Dec 2005 – Mid term evaluation of Liverpool Vision
SQW was retained by Liverpool Vision, the Urban Regeneration Company set up to support the regeneration of Liverpool city centre. The aim of our evaluation was to provide robust and accurate assessments of the impact and added value of Liverpool Vision and the associated partner arrangements, and to provide a model for future evaluations of other URCs and the impact of the overall programme. To view this report click here.
Nov 2005 – Interim Evaluation of People's Places Award Scheme
SQW were commissioned by BTCV to undertake the interim evaluation of their People’s Places Award Scheme, the findings of which were published by BTCV to coincide with their Real Sustainable Communities Conference held in November. The SQW team also hosted a “stall” to present the findings of the evaluation and delivered a set of evaluation workshops at the conference. To view this report click here.
Oct 2005 – National Evaluation of the Community Forests Programme
SQW in collaboration with Land Use Consultants carried out the national evaluation of the Community Forests Programme. The evaluation addressed four main aspects of the programme – origins, objectives and inputs; direct outputs and wider outcomes; cost effectiveness and value for money; and the way ahead. To view this report click here.
Oct 2005 – Regional Spatial Strategy: Topic Paper 9: Sustainable Tourism
SQW were commissioned by the Yorkshire and Humberside Assembly to develop a spatial strategy for Sustainable Tourism as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy. To view the report click here.
Oct 2005 – Uptake of business grant schemes in the East of Scotland Objective 2 Programme
SQW produced this report which investigated the low levels of absorption of European national funds in business grant schemes in the the East of Scotland Objective 2 Programme. To review this report click here.
Sep 2005 – The Food and Drink Industry Strategy for the East of England
The strategy was created as a 10-15 year view on what should be done in the East of England to enable this economically important industry to develop, grow and adapt to changing consumer trends. It identifies key themes, built around issues like innovation and new product development, skills, customer focus, global competitiveness and infrastructure. To review this report click here.
Aug 2005 – Improving delivery of mainstream services in deprived areas
SQW worked as part of a research consortium on this report, commissioned by ODPM, the Cabinet Office and the Home Office. The report concludes that community involvement is a crucial factor in improving public services especially in deprived areas. Based on a review of evidence from fifteen case studies, covering crime, health, education, worklessness, housing and cross-cutting issues it concludes that the relatively modest costs of community involvement are generally outweighed by the benefits.
Aug 2005 – Evaluating the Impact of Regulation: Developing a Methodology
SQW has completed a study which has been published by the Department of Trade and Industry Strategy Unit. The report reviewed the existing guidance and application of ex-ante and ex-post assessments of regulations, which culminated in the development of a Cumulative Impact Framework that outlined a broad methodology for measuring both the cumulative impact across regulations and the interactive impact between individual regulations. The report is available on our publications page.
Jul 2005 – The Role of ICT in Rural Economies
“The Role of ICT in Rural Economies” report has been published by Defra. This project sought to identify the nature and scale of benefits to rural businesses as a result of ICT. To view the report go to our publications page.
Jun 2005 – Evaluation of HEFCE Teaching Fund Method
SQW has completed a study for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), evaluating HEFCE’s current method for allocating its core grants for teaching to universities and colleges. The evaluation will inform HEFCE’s review of the teaching funding method, and the subsequent consultation on possible changes to it. To view the research report, please click here.
Apr 2005 – Broadband for Scotland
The Scottish Executive has announced that it has signed a contract with BT to extend affordable broadband services to every community in Scotland by the end of 2005. SQW was the specialist adviser to the Scottish Executive and its agencies – Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise – in designing and implementing this multi-million pound procurement, which addresses 68% of the UK communities that had been deemed to be ‘commercially unviable’ by broadband suppliers. SQW advised on the procurement process, assisted in successfully obtaining State Aid clearance from the European Commission, drafted the Invitation to Negotiate document, designed the tender scoring mechanism, assisted in evaluating the tenders, and assisted in negotiating with the tenderers.
Apr 2005 – SQW Continues to Grow...
Scott Dickinson has been appointed Associate Director in SQW’s London office. He joins from the OPM, where he was a Senior Fellow, following five years as a Senior Manager at the Audit Commission. Scott will lead SQW’s local regeneration work in London and expand our organisational development work in local government.
Apr 2005 – SQW Recruiting
Malcolm Maguire joined SQW’s London office as an Associate Director at the beginning of April 2005, after three and a half years as Director of the National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling (NICEC). This followed six years as a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick. Prior to that, he was co-founder and co-director of the Centre for Labour Market Studies at Leicester University. He has been undertaking research into aspects of employment, vocational education, training and the labour market since 1975, and has published widely on a range of employment and training related topics. He was a member of the consortium which undertook the evaluations of the piloting of Education Maintenance Allowances, and of the Adult Learning Grant. The focus of his work in SQW will be Learning, Skills and Labour Market Inclusion.
Mar 2005 – University Spin-Out Companies
Bill Wicksteed, a Director of SQW, and Tim Minshall from St. John’s Innovation Centre conducted a pilot research project commissioned by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation which addressed the concern that spin-outs were being given undue prominence in consideration of university performance in research commercialisation.
Please click here to view the associated report, entitled “University Spin-Out Companies: Starting to fill the evidence gap”.
Jan 2005 – Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme National Evaluation
In February 2002, SQW and its partners were appointed by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) to carry out the first stage of the national evaluation of the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme. This has now been completed. Following an initial scoping study in mid 2002 and the 2002-03 first year Annual Review, the second year Annual Review has now been published. This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Programme’s second full year of operation, 2003-04.
To view the National Evaluation research report and the associated key findings report, please click here.