Blogs - 22 October 2014

Blog: David Ralph – Making Miracles Happen

I’m currently reviewing D2N2 employee job descriptions in order to implement some changes in the light of our increased focus on implementation and delivery.

At the same time I’m completing our mid year performance appraisals and setting staff objectives for the coming months and starting to frame the D2N2 Business Plan for 15/16.

Desks at ‘LEP Central’ are currently a mass of spreadsheets, business cases, risk assessments, implementation plans etc, as we strive to deliver on three fronts – Growth Deal 1 announced in July – a £520m capital programme that starts early in 15/16; Project assessment and prioritisation for Growth Deal 1.5 announced a couple of weeks, and our European Structural Investment Funds Implementation Plan, which is due to go live in early 2015.

LEPs are becoming increasingly transactional. Largely as a result of increased accountability and transparency that comes with having funding – some of the £450m is now directed through D2N2 – and partly from the fact hat we are only months away from what seems to be a closely fought election.

Our staff restructuring includes a dedicated European delivery team; additional resource to support and oversee capital projects and additional support alongside our Skills and Employability manager to provide our Growth Hub, reduced business regulations and access to finance.

The LEP still has less than a dozen staff including 2 apprentices – but only 12 months ago we only had two.

Moreover we are increasingly placing a heavier burden on our stakeholders to develop more robust and clearer business cases to support their proposals, which is starting to show further collaboration and joining up.

The LEP economic strategy is business centred and in this regard is sectorally-led. There is a real challenge joining up the sector-led approach with a spatially led administrative framework.

In 18 months D2N2 LEP has in my view made great strides. We absolutely haven’t got it all right, and we operate in a complex web of self interest and stakeholders.

During their review, one of my staff suggested that in the context of managing these often complex relationships, a job requirement should be miracle worker.

My view – miracles are not required, but tenacity, commitment and resilience help in the context of a clear rationale and objectives. I believe that D2N2 LEP is demonstrating a values based leadership model fundamentally focused on improving the local economy as a force for good.

David RalphChief ExecutiveD2N2 LEP

Latest News & Events

19 July 2024

Local business support boosted with launch of Early Stage Angel Investment Fund

Read Article

21 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber, on the D2N2 LEP transition and East Midlands devolution

Read Article

11 June 2024

The D2N2 LEP staff team joins the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

Read Article

07 June 2024

Becky Rix, Marketing Director at Roadgas, explains why Roadgas is a proud member of the East Midlands Hydrogen Consortium

Read Article

05 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Natasha Johnson, Director of Partnerships at Global Entrepreneurs UK

Read Article

05 June 2024

Free Expert Business Advice and Support available through East Midlands Chamber’s Accelerator Programme

Read Article

03 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Professor Edward Peck CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University

Read Article

24 May 2024

Focus on the East Midlands: our time is NOW!

Read Article

24 May 2024

D2N2 LEP CEO, Will Morlidge, shares our East Midlands Hydrogen ambitions at UKREiiF

Read Article

24 May 2024

East Midlands Freeport and Freeport East Sign Green Freight Corridor Initiative at UKREiiF

Read Article

Get in touch.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up
Address

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
8 Experian Way
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG2 1EP

Social

Our Partners