SWOT-analysis as a basis for regional strategies - EUROlocal

in terms of the role and principles of the national development programmes are
unlikely.
The role and form of the Norwegian Regional Development Programmes is somewhat
different from other national programmes included in the study. The role of the
Regional Development Programmes is to assist in the co-ordination of different
planning instruments in partnership between municipal and regional state authorities,
economic and labour market actors. Regional Development Programmes are to
supplement the strategic guidelines of the County Plans (fylkesplan), which is the
main regional planning instrument within the Norwegian counties. Whilst the
objectives of the County Plans are strategic, the aim being to provide a kind of
politico-strategic steering document for all other planning activities taking place in the
county, Regional Development Programmes provide a supplement to these
programmes, which specifies the strategic aims in a more concrete way.
1.1.3 Objective 1 and 2 Programmes in Denmark, Sweden and Finland
The main goal of the Objective 1 programme is to promote the development and
structural adjustment of regions where development is lagging behind. Objective 2
programmes in turn concentrate upon actions that support the economic and social
conversion of areas facing restructuring difficulties. These goals, and the concrete
measures through which these wider policy objectives are pursued, are outlined in
Single Programming Documents (SPDs), which define key strategies and priorities,
specific objectives and an evaluation of expected impacts. (The programmes selected
as case studies can be seen in table 1.1 on page 6.)
The preparation and monitoring of the programmes is clearly regulated by the
Commission through its regulations and guidelines. These place strong emphasis on
the partnership principle in the programming process as a whole, requiring the
participation of regional and local authorities and other competent public authorities,
economic and social partners, and “other relevant competent bodies” in the process.
Although the regulative framework does not explicitly refer to SWOT analysis as an
instrument for such strategy formation, its importance within the planning process
becomes obvious in the more methodological planning instruments, such as the
Vademecum, which outlines in explicit detail the stages of the programming process,
as well as its contents (e.g. content of the Single Programming Document, SPD),
which outlines the required description of the current situation (in the region in
question) as follows:
A description, quantified where it lends itself to quantification, of the current
situation with regard to disparities, gaps and potential for development
(Objective 1) or conversion (Objective 2). Includes an analysis, verified in
the ex-ante evaluation … of the strengths, weaknesses and potential of the
Member States, region(s) or sector concerned.
No explicit indication as to how such analysis should be performed is made nor to its
strategic aim and role. These are however outlined (at least to some extent) in other
methodological materials provided by the European Commission for the purposes of
evaluating and participating in the programming process. An example of such
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