ACSEF BOARD
ACSEF BOARD MINUTE OF MEETING
TUESDAY, 31 MARCH 2015
Present:
Colin Crosby
Eddie Anderson
Sir Ian Diamond
Bill Duguid
Adrian Gillespie
Councillor Jim Gifford
Councillor Jenny Laing
John Michie
Ferdinand von Prondzynski
Apologies:
Andrew Booth
Claire Bruce
Robin Davies
Paul de Leeuw
Rob Wallen
Carol Benzie
Danny Logue
Maggie McGinlay
In attendance:
Jim Savege
Stephen Archer
Lucy Johnston
Angela Scott
Rita Stephen
Richard Sweetnam
Andrew Win
Emily Anderson
Bob Collier
Chris Brodie
Maggie McGinlay
Jamie Bell
Martin Barry
Susan Knowles
Bruce Macdonald
John Nolan
Margaret Smith
Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Skills Development Scotland
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise
SQW
SQW
Caledonia Public Affairs
Action
1.
Welcome
The Chairman thanked Aberdeenshire Council for hosting the meeting.
He welcomed Professor Sir Ian Diamond to his first meeting of the Board,
Bruce Macdonald and John Nolan, SQW, Margaret Smith, Caledonia Public
Affairs and Andrew Win and Emily Anderson, Aberdeen City Council.
2.
Apologies
The apologies listed above were noted.
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3.
Update on ACSEF Strategy and Action Plan Refresh
Bill Duguid, Board Champion for the ACSEF strategy refresh, advised
that a meeting had been held recently with SQW on the status of the
refresh work, with comments made taken on board. Today’s discussion
followed on from this.
Bruce Macdonald, Director, SQW, presented an update on the strategy
and action plan refresh work, guidance for which had been to focus on
refreshing the action plan, ie what ACSEF should be doing and to
clarify the purpose and roles of ACSEF. It is proposed that there be
more emphasis on key sectors (aligned with Scottish Enterprise’s
approach) and plans to drive these, a more strategic and forward
looking role, clearer prioritisation between Board and Management
Team, with a more strategic role and operational activity role
respectively, meaning less revisiting of infrastructure projects and
stronger public affairs and communications. ACSEF’s role in relation to
the City Region Deal is seen as helping maintain the momentum, taking
a forward look and considering potential implications for governance
arrangements. Performance measurement will feature strongly, with
the use of dashboards for the Board and Management Team to review
progress but also to look ahead to understand emerging issues, using
research undertaken by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of
Commerce to help frame the ACSEF discussions. A further important
element impacting on ACSEF’s work are the forthcoming refreshed
strategies for Oil and Gas, Food and Drink, Tourism and the regional
skills strategy.
ACSEF’s purpose is to be the economic partnership for the north east,
using the collective expertise of its members to influence and shape the
area’s long term economic development through taking a strategic
business led view, providing a single voice to enable a more effective
case for growth and acting as a regional advisory board for Scottish
Enterprise. To strengthen the strategic element it is proposed that the
action plan sets out activity under two headings:
• Project Development and Support (championing the region’s sectors,
focusing support on the themes of innovation, internationalisation and
skills) with infrastructure support as required and agreed;
• and a Strategic Role (strategic vision, communication and public
affairs).
The proposed approach would give greater recognition of economic
opportunities across all sectors important to the north east, and
therefore more emphasis on those important to Aberdeenshire as well
as the city, be easier for businesses as they tend to be better able to
contribute their knowledge and experience with sectors they are
familiar with rather than across themes. It is proposed that each sector
has a work plan with private sector champion from the Board with
support from a similar lead in the Management Team. The role of the
Board and Management Team sector champions would be to facilitate
the work plans, with projects delivered by partner organisations.
While infrastructure is central to economic growth and the City Region
Deal, consideration of whether, where and in what ways ACSEF can
add value to this had concluded that infrastructure projects should in
future be monitored by the Management Team but taken to the Board
when there are issues ACSEF can help resolve. The Action Plan will
therefore focus on a small number of projects where the Board can
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help and future projects still being developed.
Margaret Smith, Director, Caledonia Public Affairs, advised of the work
undertaken by her organisation to-date on examining ACSEF’s current
public affairs output and related activity. Given the challenges in the oil
and gas sector, decision makers are viewing the north east with a fresh
eye; having formerly been perceived as less in need of assistance than
other areas given its success it is now seen as meriting investment.
There is a need to impress upon politicians that investing to ensure the
north east’s continued success is also an investment in Scotland and
the wider UK’s success, and the City Region Deal offers an important
opportunity to do so. As part of its activity, Caledonia Public Affairs has
worked in support of the City Region Deal and held a public affairs
workshop for Board members to ensure they are fully supported in
delivery of ACSEF’s key messages through their networking
connections. Margaret advised that once the refreshed strategy was
finalised and ACSEF is clear what it wants to achieve, developing an
engagement strategy (the ‘why’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘who’) would
become easier. She was asked for her initial perception of ACSEF and
commented that although it is a strong partnership with high level
representation, clarity was required as regards its big ‘asks’. As
regards identity the name ACSEF could be altered to show more of a
future focus, with wording such as ‘Strengthening the Future’ ACSEF
requires to highlight what is unique to the area, then pick out individual
components and facilitate appropriate conversations.
Messages
required to be tailored to the recipients and examples of ACSEF’s
achievements used to demonstrate its effectiveness and the benefits
greater investment in the area could bring to the wider UK. ACSEF
members should be empowered to speak on behalf of ACSEF, its
agenda and future focus, with sound briefings forming a basis for this.
It was noted that politicians welcome opportunities to engage with
partnerships and ACSEF should seek these out and be more upfront
about the region’s requirements.
Bruce Macdonald highlighted the consensus that strengthening the
‘future’ element of ACSEF’s work is important, possibly holding an
annual summit to take a longer term view, spending more time at Board
meetings on generating ideas, having an annual review of the action
plan and sectors with sector plans to include a forward look and
investigating the case for a regional economic review.
As regards measuring progress it is proposed that the Board focus on
economic conditions – regional indicators (state of the nation), sector
indicators (progress) and forward look indicators (emerging issues),
with data based on work undertaken by Aberdeen and Grampian
Chamber of Commerce. The Management Team would concentrate on
work plan progress, ongoing infrastructure development and bringing
together partners to provide and present data. The partnership’s
performance would be assessed in terms of awareness of ACSEF and
its key messages among policy makers and members and project
leads’ feedback on value added.
It is proposed that the action plan be structured around: stressing the
area as an economic powerhouse/economic context; ACSEF’s mission
statement key themes for the region (innovation, internationalisation,
skills and infrastructure); developing the key sectors and work plans
targets; a communications and public affairs plan; defining the role of
the Board and Management Team and how performance is to be
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measured.
Angela Scott advised that from the Management Team perspective the
refresh was useful in clarifying the roles of the Management Team and
Board, and their respective focus on infrastructure delivery and the
future helpful. Development of indicators that will form dashboards for
the Board and Management Team with the Board having a core focus
on regional economic indicators was also considered key and of value
from a Single Outcome Agreement perspective.
Introducing
measurement of public affairs activity was also welcomed. Allied to this
it would also be appropriate to review Management Team membership
to ensure it is fully representative of appropriate public bodies.
Bob Collier advised that Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of
Commerce would be very supportive of an emphasis on future focus as
this was not currently strong enough, and would be complimentary
rather than duplicative of the Chamber’s work. He questioned whether
ACSEF should provide a single voice for the region suggesting that on
occasion partners may wish to have an independent view; he
suggested this be rephrased to a common/consensual or agreed voice.
The strategic focus would give a more outward focus and it was also
suggested that if the refreshed strategy is signed off by the Board,
there should be agreement that it is not revisited for a further five years.
Bill Duguid advised that the groups who had input felt there should be
more focus on strategy and also agreed with the focus for the
Management Team. He concurred with the points above regarding
clarity of purpose, clear and more outward looking messaging, a
structured approach to be achieved through the matrix, an action plan
which sets out how targets are to be achieved and a means of
measuring the outcomes.
Jim Savege commented that the focus should be on partnership, ie,
additionality rather than duplication, a common voice rather than a
single voice, sharing a common data set between partners, and about
how we work rather than what we have to produce.
Chris Brodie commented that much of the discussion had centred on
process and management rather than on the strategy itself and that if
the latter is clear having a single voice becomes easier.
Ferdinand von Prondzynski stressed the importance of being clear on
actual outputs and how these be measured. He felt this is clear for
Energetica but less so for some other areas
Bruce Macdonald advised that many of the elements discussed above
come through in the individual frameworks but will be captured more
SQW
explicitly and in an upfront piece.
The Chairman commented that some key deliverables can be
measured and that someone on the Board should be responsible for
this.
Sir Ian Diamond advised that it was difficult to envisage any specific
role for ACSEF perse as regards innovation. Persuading industry to
undertake innovation locally rather than elsewhere requires
demonstration of the area’s comparative advantage; this requires a
cluster - which Westhill with its subsea cluster can offer - and it would
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be in the Councils’ interests to encourage further development in the
skillset located in that cluster.
Ferdinand Von Prondzynski queried how sector targets would be
presented - as theme ones or sector ones. Bob Collier – FvP’s
question – can take the rank and file or focus on the cell eg there might
be a champion for F&D international – this gives a sharper focus ie look
at the cell rather than the rank and file.
Adrian Gillespie referred to points made earlier regarding sectors
advising that Scottish Enterprise is organised in terms of these and
requires to be clear where the opportunities for growth within these lie.
Activity would then be taken forward under themes. Scottish Enterprise
requires ACSEF, in its regional advisory role, to advise the extent to
which the sectoral strategies could be delivered in the north east and
therefore the direction Scottish Enterprise should take. For example,
as regards Oil and Gas, the Oil and Gas Industry Leadership Group’s
role is to set out the strategy and ACSEF’s role as regional advisory
board is to determine how to respond to the opportunities for the north
east within the strategy.
When national sector strategies are refreshed ACSEF requires to
consider the opportunity for the north east and also how to best
influence these when next reviewed. Strategies are not required for all
sectors, rather the focus requires to be more on responding to the
opportunities that exist.
Angela Scott advised that discussion on Life Sciences at the previous
meeting did not conclude with decisions on next steps to address
barriers to growth namely management capability requirements and
accommodation fit for purpose and also who to influence as regards
these. Further discussion with Debbie O’Neil, Novabiotics is required to
fully understand the barriers to success and how the Board, collectively
or individually can help. ACSEF requires to be clear what is required
in terms of follow up from such discussions and who is taking
responsibility for each element. Professor Diamond advised that he
did not recognise the points made as regards Life Sciences advising
that a planning application for a fit for purpose building had been
submitted however Scottish Enterprise’s current focus was on
opportunities for the sector in Dundee. The sector locally therefore
required to work with counterparts in Dundee to ensure it also derived
some benefits from the investment in that city and to develop its own
plan for the sector locally. Adrian Gillespie advised that the current
focus might not remain indefinitely; future investment would follow
opportunity.
It was agreed that the economic strategy for the region requires to be
an aggregate of the sectoral strategies, with clear ambition leading to
clear targets, a public policy to influence this and a public affairs
strategy following from this. Many of the barriers to growth will be
common across sectors and only by aggregating will the real issues be
identified, with the matrix approach aiding this. It is recognised,
however, that solving the area’s issues in terms of infrastructure will not
in itself change the economic structure of the north east.
It was queried whether Scottish Enterprise felt the term ‘Energy’ to be
about Oil and Gas as this was the message being received in the north
east, with the terms used interchangeably. Adrian Gillepsie clarified
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that Scottish Enterprise viewed Energy in it is broadest sense, and the
organisation had been trying to encourage Renewables activity in the
north east, but this was not easy.
Whilst difficult, measuring ACSEF’s success was agreed to be very
important, and noted that the action plan would include a strong
performance measurement element.
The Chairman concluded that the refresh would give ACSEF a strong
sectoral strategy, it requires to refine what it does and doesn’t do,
differentiate between Board and Management team activity and, from a
full awareness of the issues, speak with a common knowledgeable
voice. Adrian Gillespie added that Scottish Enterprise requires to be
clear on its ask of ACSEF on an issue by issue basis and have clear
conclusions from Board meetings on next steps. There requires to be
more ‘read across’ between the Oil and Gas Industry Leadership
Group, which is setting the strategy for Scotland and ACSEF.
The plan will take direction from points covered in the Board’s
discussion; the outcomes from which require to be clear and taken into
account by SQW in its drafting of the action plan. Once drafted the SQW/
action plan will be circulated to the steering group for presenting to the ACSEF Management
Team
Management Team for approval and then returned to the Board.
4.
Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan
Andrew Win presented on the draft City Centre Masterplan and delivery
programme being led by BDP, recapping on the background and initial
consultation in September 2014 and second stage consultation in late
November/early December. In preparing the draft, account has been
taken of feedback received from the public, businesses and
stakeholders regarding the vision for the city centre, priorities and the
desire to work towards a longer term plan. The emerging vision for the
city centre is ‘Aberdeen: A city Centre for a Global City’, with four
themes - Energy Plus, A City for People, The Connected City and
Northern Lights, and eight masterplan objectives to support the vision.
The latest stage of engagement, which concludes on 6 April and
includes engaging school pupils, seeks views on the draft masterplan
ideas and proposals Board members were encouraged to promote the
current consultation. The delivery programme for the masterplan
includes a phased 20 year programme with smaller scale iterations in
initial years to demonstrate positive change while moving towards the
longer term aims.
The Chairman sought comments. Professor Sir Ian Diamond, whilst
very supportive of the overall aims, queried the proposal for location at
North Dee of a Global Energy Hub, given the University of Aberdeen’s
plans underway for an energy research centre to be located on the
University’s campus. He highlighted that experience has shown that
location of a centre in close proximity to the research capability is key
to ensuring success and that the University should have been
consulted regarding the proposal.
The Chairman advised that ACSEF had agreed that a Global Energy
Hub - a centre for innovation and collaboration based on the world
expertise developed from the North Sea oil and gas industry - was a
desired ambition, however location of this clearly required further
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consideration. Andrew Win advised that the Masterplan Team is aware
of the University’s plan, and Sir Ian’s comments would be fed back to
BDP and discussed further with Sir Ian outwith the meeting. It was
highlighted that the masterplan proposals, of which the Global Energy
Hub is one, are very much draft and out for consultation and that the
supporting delivery programme would examine the rational and phasing
of projects.
From a NESTRANS perspective, Eddie Anderson emphasised the
need for accessibility within and to the city centre to be made as easy
and as pleasant an experience as possible in order to give viable
alternatives to travel by car. Andrew Win advised that work was
underway with NESTRANS looking at the overall scope for the coming
20 years, with Derick Murray a member of the masterplan team.
Councillor Gifford advised of Aberdeenshire Council’s support of the
draft masterplan, which is essential to the wider region, and looked
forward to the outcome. Consultation had taken place with the Council
at its Full Council meeting in December 2014 and discussion has also
taken place regarding broadening engagement within Aberdeenshire.
The Chairman concluded that overall ACSEF is very supportive of the
draft masterplan and requested that the Board be alerted when further
assistance/input is required.
5.
ACSEF Board
The ACSEF Nominations Committee had met following the previous
Board meeting and proposed the appointment of three new Board
members – Douglas Craig, Craig Group, John Harrison, Gaffney, Cline
and Associates (Halliburton/Baker Hughes), both of whom have lengthy
experience in the Energy sector, and Jeanette Forbes, currently an
ACSEF Management Team member and who has considerable
experience in the area of Digital. The Board endorsed the proposed
appointments and the individuals will now be formally invited to join. It
was also advised that Morven Spalding of OPITO would be invited to
S Knowles
join the Management Team.
6.
AOB
No matters raised.
7.
Date of Next Meetings
Formal Meeting of the Board – 22 April 9.30 – 11.30,
Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House, Aberdeen
Informal Meeting of the Board – 26 May, 9.30 – 11.30,
Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House, Aberdeen
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