Policy and analysis
Summary
Commissions have included community consultations and appraisals, interpreting and responding to UK and EU policy initiatives, and working with formal and informal partnerships of organisations.
Work has involved economic and labour market research and analysis, including key trends in local economies and labour markets. Our research has usually contributed to the discussion of new policies and programmes. Sometimes, the research has provided the information required to make the case for a specific initiative.
Some highlights
Social registered landlords and enterprise
We were commissioned by SES (formerly Social Enterprise Sunderland) to undertake research into the role of social registered landlords in tackling worklessness and supporting enterprise. This resulted in a discussion paper which provided a basis for considering how the Enterprising Futures project might be taken forward.
We also worked with SES to review the impact of the Enterprising Futures programme which helped around 85 Sunderland residents to start up in business. Enterprising Futures has been sponsored by registered social landlord Gentoo, and financed through the Phoenix Development Fund and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
Review of Market Towns in the North East
We were commissioned by One NorthEast to carry out a review of the 15 market towns in the Region that were designated under the Countryside Agency’s ‘Market Towns Initiative’. The review focused on two aspects: (a) the economic potential of each town, and (b) the capacity of each market town partnership to deliver economic regeneration. The work involved the development of economic and partnership profiles for each town, and we were assisted by our partners in Durham Business School and ESRA Solutions.
Examples of work undertaken
- A social enterprise strategy and action plan for County Durham
- Practical support over an extended period for Easington Colliery and Horden Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder, including the development of SMART objectives, delivery plans, monitoring and scoring systems and procedures, and project identification
- Analysis of surveys of parental satisfaction for local Sure Start programmes
- An economic appraisal of the North Pennines and Northumberland Coast AONBs, as an input to their Management Plans
- Community appraisals for all 26 wards in Easington District, providing a basis for allocation of UK and EU funds
- Policy papers on barriers to employment and training, and the problem of social exclusion in disadvantaged areas
- Innovation and technology strategies for the North East, East of Scotland, Strathclyde and Sunderland
- An economic strategy for Wear Valley
- Design and development of an interactive economic profile of Sunderland, including a wide range of information on local economic and labour market trends
- Design and development of an economic and social profile of Easington
- Survey and analysis of the skills needed by production staff in the automotive sector, and possible training responses
- A study of the transferability of business improvement techniques from the North East automotive sector into the Region’s SMEs
- Area and thematic action plans in support of EU funding allocations
- Conferences, workshops and publications on best practice in the deployment of labour market intelligence
- Research into best practice in the operation of professional institutions – a comparative study for the archaeology profession