Research objectives
The broad aim of this research is to evaluate the quality and rigour of decision making procedures for Regional Funding Allocations (RFAs). The key objectives are to:
- Identify a set of theoretical 'criteria for good governance' that can be employed to evaluate regional decision making.
- Investigate Whitehall's motives and aspirations for RFAs and departmental perceptions on the capacity of English regions to achieve robust and effective decision making.
- Explore decision making procedures for RFAs for (i) economic development, (ii) housing and (iii) transport policies in all English regions and examine the extent to which they meet government aspirations and the 'criteria for good governance' identified in the literature.
- Compare and evaluate London's devolved procedures for decision making with arrangements characterised by administrative decentralisation in the rest of England.
- Investigate the ways in which government policy and regional decision making procedures might be developed to achieve more effective policy making and delivery.