Early benefits emerging from Provincial Growth Fund investments, says evaluation report
Published: 17 August, 2022
An independent evaluation of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) released today by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit (Kānoa – RDU) has found that the fund is on track and already achieving some early benefits for regional communities that it was designed to deliver.
The Evaluation of the Provincial Growth Fund report, carried out by Allen + Clarke, looks at what the $3.0b PGF initially achieved since its establishment in 2018.
Strengths and successes of the PGF detailed in the report include:
- Decision-making processes improved over time, leading to good outputs and outcomes
- PGF projects are generating optimism about the future in communities
- Māori economic development was a key area of success
- Collaboration among, government, regional stakeholders and Māori was a strength
- PGF funded training programmes are helping to break intergenerational unemployment
The evaluation presents recommendations for improvement that Kānoa Head Robert Pigou says have already been built into the PGF’s successor, the $200m Regional Strategic Partnership Fund (RSPF).
“The RSPF’s more targeted investment approach, built on stronger regional partnerships, will address many of the shortcomings highlighted in the evaluation, which were often connected to the scale and speed of the PGF’s implementation”, he says
For detailed insights, including first-hand accounts of the importance of the investments to affected communities, and descriptions of the collaborative engagement with Kānoa - RDU and partner agencies, go to the full report: