Economic growth

Government actions can have a major impact on economic growth - locally, nationally and internationally. For example, government can make it easier to access finance, resources and innovation; it can improve workforce skills and competition; create infrastructure and make tax, regulatory regimes and planning systems easier. Growth also depends on many non-government factors, including changing technology and new international markets.

As the factors driving growth are so complex, it's hard to share lessons - as no two situations are the same. However, there are lessons to help government support growth. Growth programmes often need to be coordinated across government. They require careful planning and balancing between the long-term nature of growth and the shorter-term nature of policy decision-making - see also Managing major projects and Environmental sustainability. Although it will always be hard to assess how much growth has been affected by any one action, there are examples of good practice evaluation - which can then be used to plan future activities.