This glossary is designed to help people who want to read more about RDA work. It is by no means exhaustive, but may facilitate further understanding.

BERR
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Business Link
The official national advice service that provides access to a wide network of business support and information services for new and small businesses. Since 2006 RDAs have been given responsibility for the management of Business Link.
CDC
A City Development Company is a partnership between a local authority, RDA and other public and private sector bodies with the purpose of carrying out economic and regeneration activities.
CLG
The Department for Communities and Local Government, formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
CSR
The Comprehensive Spending Review is an in–depth examination of the Government’s spending priorities to establish long–term aims and objectives for each department; CSR 2007 will cover spending for 2008–2011 and follows the previous CSR in 1997.
DCMS
Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Defra
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DfCSF
Department for Children, Schools and Families
DfT
Department for Transport
DIUS
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
ERDF
The European Regional Development Fund was set up in 1975 to stimulate economic development in less prosperous regions of the EU. It has become a major instrument for helping to redress regional imbalances. Management of the programme was transferred to RDAs October 2007.
ESF
The European Social Fund provides support for vocational training schemes through lifelong learning and employee skill development, and job creation measures to address unemployment and disadvantage
Government Offices
Representing 10 Whitehall departments, Government Offices are the primary means by which a wide range of policies are delivered in the English regions.
GSE
The Greater South East consists of three administrative regions: the South East of England, the East of England and London. By working together, for example through the Thames Gateway, the RDAs capitalise on economic opportunities.
GVA
Gross Value Added is a measure of economic value and is used in the estimation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It measures the difference between the value of goods and services produced and the cost of raw materials and other inputs which are used in production.
IPA
The Independent Performance Assessment process is a means by which government assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of how RDAs are managed. This process is led by the National Audit Office.
LAA
Local Area Agreements are three year agreements which set the priorities for a local area. LAAs are made between central government and a local area, represented by the Government Office, lead local authority and other key partners through Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs).
LEGI
Local Enterprise Growth Initiative provides local authorities with the freedom to determine the needs, options and solutions for stimulating economic development in their areas.
LSC
The Learning and Skills Council aims to improve the skills of England’s young people and adults to ensure that England has a world–class workforce. LSC is responsible for planning and funding high–quality vocational education and training for everyone.
LSP
A Local Strategic Partnership is a single non–statutory, multi–agency body, which aims to bring together at a local level the different parts of the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
MAS
Delivered through 10 regional centres, the Manufacturing Advisory Service addresses the practical needs of British manufacturers by delivering hands-on advice and assistance from experts in a wide range of manufacturing disciplines.
Mezzanine Fund
Mezzanine level funding is often used between business start–up and stock market floatation. The funding typically offers unsecured loans in return for an option of taking a shareholding in the company in the future.
MKSM
Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area is a partnership of councils and regeneration agencies to promote economic development and thriving communities across the whole of Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Luton and Bedfordshire, and in parts of Buckinghamshire.
MSA
The Manufacturing Skills Academy aims to increase the number of people trained in engineering, leadership and management skills for the manufacturing sector.
MAA
Multi Area Agreements facilitate partnerships that allow Local Area Agreements to extend across local boundaries.
Northern Way
The Northern Way is a unique collaboration between the three Northern RDAs. It sets out a twenty-year strategy to transform the economy of Northern England, tackling issues that cannot be resolved by one region alone.
PSA
Public Service Agreements are agreements and targets made between the Treasury and central government departments and agencies. Each RDA is required to address priorities identified in their Regional Economic Strategies for the region and contribute to the delivery of the Government’s PSA targets on Regional Economic Performance.
RDPE
Rural Development Programme for England (2007–12) is a European Programme that helps deliver both the aims of the EU and the Government’s Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food.
RDS
The Rural Development Service is the part of Defra that delivered the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) designed to help communities and businesses adapt and grow sustainably. ERDP is being transferred to RDAs this year.
Regional Assemblies
The 2002 government white paper ‘Your Region, Your Choice’ established Regional Assemblies as one of three key regional governance organisations alongside Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions.
RES
Every three to four years, each RDA produces a Regional Economic Strategy in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The RES defines the region’s economic priorities and targets for delivering long term sustainable economic growth. In London it is known as the Economic Development Strategy.
RFA
Regional Funding Allocations are made by central government based on advice by regional bodies on their spending priorities for transport, housing and economic development for the period 2005–2016.
RSS
Regional Spatial Strategies are produced by Regional Assemblies and provide a long term framework for regional planning with the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development.
SAV
Strategic Added Value is a measure of RDA impact on their region through strategic leadership, partnership creation and decision-making.
SINEI
Surface Infrastructure of National Economic Importance was a report commissioned by the RDAs to help central government form a national transport infrastructure policy that took into account regional needs.
Single Pot
Since April 2002, RDAs have been financed through a Single Programme budget, the ‘Single Pot’. This replaced the funding programmes that existed previously, pooling departmental funding into one single budget that allows RDAs to focus resources to achieve their regional priorities and objectives.
Single Integrated Regional Strategy
Integration of economic and spatial (housing, transport and planning) strategies into a single strategy to be led by the RDAs.
SME
Small and Medium Enterprises: A small company is defined as employing less than 50 people; a medium company between 50–249 people.
SNR
Sub–National Review of economic development and regeneration. Announced in Budget 2006, the Review reported in July 2007 on how sub–national interventions can be better deployed to deliver the Government’s Regional Economic Performance and regeneration commitments.
RSP
Regional Skills Partnerships aim to create a demand–led approach to skills and give regions the flexibility to tackle their own individual challenges and priorities. They are a major component of the National Skills Strategy set out in the March 2005 Skills White Paper.
SRP
A Sub–Regional Partnership is an agreement between an RDA and appropriate regional or local organisation to adopt responsibility for the economic development of regeneration e.g. the Mersey Partnership.
Tasking Framework
The New RDA Tasking Framework requires each RDA to show in its Corporate Plan (for 2005–08) how it addresses priorities identified in the Regional Economic Strategy and its contribution to the delivery of the Government’s PSA Targets.
Thames Gateway
An area of land stretching 60km eastwards from East London on both sides of the River Thames. Public and private investment is making the Thames Gateway one of the most exciting social and commercial development projects in the world.
UKTI
United Kingdom Trade and Investment is a Government organisation supporting UK firms to do business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to set up or expand in the UK.
URC
Urban Regeneration Companies are independent companies set up by local authorities and RDAs to champion and stimulate new investment into areas of economic decline. Made up of local public and private sector partners, they also co–ordinate regeneration and redevelopment.