What does the “Economic Development Manager” actually DO?

We know that he looks after the interests of the East Devon Business Forum.  We know that he DOESN’T write reports on the East Devon Business Forum for the EDDC Task and Finish group looking into exactly what EDBF does – he delegates that to another officer who doesn’t attend their meetings and who comes up with a page of A4 mostly from the EDBF website (which we pay for).  We know that he speaks on behalf of EDBF at council meetings, to the public and to the world at large (except when the EDDC Communications Officer is doing that task – see EDBF minutes).  We know that he played an important role in bringing together the EDBF figures on employment (i.e. industrial) land.  He does comment on planning applications that he deems to have “economic development” significance, but again many of these seem to be the planning applications of EDBF members.

So, “economic development” – presumably that applies to the whole district and every aspect of the economy of the district and the development of the economy of the district.

Has anyone seen him regularly at Chamber of Commerce meetings in each of our towns?  Has anyone seen him popping into our Tourist Information Offices, asking staff there what tourists are asking about, complaining about, suggesting and offering tips on how to boost tourism?  Has anyone seen him quizzing our local shop-keepers about the effects of the large supermarkets on their businesses and how they are going to deal with that?  Has anyone seen him at their rural business asking what effect national, regional and local policies are having on them and what the council can do to help them?  Has anyone seen him going into our schools and talking about the skills gap and youth unemployment and how schools can work with businesses to overcome these problems and how he can interface with the council to bring this about?  Has anyone seen any papers REALLY signed by him about economic development in general (we exclude Cranbrook here, which is flavour of the month or possibly of the decade).  Have we seen him reporting on national economic trends and their effect on the district and what the district intends to do about them?

Have we seen him at all?

Perhaps he isn’t supposed to be doing any of these things.  But, if not, what exactly is he supposed to be doing for his full-time senior salary?