Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Belfast Agenda sets a challenging ambition for the city to be home to an additional 70,000 new residents and an economy that supports 50,000 more jobs by 2035. Growing the economy and driving inclusive growth to ensure that all people benefit from economic success is at the core of this ambition. 

1.2       To deliver on this, the Council has agreed to a significant step change in the provision of Council support to accelerate new businesses to start and support existing businesses to grow and export as well as driving the delivery of the Employability & Skills Framework. This forms a core element in ensuring that all communities benefit from economic growth as well as positioning Belfast to attract international investment from developers, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and institutional investment. 

1.3       In March 2017, the Committee agreed to the publication of the ‘Belfast Facts & Figures’ booklet which has been well received by external audiences.  Committee also noted the ongoing work to produce additional infographic-style materials to increase awareness of the contribution of Belfast City Council programmes to deliver on the ambitions to Grow the Belfast economy. The Committee already receives updates on the annual programmes of work and the Committee Plan, which features as a separate item on the agenda.  However, this report outlines the proposed format for future quarterly progress performance reports on the Council’s contribution to Growing the Belfast Economy to ensure Committee is kept informed of progress.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note that infographic progress reports will be brought to future meetings of the Committee to provide regular updates on the Council’s performance and contribution to delivering the Belfast Agenda ambitions.

-       Consider and agree the proposed format and type of information to be included in  future progress reports on the Council’s contribution to achieving the Belfast Agenda targets to Grow the Belfast economy

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The Committee receive a series of economic briefings as well as updates and presentations on key strategic developments in the city.  The recent publication of the Belfast Facts & Figures booklet has been well received by internal and external audiences as an easily accessible information source. 

3.2       A report on the Committee Plan 2017/18 is included as a separate item on the Committee agenda.  The Committee Plan collates the annual programmes of work, agreed by Committee at their meetings in March and April 2017 and demonstrates the alignment to the Belfast Agenda priorities and city ambitions and the significant increase in the range of programmes and support.

3.3       The Committee have requested regular updates on the performance and contribution of the Council to delivering the City’s targets outlined in the Belfast Agenda.  Committee have noted that infographic style materials will be developed to provide an easily accessible visual representation of the Council’s progress against performance targets. These materials will be developed in line with the key programmes and projects included in the Committee Plan to provide a more concise and visual representation of this information.  This will also assist Members in communicating the Council’s progress and contribution to Growing the Belfast Economy in terms of encouraging new businesses to start up, supporting existing businesses to grow and export, inward investment and employability and skills.

3.4       The proposed format and example content for the progress performance reports are available on modern.gov for Starting a Business and Growing a Business.  This includes key performance and programme information relating to the support provided for those who wish to start a new business and for those existing businesses that wish to grow to export.  This includes key performance information related to Council activity in terms of:

-       the financial investment to support this activity

-       the number of jobs created

-       the number of programme participants

-       the number of referrals to other agencies

-       summary information on the programmes delivered by Council

3.5       At this stage the infographics include indicative budgets and funding / investment secured. The figures are still estimates, as several of the core programmes and initiatives are currently being procured and the actual cost/income and targets will be profiled and confirmed once these procurements conclude and contracts are entered in to.   Many of the projects are being part-funded by ERDF and Invest NI. Eligibility and funding draw-down is another factor that will impact on some of the key reporting headlines. It is therefore proposed that the first progress report in this format will be brought to Committee in October 2017, which will include information relating to Quarters 1 and 2.

3.6       It is proposed that similar reports will be developed for other priority themes such as Employability and Skills and Investing in Belfast.  There is also scope to develop this further into other areas of Council activity to build on the range of concise infographic-style materials on key statistics, information and performance to support the ambitions in the Belfast Agenda.  Members are therefore asked to note that these materials will continue to evolve and develop as programmes go live and that they will provide a key reference point to support existing material used by our city partners when promoting Belfast as a place to do business, visit, study or invest in.

3.7       The Committee should note that these materials will be made available on the Members Portal, once finalised and that regular updates on progress will be brought back to Committee on a quarterly basis.

3.8       Financial & Resource Implications

            The progress reports will be produced internally, therefore requiring officer time, and within existing departmental budgets.

3.9       Equality or Good Relations Implications

            There are no equality or good relations implications.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations within the report.