Why does it matter?
This is the first ever economic strategy covering the whole of the South of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders).
It is a real opportunity to drive the transformational change that many living and based in our region want to see.
It will also:
- Help us collectively establish the South of Scotland as a great place to live, work, visit, invest in and learn.
- Play a key role in making sure the region is not left behind.
- Seek to address the disadvantages and inequalities facing and within the South of Scotland.
Why now?
Many of the challenges facing the region are long-standing and need long-term, sustained action to address them.
As the region looks to recover from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic; adjust to the UK's exit from the EU; address the climate crisis; and capitalise on new opportunities - the need for a long-term vision to guide and coordinate efforts is more important than ever.
What next?
A Delivery Plan has been developed, aligned to our six Themes, outlining what we will do to work towards our vision for the South of Scotland.
We are also developing a Measurement Framework - which will accompany the Delivery Plan and track our progress against what we want to achieve with the Strategy. The Measurement Framework will be developed over the coming months.
What informed the strategy?
Our strategy has also been shaped by analysis and evidence, alongside extensive engagement which had a strong focus on capturing the voice of young people.
A number of technical papers which help summarise this work is available below: