Meeting of Interim SC&SW Local Advisory Commission for

Notes from 1st Meeting of Interim SC&SW Local Advisory Commission for GrowthAccelerator

Participants

Dr Martin Dare-Edwards – Interim Chairman (specifically required to be Independent of any LEP, sub-region or sector)

Don McLaverty – Oxford Innovation (1st Tier Delivery Partner / Lead Contractor for GA SC&SW {and South East})

Ann Johnstone – BIS Local Trevor Brown – RCUK (deputising for Eddie Bromilow) Rob Harvey – UKTI Heather Dean – Thames Valley Buckinghamshire LEP Kathy Slack – Enterprise M3 LEP

Apologies/Suggested Future Additional Participants

Stuart Miller – CEO of Medium Sized High Growth Company – ByBox John Caines – Gloucester-based Angel Investor At Least 1 Other CEO/COO of a High Growth Company – preferably from South & SW

(N.B. believed generally more valuable to have actual, passionate, vocal and ambassadorial business-people, than additional representatives of “business representative bodies”)

Brian McCarthy – TSB A Representative of a South West LEP (awaiting Business West recommendation) An IoD Representative – suggested to be Simon Face A Grant Thornton Representative A LAC Secretary – suggested to be Steve Lee from Oxford Innovation (or backup of

Maxine Adam)

Recommendations (= “Interim Decisions”!)…note implicit recommendations in relation to membership of LAC via the above

Agreed that currently defined Strategic Aim of LAC is both appropriate and the preferred executive-level and externally-marketed definition of the role of the LAC (i.e. relative to the broader “scope” words on Roles and responsibilities)

Agreed that the existing Roles and Responsibilities of LAC are appropriate for “internal use” by the LAC as reference of scope; one change of wording was suggested for the final “bullet”, to read:- “To advise on direction to the national programme board (towards optimisation of GA effectiveness and value)”

In relation to Engagement with, and accordingly communications to & from the 12 SC&SW LEPs, it was agreed that this should most effectively (ad necessarily) be achieved by direct relationships between the GA Team Directors with the respective LEPs in their “constituencies”. The envisaged maximum 3 participating LEP representatives on the SC&SW LAC could be utilised (and 2 have already accepted) to act as a conduit for conveying “vital” broad-interest issues to the attention of the LAC.

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Meeting of Interim SC&SW Local Advisory Commission for

Those LEP representatives would not have a role to trawl the other LEPs for such issues, nor in dissemination of LAC meetings and recommendations through to the other LEPs.

Agreed that LAC would not have any direct role to ensure coordination of the GA activities with the spectrum of other business support activities and arrangements (which are intrinsically diverse across local areas).This alignment and coordination responsibility should be with the Team Directors, and agreed with their respective local LEPs

Relations with Universities should be with the respective LEPs (and not the LAC per se) Recommended that LAC should seek more actual business representation, both as

membership or additionally in ambassadorial roles for GA. Such representatives should be independent (of LEPs), passionate, vocal and active (cf. “personalities”!), likely also covering a variety of sectors and business-scales. Mentioned was made (by MDE) to harness relevant SC&SW members of the UKTI’s “Catalyst UK” network. This was set as an action for all LAC members to propose such individuals.

Confirmed that vital for success of GA are success stories, and demonstrated “clusters-of-excellence” where the GA objectives are being supported by local peer-group mentoring

Recommended that future meetings (in 2013) should be held across the SC&SW area, also allowing for direct presentation from Team Directors and Growth Managers on GA success stories

Other Key Matters discussed (no decision or recommendations taken as such)

The development of a GA Observatory Establishment of GA Alumni Communities Growth Managers from SC&SW encouraged to “come together” to share what they have

learnt about key values and best impacts from GA interventions, and to feed to the LAC

What should the LAC do next?

Communicate to:o SC&SW LEPs and thence to “their” Local Authorities – Action to develop

communique – Zoe Underdown (through Steve Lee), supported by MDEo GrowthAccelerator resources – TDs and GMs – Action for Don, likely to harness

the communique from aboveo Absent members of LAC – Action particularly for MDE (verbally) albeit likely to be

supported by the Communiqueo Government – role for Ann Johnstone, but foreseen to be supplemented by the

envisaged LAC Chairs Meeting (hence also for MDE!)o Other bodies with wider responsibilities – no systematic communication

envisaged necessary at this time but communique can be used in response to requests!

Content of Communication should focus on:o The Strategic Aim of the LACo Interim Board now established with existing/foreseen interim membership

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Meeting of Interim SC&SW Local Advisory Commission for

o LAC will prioritise actions that will drive best delivery across the SC&SW area, to be based on provision of a “performance dashboard” to be first reviewed at next meeting (planned for end November 2012)

Next Meeting Agenda

Recap recommendations/”interim decisions” from first meeting Report progress on agreed actions Review Dashboard:

o Actual content, and o Whether providing the relevant information to enable the LAC to provide

guidance (Communication) Plans for enhancing High Level Brand Recognition, Understanding and

Take-Up of GA

Proposed Date and Venue of Next Meeting

Morning of 28th November – location proposed but to be confirmed

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