E-briefing 21 - August 2007
E-briefing Issue 21: August 2007
Editorial
Hello, and welcome to the August 2007 edition of the Regional Intelligence Unit’s (RIU) e-briefing. The RIU's aim is to improve access to information and intelligence for the region's public and private sectors.
This briefing will highlight recent activities of the NWDA Research Team, latest additions to the Extranet and of data release dates for the coming months.
The Regional Intelligence Unit is holding an event in September 2007 for which the purpose is to formally launch the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Regional Presence and to give research and data practitioners the opportunity to share knowledge and ideas to feed into the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) 2009 Evidence Base.
The event will involve a state of the region presentation by the Regional Intelligence Unit followed by an update on the NWDA Research programme and breakout groups focusing on the evidence, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the Northwest region. The afternoon session will focus on the ONS regional presence, their work in the Northwest and the needs of research, intelligence and policy development in the region. Outputs will be available on the Extranet after the event.
Kind Regards
Vanessa Smallman, Editor
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NWDA Research Team Update
Research Panel - The Research Consultancy Panel is a Framework Agreement which has been put in place to meet consultancy requirements in relation to the collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of data of relevance to policy or practice, to increase understanding about current and future trends, needs and good practice.
Research projects that have been commissioned are as follows:-
European benchmarking - The purpose of this study is to gather quantitative and qualitative information to benchmark and rank the economic performance of major Northwest towns and cities against comparators across Europe. Benchmarking provides strategic intelligence for policy making by identifying trends in the region's economy vis-a-vis other regions. It can support in understanding an areas limits as well as its opportunities. Benchmarking also facilitates the identification of practices that are behind the best performing regions.
Demographics - This work will firstly focus on what the reasons are for demographic change and migration, detailing what the forecasts for the future show. The study will provide analysis of how this is impacting on the region i.e. infrastructure and projected impact forecasts for the future. In addition, this study will explore upward migration trend pressures on the region's skills and knowledge base.
Business start-ups - High levels of business start-ups within a region signify economic prosperity. The greater the business stock the greater the opportunities, productivity and investment within the region leading to a better quality of life for everyone. The region tends to have less owner-managed businesses, partly due to the historic dominance of large manufacturing companies. Because of this it is important as a region we encourage people to start businesses including the under-performing sectors of the region:
- High growth knowledge based start-ups
- Women, BME communities, Disabled Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprise
This study will identify the overall level of business start-ups in the region, their survivability and attitudes towards business support in the region.
Other NWDA Research Team activities include:-
RES Priority Sectors - The 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) states six priority sectors: Biomedical, Energy & Environmental Technologies, Advanced Engineering & Materials, Food & Drink, Digital & Creative and Business & Professional Services. No one agreed definition of these sectors exists which makes it difficult to provide any data to support the sectors.
The NWDA Research Team together with sector colleagues has defined the six priority sectors according to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes together with additional sectors that make up the rest of the economy. The Research Team in conjunction with the Office for National Statistics is now sourcing data on the number of companies, employees and the value of the GVA within each sector.
Economic Forecasting Forum - The Research Team are continuing their work to compare the underlying data and assumptions of the different economic forecasting models held within the region, so that there is greater understanding of the comparability of outputs from different models. The Forecasting Forum met at the end of July when updates to the NWDA economic forecasting model were considered. Sub-regional partners provided thoughts on potential corrections to the latest baseline data to be incorporated in to the model. This information will help ensure that the NWDA's regional forecasting model incorporates as much local knowledge as possible.
Regional Economic Forecasting Panel - The Northwest Regional Economic Forecasting Panel was set up in 2003 as a service to business and to others concerned with the development of the Northwest as a thriving regional economy. The Panel meets four times a year and annually produces two forecasts looking out over the next three years, which are mainly as a service to business, regular assessments of the state of the regional economy and a third forecast looking forward over a period of 20 years which builds upon these assessments.
The Panel's new short-term business forecast looking at the prospect of economic growth in the region over the next three years has been published along with an Executive Summary.
The Panel's current long-term forecast which is based on an analysis of development in the regional economy over the past 15 years is available. Please click here to access the Panel's previous reports.
Housing Affordability - The Research Team will be undertaking a piece of work will track housing affordability over time, particularly in key areas, and act as evidence in developing policy to ensure housing is affordable to local people where this is critical to future growth prospects.
Medium Enterprises (MEs) - are a key area of the regional economy, accounting for significant proportions of employment and enterprise. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are one of the principal driving forces in economic development. They stimulate private ownership and entrepreneurial skills, they are flexible and can adapt quickly to changing market supply and demand situations, they generate employment, help diversify economic activity and make a significant contribution to exports and trade. The Agency recognises the need to support Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) as an important driver for future economic prosperity. An analysis exploring the impact of medium sized businesses on the regional economy has been produce by the Research Team.
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Latest Additions to the RIU Extranet
ARO Annual Conference (jointly hosted with Economic & Social Research Council)
It is being held in the Hilton Metropole in Brighton on Wednesday December 5th and Thursday December 6th. It will bring together practitioners, researchers and academia to look at the challenges raised for service delivery by the review, and the evidence available to support decisions for policy-makers. Full details will be released shortly but in the meantime, potential delegates can register their interest by mailing
conference@regionalobservatories.com to get details of early-bird discounts when they become available.
Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) - 2007
Each year, HM Treasury publishes the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) which is a compendia of information about public expenditure outturns and plans. One chapter is devoted to the distribution of public spending between the regions and countries of the UK. The NWDA Research Team has produced a
briefing which compares the Northwest allocation to other regions and gives a summary of trends for the Northwest in total spend and by broad programme.
Helping People from Workless Households into Work
The National Audit Office has reported that employment programmes are making a difference for those who take part. More people are in work than before, and the New Deal have been successful in helping participants into work. However more needs to be done to reach out to the most disadvantaged, particularly people living in the three million workless households in the UK. An
Executive Summary and
Full Report were produced.
In Work, Better Off Next Steps to Full Employment
'In work, better off' sets out proposals to deliver a step change in the support the Department for Work and Pensions offer to those who are most disadvantaged in the labour market. Their goal is nothing less than full employment in our generation. An
Executive Summary and
Full Report were produced.
Government Response to Leitch Report
On Wednesday 18th July, the Government unveiled major new plans for making our nation a world class leader in skills by 2020, aimed at creating new opportunities for citizens and businesses, and delivering prosperity for all. The plan, World Class Skills: implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England is the Government’s response to the independent Leitch Review of Skills and sets out how Government will lead the country into a skills 'revolution'.
North West Regional Assembly Regional Monitoring Group
This Group was established in April 2007 consisting of representatives from across the region with the Chair and Secretariat function being provided by the North West Regional Assembly and the group meets on a quarterly basis.
The group aims to look at new opportunities for acquiring and sharing information as a result of work undertaken by partner organisations and new indicators which may come to light as part of the monitoring process. Visit the Regional Monitoring Group webpage to review view their responsibilities, outputs and a number of monitoring reports.
LSC Newsletter - Issue 6
Each month the LSC issues a newsletter to bring you news and views from the education and training sector. Although the focus is largely on policy developments in the world of post-16 education and training, they also draw attention to other items of interest such as new research findings, examples of good practice or alternative perspectives on skills and employability.
Expanded ONS Regional Snapshots
ONS have expanded the Regional Snapshots several times since their launch last year. In addition to providing a profile for each region, data tables are now available which provide sub-national and regional data. The tables cover the following topics: population & migration, education & training, labour market, housing, crime & justice, economy, income & lifestyles, health & care, transport and environment.
Neighbourhood Statistics Indicator Catalogue
Neighbourhood Statistics updated their Indicator Catalogue on 17th July 2007. The catalogue is an Excel spreadsheet which provides a quick lookup of all indicators held on the Neighbourhood Statistics website. This enables users to narrow searches according to geography or dataset type.
New Poverty and Wealth Maps of Britain Reveal Inequality to be at 40-year High
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has released a piece of research looking at patterns of wealth and poverty over the last 40 years. The research has found that households in already-wealthy areas have tended to become disproportionately wealthier and that many rich people live in areas segregated from the rest of society. Over the last 15 years more households have become poor over the last 15 years, but fewer are very poor.
Labour Market Statistics - June 2007
The Office for National Statistics produces a series of monthly releases comprising of one for Scotland, Wales and for each Government Office Region in England. They contain the latest employment, unemployment, economic activity and inactivity and vacancy data at regional and sub-regional level. The Research Team has produced a summary for the Northwest.
Regional Competitiveness and State of the Regions
The NWDA Research Team has summarised the sixth edition of Regional Competitiveness and State of the Regions publication, released by DTI, in May 2007. The publication covers 17 indicators intended to give a balanced picture of all the statistical information relevant to regional competitiveness and the state of the regions.
Enterprise Week
MLA Partnership and the national Make Your Mark campaign have joined forces to actively promote and instil the value of an enterprise culture in museums, libraries and archives. An easy way to get involved is by participating in this year’s Enterprise Week.
Contact your MLA Regional Agency for more information (see contacts in the guide) and use this guide for ideas on how to get involved.
Northwest Culture Observatory Online
Culture Northwest is delighted to announce the launch of the Northwest Culture Observatory Online: http://www.northwestcultureobservatory.co.uk/. This knowledge portal is the first of its kind in the region and gives unlimited access to cross-sector and region-wide cultural research, data and intelligence.
The Observatory Online meets the demand of the region’s culture sector - it provides access to timely and informative intelligence that builds the evidence base for sustained cultural activity, a bespoke central search facility giving free connection to strategic research and evidence for the North West and beyond and a dynamic online cultural research community where users can upload research, participate in cultural discussions, convene networks and forums in secure areas.
Measuring the Impact of Cultural Programming
Impacts 08 have released the Benchmark Indicators Report 2000-2006 - the first report to assess the impact of Liverpool's status as European Capital of Culture 2008. This follows our joint Research Forum, the Executive Summary & Briefing Paper of which are below.
Measuring the Impact of Cultural Programming: Executive Summary
Measuring the Impact of Cultural Programming: Briefing Paper
Liverpool flourishing from Capital of Culture activity
Benchmark Indicators Report 2000 – 2006
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Forthcoming Data Releases
Here are a series of forthcoming
data releases.
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As part of our on-going aim to improve our communication with members we would like to invite network members to provide us with feedback, please email any comments and recommendations you may have to
nwriu@nwda.co.uk or call 01925 400291.
For full contact details of all team members please click
here.
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