A “Passive” Journey through RLED A Young Researchers Perspective

Expectations  Perception of a business forum  Problem identifications and solutions  Understanding of different stakeholders  Multi stakeholder interrogation “Blame Game”  Gaining a practical understanding of how LED practitioners understand RLED

The Reality  Importance of Social Capital  Importance of strong leadership  Lack of the understanding of the definition and the need for RED  The lack of a common solid understanding of what LED is  The lack of stakeholder prioritizing and of LED

What have we learnt?  Important of context in understanding the LED challenges  The importance of Resource Mapping Identification of key sectors  The importance of a holistic approach to bringing about multiple successful LED initiative (Monitoring & Evaluation)  The need for LMs to have a strong base of catalytic projects  The importance of Leadership in making Economic Development work  Greater Support of infant businesses Entrepreneurship and SMME’s

What have we learnt Cont..  The importance with regards to already existing LED strategies  The need to tap into institutional knowledge management to create and develop institutional memory UKZN Graduate School of Business and Leadership (RLEDi)  The need for innovation, investment promotion and place marketing

Our Challenge to the Program  For participants to take back what they have learnt to their working communities  To create mentorship partnerships in and amongst their working space in this exec program and beyond  To champion the need to continue the relationship between the different stakeholders represented in the program  To create a network of best practices from the stakeholders reps Informed interactions Discourse around best practices  For the floor to get each of the stakeholders to commit to solving the challenges in LED