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<p>The councils of Donegal, Derry City and
Strabane District have a long history of cooperation dating back to the 1970s
and the formation of the North West Region Cross Border Group (NWRCBG).&nbsp; To advance cooperation at the strategic
level, and to ensure a coordinated approach to advancing the North West Gateway
Initiative (NWGI), both Councils formed the North West Partnership Board (NWPB)
in 2011. A multi-sectoral platform, its aim was to promote a coordinated and
collaborative approach to the economic, social and cultural development of the
region on a cross-border basis.&nbsp; During
the course of 2015, however, a number of processes have aligned which create an
exciting background for enhanced collaboration:</p>
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<ul><li>the Review of Public
Administration (RPA) in Northern Ireland, and the Reform of Local Government
Agenda in Ireland,</li><li>the associated emergence of
like-with-like functions across local authorities in each jurisdiction;</li><li>the Stormont House Agreement
makes a commitment to relevant Ministers considering strategic approaches to
the development of the North West region; and</li><li>‘A Fresh Start’- The Stormont
Agreement and Implementation Plan (2015) further commits to the development of
the North West Region of the Island including support for specific resources to
assist with regional development and growth.</li></ul>
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<p>Together, these presented the Councils with
the opportunity to shift to a new arrangement which would be &nbsp;designed to deliver more comprehensive and
effective engagement and alignment with central government.</p>
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<p>This was to lead to the creation of the
unique partnership that is the North West Strategic Growth Partnership in
2016.&nbsp; Having been formally endorsed by
both Governments via the North South Ministerial Council in July 2016, the
Growth Partnership brings together senior Government officials from all
Government departments in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to meet
with Donegal County Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council to
deliver on the strategic priorities aimed at bringing real and positive change
for the North West City Region.&nbsp; The new
arrangements focus around development and co-ordinated investment on an ongoing
basis in three key regional growth pillars: a) Economic Growth and Investment;
b) Physical and Environmental Development; and c) Social and Community Cohesion
and Wellbeing.</p>
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<p>From October 2015, the ICLRD has supported
the Councils in the North West – in partnership with other key regional
stakeholders and Central/Regional Government in both Dublin and Belfast – in
the activation of new structures through a process of programme development and
high-level facilitation. A strong emphasis has been placed on animating and
supporting work activities around agreed planning priorities and the
identification of future collaborative projects. Work streams have included:</p>
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<ul><li>elaborating on the form and
function of the North West City Region incl. working with central and regional
government to draft the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) for the
City-Region, incl. the Letterkenny Regional Growth Centre;</li><li>acting as client advisor to
both Councils on the Harvard University Commissioned ‘An Atlas for the North
West City Region Landscape Post-Brexit’;</li><li>preparing submissions to
national and regional policy;</li><li>reflecting and refreshing the
strategic regional development priorities for the City-Region at critical
junctures;</li><li>strengthening relationships at
EU and transEuropean levels;&nbsp; </li><li>supporting Council staff from a
range of units to work collaboratively on strategic regional issues such as the
climate emergency, green transformation, energy security, and the circular
economy; and</li><li>nurturing links with
representative bodies for industry and the business community.</li></ul>
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<p>Key Documents:</p>
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<ul><li>The North West Strategic Growth
Plan: A Model for Regional Development and Growth of the North West of the
Island of Ireland (2016)</li><li>Building a Cross-Border, Cross-Sectoral
Agenda: The North West Partnership Forum Action Plan (2014)</li></ul>
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