What is the South West Observatory?• A network of experts sharing resources and
working towards a common vision that all policy and decision making in and about the region is based on sound evidence.
To be the first stop shop for intelligence in, and about, the region
• Promoting the best use of good evidence in policy and decision making in and about the region.
• Enabling a shared understanding of the region and its parts
• Maintaining and developing a well-functioning intelligence network within the region that enhances the work of all its members.
• In 2008, ahead of the then proposed duty for upper-tier authorities to conduct LEAs, SWO chaired an event and asked Local Authorities how the Observatory and RIEP could help
• The answer was co-ordination and doing things to assist the LEA process that could be done once for everyone
• The wide buy-in informed an action plan which led to RIEP funding for a new Local Economic Assessment Evidence Coordinator, employed by the Core Unit
• The LEA Evidence Coordinator post has aimed to encourage consistent and comparable economic assessment data and method across the region, to encourage more collaborative working to save costs, to help address local authority capacity and skills constraints in economic assessment, to share best practice and to enable joint commissioning.
Specifically in the South West:
1. We have achieved consensus around a set of common Core Indicators for LEAs, SWO has provided this data to Local Authorities.
2. SWO has led a joint commission on behalf of 15 Local Authorities, the South West RDA and South West Councils for work to map Functional Economic Market Areas.
3. The co-ordinator regularly updates LEA leads with relevant information from local, regional and national sources, through emails, dedicated web pages on the SWO website and in person through meetings with Local Authorities.
1. Core Indicators
• Steering group meetings
• Suggested data sources for answering key questions
• Followed themes of CLG guidance
• Starting point
• http://www.swo.org.uk/resources/local-economic-assessments/core-indicators/
2. Functional Economic Market Areas• functional area over which the local
economy and its key markets operate will not necessarily adhere to administrative boundaries
• Every Upper Tier LA wanted to understand their FEMAs
• Not intended to give ‘the answer’
Functionality
100 layers
LSOA level data where possible
Combined into projects
Access to services
Distance to food storeDistance to GP premisesDistance to Post Office Distance to primary schoolFurther Education CollegesHigher Education Institutions
Demography
Pensionable agePopulation change 2001-08Population forecastsWorking age population
Housing
2009 affordability ratio 2009 median house price
Natural environment
Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyNational parks
Retail
Retail catchments 1-2 Retail catchments 1-3
Economy
Average distance to work Business units Claimants Commuting self contEconomic inactivityEmployment by occupational groupForecastsFTE workers GVA change GVA totalIDBR age bandsIDBR local unitsIDBR local units sizeJob density
Knowledge economyKnowledge economy locational quotientSectoral employment by Broad Industrial GroupSelf employment 2001 Sole traders and partnershipsTTWAS 2001 TTWAS 1991 Value tourismWeekly incomeWork from homeWorkplace earnings
Social
IMD scoreClaimant countClaimants LSOAOut of work benefits
Qualifications
GCSE scoreSkills no-qualificationSkills NVQ3+Skills NVQ4+
Places
Association of Market Towns classification Brownfield Growth pointsLocal Delivery VehiclesRateable valueStrategically significant cities and towns
Previous FEMA
Housing marketsLGA zones South West RDA character zonesSouth West RDA functional zones
Employment in public administration, education and health
Employment in public administration, education and health
3. Other ways of working towards consistency of evidence
• SLIM – Module of the SWO• YPLA – National Employer Skills Survey• Patent data – Bought by the Observatory for the
Upper tier Authorities • Environment Agency• SWO Web pages• ONS• LA LEA Steering groups
Thank You