Welsh Development Agency
Introduction
The Welsh Development Agency was established in 1976 under the WDA Act 1975.
The aim of the Agency is to help create a successful and dynamic economy: 'to sustain Wales as the best business climate in Europe by promoting the growth of quality jobs and competitive industry for the benefit of the people throughout Wales'.
The purposes of the Agency are set out in the Act as:
- to further the economic development of Wales
- to promote industrial efficiency
- to further the improvement of the environment of Wales
The Agency operates under the terms of the Act and has a Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and between 7 and 9 Board Members appointed by the Secretary of State for Wales. The WDA's Chief Executive is an ex-officio Board Member.
The Agency is structured on a Divisional basis with budget delegation within controlled limits and local operational responsibility resting with Divisional managing directors. The Divisional structure includes offices in north, west, and south Wales with an International Division promoting Wales in the key global markets to targeted industrial sectors. Central Divisions include Business Development and Marketing, Finance and Human Resources. This structure is designed to ensure that services offered to business, investors and others engaged in the economic development of Wales are most appropriate to the needs of those customers. The Agency has a declared policy to work in close liaison and partnership with other public bodies to assist in the delivery of local policy objectives and through co-ordinated action to improve the outputs of public resources and actions.
| | Number of Staff¹ | | | Expenditure (£m) |
| 1995/96 | 341 | | 1995/96 | 131 |
| 1996/97 | 365 | | 1996/97 | 154 |
| 1997/98 | n/a | | 1997/98 | 153² |
The annual report and accounts of the Agency are laid in parliament. These are available in public libraries in Wales and are circulated to the media, key customers and partner organisations. The report and accounts are freely available on request. The Corporate Plan and Business Plan are internal documents as they constitute the Agency's bid for funding and/or request for approval of programmes to the Secretary of State and as such contain sensitive information.
Achievements in 1996/97
- Investment The Agency has been instrumental in developing and expanding a number of key industrial sectors in Wales. The electronics sector has seen growth at more than double the rate in the UK and culminated in the year by securing the largest ever electronics/semiconductor inward investment project in Europe an investment by LG of Korea of £1.7bn.
The importance to the economy of indigenous business was reflected in securing European funding support for the Regional Technology Plan, being the only successful bid in the UK and one of only four in Europe.
- Management The Agency operates to a comprehensive Code of Practice for the conduct of its officers on Agency business. The Code specifically gives guidance on matters relating to the Government's Citizen's Charter and provides a framework for ensuring the achievement of value for money. A formal complaints procedure is in place to deal with the needs of customers in a highly responsive and caring manner.
The Agency's active pursual of partnerships with others in the public and private sectors is a key means employed to deliver services and investment through third parties and in testing the market to deliver the same in the most effective and efficient way. In particular the Agency increasingly seeks to provide the property needs of inward investors through the private sector and has set up a private funding panel to develop and implement this objective.
The Agency operates a process of continual programme evaluation to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of those programmes. The conclusions and recommendations of those evaluations are used in the formulation of the Corporate Plan and Annual Business Plan.
Its policy in regard to "Investors in People" is lead by a "vision and values" initiative developed in conjunction with all its staff. Continuous in-house training is available to all through the open learning centres and regular courses and seminars ensure the skills of staff are continuously developed to meet the needs of the Agency's evolving business.
Plans for 1997/98
The volume of business generated and new initiatives introduced in 1996/97 and the resulting commitments rolling forward to 1997/98 require, in part, a period of consolidation for the plan year. The secured business in itself offers considerable scope for development as exampled by the Regional Technology Plan and the Wales Information Society projects.
Key Performance Targets
The Secretary of State for Wales sets the Agency annual strategic targets and the table below identifies these targets and the annual performance.
Key Performance Targets
|
| 1994/95
| 1995/96
| 1996/97
| 1997/98
|
Key Measure
|
Set
|
Achieved
|
Set
|
Achieved
|
Set
|
Achieved
|
Set
|
Jobs - Created and Safeguarded
|
9700*
|
7316
|
13000
|
15230
|
12500
|
18,402
|
12,500**
|
Private Capital Investment (£m)
|
485*
|
630.6
|
650
|
515
|
650
|
2,228
|
600
|
Vacant Floor Space Reduced to (k sq m)
|
8%
|
21.8%
|
116
|
168
|
130
|
110
|
n/a
|
Industrial Floorspace Completions (k sq m)
|
37
|
32.3
|
102
|
100
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Land Reclaimed (ha)
|
700
|
555
|
850
|
400
|
400
|
401
|
200
|
Secure Business Worth (£m)
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
24
|
* denotes different base of output measurement to subsequent years.
** 50% of these jobs are to be outside the Eastern M4 and A55 corridors.
n/a denotes not a strategic target set by the Secretary of State in that year.
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