European Programmes
- Policy, advisory, briefing and representational role at regional and local level
- Technical project submission advice and some development work
- Appraisal, monitoring and claims services
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Provide financial and performance information to partnerships:
- For 6 Cumbrian Objective 2 (ERDF) Action Plans
- LEADER+
- Objective 3 (ESF)
NWDA Programmes
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through
- West Lakes Renaissance
- Rural Regeneration Cumbria
- Appraisal, monitoring and claims services
- Provide financial and performance information to partnerships
European Liaison
- Cumbria Brussels office
- Promotion and dissemination on information on EU and other funding opportunities
Background
The European Liaison Unit (ELU) was created in 1997 by Cumbrian Partners when they expanded an operation initiated by GONW seconding local partners into the European Secretariat. The aim of the ELU was to promote the successful delivery of the West Cumbria and Furness 1997 - 1999 Objective 2 Programme. This included responsibility for both European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund. The key purpose of the unit was to work with project sponsors and partners to improve the spend and outputs achieved through previous European programmes, particularly by easing the process for applicants. During the course of 2000 the responsibility for the work of the Cumbrian Objective 5b Secretariat was incorporated into the ELU.
The Unit was acknowledged as working on behalf of Cumbrian partner organisations by being led through a Steering group appointed by funding partners and providing a representative Cumbrian voice within and beyond the region.
Cumbria County Council was the employer for all the posts and provided administrative support for the unit. Funding was provided through European Technical Assistance (both Objective 2 and Objective 3) and partner contributions in equal proportions.
During this same period Cumbria County Council was the Accountable authority for the Rural Development Programme and employed the secretariat on behalf of the wider partnership. The two members of the Secretariat provided the Cumbria Rural Development Group with project development, appraisal, monitoring, claims and payment services under the Rural Matters Strategy. It was the role of the Appraisal officer to perform an independent appraisal and recommendation to submit to the Rural Development Group Executive who had the delegated authority to approve projects.
During 2002 Cumbrian Partners worked with the North West Development Agency to create two Regeneration Companies, one to deliver the aims of the urbanised coastal strip between Silloth and Ulverston, and the other to deal with the rural renaissance requirements post FMD. Cumbria County Council agreed to act as Accountable Body to support this large influx of Regeneration grant aid. At the same time the decision was made to distribute the Objective 2 Programme 2000 - 2006 regional ERDF through local Action Plan partnerships and Cumbria County Council agreed to accept Accountable body responsibility for three of the six Action Plans operating in the eligible area namely, the Cumbria Priority 1 Business and Ideas Action Plan, the Furness and West Cumbria Economic Development Zone, the Rural Cumbria Economic Development Zone. The Council also resolved to be the Accountable body for the Fells and Dales Leader + Action Plan.
The ELU was thereby supporting all the Cumbrian European action plans as it also had service level agreements in place with each Accountable body responsible for the three Priority 2 action plans, namely Barrow Borough Council, Eden District Council and West Cumbria Council for Voluntary Services. The decision was taken to go to partner consultation to look at expanding the role of the unit to incorporate the appraisal and monitoring functions required to access the North West Development Agency funding on behalf of Cumbrian partners. Although differing programme and partnership arrangements existed the services required by both the partnerships and accountable body are to a large extent similar.
It was felt that by creating the Regeneration Support Team there would be improved synergy and collaboration between the funding programmes and the following needs were identified
- To provide technical admin support, freeing up the regeneration companies and partnerships to concentrate on direct regeneration activities
- To retain a major source of expertise in both the RDP and ELU
- To create better links between the accountable bodies and the secretariat services provided by the ELU
- To continue the provision of impartial advice and support to partners
- To provide services to a number of accountable bodies
- To strengthen appraisal expertise
- To provide a dedicated accountancy/claims service
In order to ensure that the needs of both new and old partnership requirements were secured it was agreed to
- Combine the existing resources of the RDP secretariat and the ELU and to strengthen the resources to create a funding support team
- To continue the line management of the enhanced team through the Regeneration Services Unit of the County Council
- To build on the ELU Steering Group and create a Regeneration Support Team Steering Group to provide the strategic guidance and ensure the independent approach of the team