Economic development research, strategy and action planning is a core and large area of SQW’s competence. We work data hard and robustly to provide insightful explanation, design innovative strategy frameworks recognised for their coherence, communicability and comprehensiveness, and produce exciting action plans that are rational, viable and sustainable. A key and sought-after feature of our work is the dynamic view we take of economies and their assets, often delivered through our close links with specialised forecasting experts.
Our track record in economic development research, strategy and action planning spans supra-regional, regional, sub-regional and local geographies. And we don’t work for clients; rather our approach is to work with clients, recognising that they and their partners will be responsible for taking forward the analyses, strategies, and action plans that we have catalysed. Engagement is key to the way we work, as is our commitment to sharing and transferring our knowledge so that clients are increasingly able to understand and explain their economies.
Examples of SQW Consulting projects
Supporting the Northwest Regional Economic Forecasting Panel
Since 2004, working with Cambridge Econometrics, SQW has been involved in supporting the work of the Northwest Economic Forecasting Panel. Chaired by the Department of Trade and Industry’s former Head of Economics, and involving senior business leaders from the region with a small number of public sector representatives, the purpose of the Panel is to produce three forecasts annually of the region’s growth, two focused on the short term (three years out) and one relating to the longer term (15 years out). As the Panel has matured, its attention has moved away from simple headline data to examining with increasing sophistication the reasons underpinning the region’s performance. Over the coming period, the Panel will be involved increasingly in looking at the performance of the Regional Economic Strategy, and advising on how RES activity can be best shaped to deliver on the growth challenges that the region faces.
Smart Growth: The Midlands Way
SQW was commissioned by the East Midlands Development Agency and Advantage West Midlands, in association with the Regional Assemblies and Government Offices in the East and West Midlands, to prepare a strategy for accelerating growth across the two regions. The work was commissioned in response to an invitation from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the two regions to submit proposals, which would complement the Sustainable Communities Plan and the Northern Way strategy.
Swansea Economic Regeneration Strategy
SQW was commissioned to prepare an Economic Regeneration Strategy to guide the regeneration of Swansea’s economy over the next 15 years. The study involved three phases: identifying current and future priority sectors in the local economy; developing a Vision, Strategic Objectives and Actions, including a review of those Strategic Objectives and Actions contained in the Swansea Community Plan, and preparing a strategy and action plan for delivery. In addition, we developed an outline monitoring and evaluation framework to steer the performance of the strategy.
Liverpool City Region Development Programme
SQW was commissioned by The Mersey Partnership to deliver a unified economic and spatial strategy for Merseyside. The project’s objective was to deliver a baseline, socio-economic forecasts, a strategic framework and an integrated action plan, collectively known as the Liverpool City Region Development Programme, to support the development of the city-region within the context of the Northern Way.
Sustainable Futures: the Integrated Regional Strategy for the East of England
SQW was appointed by the East of England Regional Assembly to develop an integrated regional strategy, which involved the reconciliation of the region’s key strategic documents into a single strategy. Over a period spanning 15 months, and involving data analysis, scenario planning, and extensive consultation with regional partners, our work resulted in the production of England’s first integrated regional strategy, which has subsequently been used as a blueprint for thinking in other regions.
Measuring the economic contribution and needs of equalities communities
SQW was commissioned to assess the economic contribution of equalities communities in the North West, and to determine their needs. In particular, our research modelled the income impacts which would accrue to the regional economy if equalities communities were remunerated at the same rates as the average for the North West region. Our analysis provided the cornerstone for the development of the wider North West Regional Equal Opportunities Strategy.