In May 2008, the local authorities and other partners in North Kent agreed to develop a Multi Area Agreement (MAA) with Government to take collaboration on shared priorities such as transport, skills and housing to a new level. TGKP was asked to coordinate the development of the North Kent MAA.

 

We are grateful for the support from the Regional Efficiency and Improvement Partnership, Improvement and Efficiency South East and Communities and Local Government in developing the North Kent MAA.

 

 

MAAs are mechanisms for getting better outcomes for residents and businesses by working across administrative and organisational boundaries. MAAs typically cover a functional economic area such as a city-region or sub-region where it makes sense to look at issues such as transport, job markets, housing and skills in a joined up way. The agreements are between partners working across the area and with central Government and its agencies. There have been three ‘waves’ of MAAs: the first seven were signed in July 2008, a further three in January 2009 with a third group, of which North Kent is one, signing during the Summer and Autumn of 2009.

 

 

The process of developing an MAA involves local authorities and other partners looking at new ways of working and approaches that can improve outcomes – such as better public transport, training provision that more closely matches what employers and the economy need to achieve growth, and priorities for investment in infrastructure that will deliver the greatest benefit to existing and new communities. It also means looking at evidence for any barriers to improvement that could be overcome by freedoms and flexibilities agreed by Government Departments. The result should be a closer relationship between central and local partners collectively to deliver the agreed outcomes and actions.

 

The North Kent MAA draws upon a substantial evidence base, in particular the Economic Evidence Base prepared to underpin our emerging Economic Development Strategy.