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SWOT-analysis as a basis for regional strategies - EUROlocal

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Instead, all parts of the programming document go through multiple rounds of<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mal commenting and <strong>for</strong>mal <strong>as</strong>sessment. This means that an incre<strong>as</strong>ing number<br />

of <strong>as</strong>pects are added to it. The text changes, gradually overlapping with issues of<br />

interest to an incre<strong>as</strong>ingly diversified stakeholder group, and encomp<strong>as</strong>sing everlarger<br />

parts of a region’s development. Simultaneously, however, it also begins to lose<br />

something of its initial edge. The internal logic of the programming document is being<br />

put to a test.<br />

3.4 The limits of the evolutionary model<br />

To summarise the viewpoints raised in the previous section, it can be maintained that<br />

the <strong>SWOT</strong> <strong>analysis</strong>, <strong>as</strong> the core of the analytical part of a programming document,<br />

stands at the crossroads of the two dimensions discussed above. The setting is<br />

illustrated in Fig. 7, a synthesis of Figs. 3-5 and 6. These dimensions have provided<br />

the main pathways <strong>for</strong> approaching the <strong>SWOT</strong> analyses in the scrutinised<br />

programmes. As the programming document is considered <strong>as</strong> both a political tool and<br />

a means to gather the elements agreed upon into a logical and convincing package, the<br />

main attention h<strong>as</strong> been directed to the consistency of that package. It should<br />

obviously serve <strong>as</strong> an optimally designed tool that elaborates the relationship between<br />

the region’s projected development and the actors influencing processes relevant to it.<br />

Standard of consistency: example c<strong>as</strong>e of Blekinge County Growth Agreement<br />

In <strong>as</strong>sessing the standard of consistency of the programmes, one can cite the c<strong>as</strong>e of Blekinge<br />

County Growth Agreement <strong>for</strong> instance, in which consistency between the <strong>SWOT</strong> and the<br />

activities and me<strong>as</strong>ures derived from it makes <strong>for</strong> a well functioning programme The nature of the<br />

programming document <strong>as</strong> a political tool becomes obvious through the strategic choices in<br />

its framework, but this does not necessarily interfere with the consistency of the document.<br />

As is to be expected, <strong>SWOT</strong> analyses are followed by corresponding concrete me<strong>as</strong>ures to be<br />

undertaken, which are in turn divided into four focus are<strong>as</strong>, i.e. the geographical focus = the<br />

Baltic perspective; the focus of activity = are<strong>as</strong> in which me<strong>as</strong>ures are to be taken, actors to be<br />

involved in them, driving <strong>for</strong>ces, relevant economic infr<strong>as</strong>tructures; the in<strong>for</strong>mation focus =<br />

knowledge, competence and IT; and the ecological focus = <strong>for</strong>ms of developing and<br />

supporting ecologically sustainable society. As the overarching policy aim is economic<br />

growth, are<strong>as</strong> of activity reflect this by their concentration on business and enterprise<br />

development, access to knowledge and in<strong>for</strong>mation technology, resource centres <strong>for</strong> growth;<br />

technology transfers; tourism and culture: <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> <strong>for</strong>ms of environmentally adjusted<br />

production and recycling. The focus thus is on the pursuit of economic growth through<br />

suitable political sub-objectives, but the themes of the <strong>SWOT</strong> are reflected in the actual<br />

content of the programme and hence do not remain in the sphere of rhetoric alone.<br />

One elementary question here h<strong>as</strong> to do with the overall quality of the programming<br />

document and its components. But how well designed is an “optimally well designed”<br />

tool: can we already at this point identify some particular criteria to be applied while<br />

searching <strong>for</strong> an answer to that question?<br />

Our work hypothesis here h<strong>as</strong> been evolutionary. In order to be optimally well<br />

designed a tool must be <strong>as</strong> good <strong>as</strong> possible, given the prevailing prerequisites. As the<br />

operational environment is a political one, the prerequisites <strong>as</strong> critical quality<br />

constraints are negotiated and agreed upon by the actors facilitating the programming<br />

process itself. From this it follows that a document made public <strong>as</strong> a (1) programmatic<br />

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