Living with Regions: making multi-level governance work

Living with Regions: making multi-level governance work
Publication Date: December 9th, 2004
ISBN: 1 903447 43 7
Authored by: Emily Robinson
Hardcopy Price: £20

The governance of the English regions is complex. It straddles local, sub-regional, regional, supra-regional and national levels, with a plethora of bodies operating at each. A ‘Yes’ vote in the North East referendum would have led to serious consideration of the intricacies of this structure; it is even more important that this should happen now that the regional tier will not become publicly accountable.

This path-breaking report analyses how the system is working at the moment and – more importantly – how it could work better. Living with Regions draws on extensive case study research in three very different English regions, as well as post-devolution Wales and London.

Living with Regions is crucial reading for anyone who is trying to make relationships work and govern in an effective, accountable way, at whatever level of the governance system. In a multilevel world, these issues have become yet more complex. How, for example, does information flow between governance tiers? Who is accountable to whom – and what does that mean for day to day working? And how does the non-elected status of the regional tier affect its work with both Whitehall and Town Hall?

The report is the eighth publication in NLGN’s ‘Delivering Change’ series, which aims to help senior officers and elected members learn from practical evidence of change to respond positively to the local government modernisation agenda.

multi-level governance summary.pdf
(PDF: Foreword, methodology and introduction version)


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