Local Economic and Community Plans LECP | Guidelines 2021
Guidelines
These guidelines are designed to support a participative and consultative process to develop a Local Economic and Community Plan that is appropriate for each local area. The development of the guidelines was supported by an experienced advisory group and included a broad consultation process. Details of the membership of the advisory group and the consultation process can be found at Appendix 1. The guidelines provide an outline of the process to be carried out in order to develop a fully integrated LECP at a local level. The guidelines are issued under section 66B of Local Government Reform Act 2014 and are therefore statutory in nature and provided to support all aspects of the LECP process including ongoing implementation, monitoring and evaluation. While the guidelines provide the basic framework for the LECP, they also recognise that each Local Authority area is different and will require different interventions to support their development. In this context, the guidelines aim to support a more flexible approach to LECP development and implementation. This will facilitate a more agile and flexible approach to the delivery of initiatives to support the achievement of the High-Level Goals and Sustainable Objectives outlined in the LECP framework. Guideline Consultation DRCD and DHLGH established an Advisory Group that included representation from both Departments, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Local and Regional Government. The role of the advisory group was to support the guideline process and ensure that learning from the previous LECP process informed their development. Over the past six years, the implementation of the current round of LECPs has identified areas of challenge as well as areas of good practice. This learning informed the development of these guidelines through a significant consultation process. Written submissions were received from Government Departments, Local Authorities, Regional Assemblies, LCDCs and SPCs.
In addition, DRCD and DHLGH hosted 7 focus groups that included input from LCDC Chief Officers, LCDC Chairs, LCDC members including PPN members, SPC members and other relevant economic stakeholders including Enterprise Ireland, IBEC, IDA Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Chambers Ireland. This consultation identified a number of areas that could be improved including elements of LECP preparation, implementation and ultimately monitoring and evaluation. Input obtained through the focus group process has been used to inform the development of these guidelines with a view to addressing some of the challenges experienced by those involved in the development and implementation of the LECPs to date. Aim of the Guidelines The aim of the guidelines is to provide support to Local Authorities and relevant local partners to help them to develop and implement comprehensive and flexible 6-year plans that will support the sustainable development of their areas over the lifetime of the plan. The plans will form the basis for interventions at a local level that are complementary to and consistent with the RSES, the City and County Development Plans and the relevant national strategies and policies listed in Appendix 6. They envisage an LECP which provides a broader, strategic framework that guides the preparation and delivery of Implementation Plans. This will provide the agility and flexibility required to be in a position to react to emerging needs and opportunities on an ongoing basis. The guidelines aim to be comprehensive however, Local Authorities and other relevant stakeholders should also be aware of the need to be compliant with the relevant legislation particularly the specific elements of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 and consistent with other national frameworks and strategies as indicated in the relevant appendices to this document.
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