Programme performance board
Walsall European Programmes Performance Board (WEPPB) acts on behalf of the Walsall Council Co-Financing organisation.
The purpose of the Walsall European Programme Performance Board is to provide a strategic steer by:
- Evaluating submissions from organisations for European grant funding,
- Approve all European grants,
- Oversee the performance of the European Funds used across the Borough where the Council is the Accountable Body
- Monitor compliance once the grant has been made.
- Maximise funding opportunities using a partnership approach
Aims
- To evaluate all eligible Co-financing tenders and projects received under the Walsall Co-financing Plan testing the robustness of the projects, providing strategic steer making connections with other funding and in particular mainstream delivery,
- To approve Co-financing tenders that address the target groups as outlined in the Co-Finance Plan and tender specifications.
- To oversee and advice on sources of match funding for the Co-financing Plan,
- To assess the projected finance outputs and outcomes outlined in each Co-financing tender.
- Following a technical appraisal (overseen by Neighbourhood Partnerships & Programmes), to approve the Objective 2 Action Plan projects.
- To monitor the financial performance of the Objective 2 programme activity for both ESF and ERDF grant, their outputs and outcomes.
- To monitor the contractual agreement of the Accountable Body with Government Office
- To assess the impact of approved activities on outcomes and floor targets identified in the Community Plan.
- To sign post strategic learning to a wider group of agencies
Membership
The membership of the board will consist of:
- Executive Director – Walsall Council (Chair)
- Head of Finance Regeneration and Neighbourhood Services – Walsall Council
- Head of Economic Regeneration - Walsall Council
- Head of Neighbourhood Partnerships and Programmes - Walsall Council
The board will include 3 non Walsall Council representatives of whom 2 will be from the Commissioning Executive and all will be drawn from the following sectors:
- Education/Lifelong Learning Sector
- Third Sector/ Voluntary & Community Sector
- Business/Regeneration sector
The board will be serviced by Neighbourhood Partnerships and Programmes.
Walsall council’s strategic ambitions include achieving a learning and skilful Walsall and regenerating Walsall’s Communities by responding proactively to the challenges of small numbers of higher skilled staff with focus on skills development, re-employment and spinouts from large companies.
Walsall Council vision for 2008 is:
- to be a learning borough that promotes the value of learning and achievement, in our schools and colleges, in home, in community and at work.
- for learning to be recognised as a fundamental basis of a flourishing local economy but also as a route to personal fulfilment and achievement.
- to be recognised as a place for creativity and innovation to help attract investment, support existing employers and to create wealth.
The Walsall Community Plan 2005 reflects the following strategic objectives
- Transforming our ‘look’ – focusing on promoting efforts to create new-look gateways to our Borough; tackling dereliction and untidiness; attracting investment into our schools and public facilities; affecting ways in which we all manage and care for the environment; linking sustainable development practice with the liveability of our neighbourhoods, improve and manage our town, district and local centres alongside our increasing network of quality public areas and spaces.
- Reinventing our places – focusing on coordinating regeneration interventions; developing stronger spatial development strategies; attracting substantial new private sector investment; reshaping our housing offer and ensuring our town, district and local centres offer a mix of housing and other facilities; marketing our cultural attractions; working with British Waterways and private partners to regenerate our canal network and setting challenging new world class design standards for new development.
- Connecting our people – focusing on leading efforts to improve accessibility throughout our Borough, enhance strategic connections with Birmingham, the Black Country, the Midlands and the rest of the UK and critically improving in a tangible way links between need and opportunities.
- Strengthening and diversifying the economy – stimulating sustainable, knowledge based economy and enterprise culture, encouraging the sustainable location of developments and maximising the potential of our existing centres as growth motors.
- Communication – developing a clear coordinated partnership based strategy