Your views and ideas please - Draft RDPE Network Action Plan 2010 – 2011

The purpose of the RDPE Network is to support the delivery of the programme through providing networking tools and opportunities, for those with an interest in RDPE, to exchange ideas, practice and experience across the four axes and at EU, national, regional and local levels.  The draft Action Plan outlines six main outputs that the Network Unit propose to deliver in order to fulfil its purpose.

The Network Unit would welcome your views on this draft Action Plan, specifically:

• Your feedback on the proposed networking activities – Will they meet your needs? Do you have other suggestions for networking activity?
• Your top three priorities for networking activity?
• Your ideas and opportunities for joint networking activity?
• Networking activities that you would specifically like to be involved with?

The proposed activities within this draft Action Plan have been based on the feedback and priorities from a broad range of RDPE stakeholders and current users of the Network’s activities through 2009-10, including key stakeholder organisations, LAGs, Defra and the delivery bodies.

The Action Plan must cover the breadth of the Network Unit’s delivery, however the most relevant networking activities that you may wish to comment on are proposed in the green column under output 1, e.g:

• 1.2 - ... ‘networking activities to exchange experience and practice, focused on cross-axes project delivery and integration in RDPE...’
• 1.3 - ... ‘specific activities focused on the Leader approach, to support LAGs in their delivery and demonstrate integration between the Leader aspect of RDPE and the broader programme...’

Please send your ideas and views to Rebecca Frost by 10th May 2010, via:

E-mail: Rebecca.frost@ruralcommunities.gov.uk
Tel: 07900 608322
Post: RDPE Network, c/o Commission for Rural Communities, John Dower House, Crescent Place, Cheltenham, GLOS. GL50 3RA.

Once we have received your comments a revised version of the Action Plan will be drafted taking into account your suggestions.  This will be available on the RDPE Network website from the 7th June 2010.  It should be recognised however that this Action Plan is a dynamic tool, which will be formally reviewed quarterly to capture the reality of evolving RDPE delivery.  Thus, activity may be added or reprioritised throughout the year, in order to maximise opportunities or react to changing challenges or assumptions.

If you have an idea for a networking activity that would be helpful to you or know of an opportunity for the RDPE Network to work with you, please contact us.

We look forward to ‘networking’ with you in 2010-11, so that others can use and benefit from your ideas, practical experience and knowledge and so that rural areas and their communities can make the most of the RDPE funding available.