Covid-19 recovery planning, partnership working and the role of universities in city-regions

This report presents findings from research examining how partnership working has developed during the pandemic and the role of universities in recovery planning. The objectives are to:
• Investigate what has worked well in Covid-19 recovery planning in recovery groups operating in the West
Midlands Combined Authority area and the North East LA71 area
• Identify aspects of recovery partnership working in these regions, which have worked less well
• Analyse the role of universities in city-regional recovery planning
• Investigate what can be learned from Covid-19 regional recovery planning for informing the format and focus of existing and future partnerships focused on economic and social recovery from the pandemic.
It is based on 30 interviews conducted in summer and autumn 2021 with stakeholders in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area and the North East LA7 area with a high-level of engagement in Covid-19 recovery
planning and broader local and regional policy and governance activities. These regions were chosen due to their complex contrasting governance structures. The West Midlands has one Combined Authority (CA) and three Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas whilst the North East LA7 area includes two Combined Authorities.