Which role for the private sector in Rurban partnerships? Graham Russell OECD Expert, Rurban

A missing piece? How can the private sector being engaged? What is the case for business having a role? Is the private sector active in Rurban? The future scope for the private sector?

How can the private sector be engaged? Co-design Work together to shape new initiatives which address important issues. Collaborative action Partnership approach to implementation – both as pilots or large scale delivery. Communication Useful for sharing knowledge, updating on policy development, and discussing live issues. Change agents Businesses become innovators and market influencers for others to adopt good practice. How can the private sector be engaged?

The value for business Networking Relationship building Profile and reputation Public funding Co-design programmes Joint venture delivery Innovation Recognition

The value for the public sector Useful insights Business acumen Co-design programmes Share resources Joint venture delivery Market testing Business take to scale Pace

Is the private sector active in rurban partnerships? Little evidence in most cases. Emilia – Romagna , small firm private sector engaged with Province acting as facilitator (agri) or translator (tourism). Jyvaskyla has development companies at local level to exploit local opportunities.

The future scope to engage the private sector Fix partnership process engineering first Focus on the issues for the private sector Specify outputs/outcomes required Leave headroom for new approaches Measure key performance indicators regularly Engage supply chains Flexible boundaries as merited Clear leadership important

Which role for the private sector in Rurban partnerships? Not to be specifically considered in the Rurban report But an agenda which could provide a step change in how urban and rural areas partner Advocacy from EU would be powerful Focus on the outcomes wanted Enterprising approach not bureaucratic