Policy development, strategy and action planning, and the analytical research which underlies these areas, is a core and large area of SQW’s capability. We place emphasis on working data hard and robustly to provide insightful explanation, and then using this to frame policy approaches, strategic directions, and action plans which are coherent and comprehensive, as well as rational and sustainable. A key, and sought-after, feature of our work is the dynamic view we bring of how economies and their assets will change in the future, often delivered through our close links with specialised forecasting experts, underpinned by our own knowledge of market and technology foresight.
Our track record in economic development policy, strategy and action planning spans supra-regional, regional, city/sub-regional and local geographies. And we don’t work for clients; our emphasis is working with clients, recognising that they and their partners will be responsible for taking forward the analyses, policies, strategic agendas and plans we have catalysed. Engagement is key to the way we work, as is our commitment to capacity building and knowledge transfer with staff in client organisations.
Examples of SQW projects
East of England Joint Implementation Plan
SQW worked with a group of regional partners to develop a strategic Joint Implementation Plan (JIP) for the East of England. The JIP was intended as a high level business plan to deliver both the new Regional Economic Strategy and Regional Spatial Strategy, and in anticipation of the Sub- National Review’s requirement for a single regional strategy. Additionally, the output from the exercise formed a key part of the region’s submission to government in the context of the Regional Funding Allocations. In preparing the JIP, our work involved a technical review of implementation priorities as well as extensive stakeholder engagement, including through a formal public consultation on the draft JIP.
Development of the Northamptonshire Strategic Economic Action Plan
SQW was commissioned to develop a strategic economic action plan for Northamptonshire. Against the context of the County’s housing growth point status, the action planning included a number of components – collating and assessing the strategic alignment of existing strategies/targets/actions, modelling the impact of current actions on the Northamptonshire economy and understanding gaps in delivery, and developing delivery plans for the North and the West of the county. The outcomes of the work fed into the Examination in Public of the Local Development Frameworks, spatial investment plans, and into key strategic funding processes.
Research into Next Generation Broadband in Scotland
For the Scottish Government, SQW undertook a major study into Next Generation Broadband (NGB) services in Scotland. The work included an assessment of the likely evolution of the NGB market in terms of coverage and take-up, and an analysis of the marginal economic and social impacts of NGB services over and above those of ‘current generation’ broadband services. We appraised a number of policy options, in order to develop recommendations for policy towards the NGB market.
Adult Learner Transport Provision: Survey of Local Authorities
SQW was commissioned to collect quantitative and qualitative data on how local authorities are implementing their current statutory duty to provide free transport to adult learners. The study involved telephone interviews with learner transport contacts in a representative sample of 50 local authorities, and data analysis using Excel, and NVivo software. The results informed the government’s policy development in relation to the adult transport provisions proposed in the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Bill.
Advice on regional response to government consultation of draft national policy statements on energy
The East of England Development Agency commissioned a study on how it should respond to the consultation draft National Policy Statements on Energy published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The six draft National Policy Statements provide guidance to the Infrastructure Planning Commission in making planning decisions on major energy infrastructure, including large wind farms, power stations and related transmission networks.
The Crewe Strategy
SQW, supported by Colin Buchanan and Cambridge Econometrics, was commissioned by Cheshire East Council to lead a high-level visioning and masterplanning process for Crewe for the period to 2030. The key outputs from the study included a detailed SWOT assessment of the economy and its potentials, a strategic framework, and action plan to take the economy forward. Understanding the role of Crewe Station, and its future development options, was a key part of our work.
Nottingham Sustainable Community Strategy
SQW was appointed by Nottingham City Council to support the council and One Nottingham in preparing a new ten-year Sustainable Community Strategy for the city. The commission built on previous work that SQW had done for the council in supporting the preparation of a State of the City report and the development of a long-term city vision. The strategy development process involved strategic consultations, supporting research and analysis, the facilitation of work streams, the delivery of challenge workshops and the final development and drafting of the strategy document.
The Environmental Considerations of Achieving Sustainable Economic Growth
SQW was tasked with mapping the environmental resources (natural and man-made) in the North West of England, and to consider the role that these might play in supporting the region’s socio-economic development objectives through to 2025. The key focus of the study was on four critical types of infrastructures – energy, transport, water and waste. Using existing evidence from a very wide range of sources, SQW examined the current and likely future demand on these infrastructures, and offered policy choices on how these demands might be managed to best accommodate growth and sustainability objectives.
Policy Levers for Sustainable Rural Communities Study
SQW led a study to develop a working definition of Sustainable Rural Communities in the West Midlands, and then to identify policy levers in the domains of housing, employment land, rural economy, ICT, green infrastructure, critical rural services, economic inclusion and low carbon communities. Our work informed the development of policy options in the context of the Phase III revision to the Regional Spatial Strategy and the development of implementation plans linked to the RES. It provided an important foundation for the move towards a Single Integrated Regional Strategy in the West Midlands.
South East Coastal Strategy
SQW was commissioned by SEEDA to develop the South East Coastal Strategy and Framework for Action, one of the three sub-regional strategies charged with delivering on the Regional Economic Strategy. SQW’s work involved detailed reviews of existing strategies and plans, consultation with key sub-regional partners and business and visioning workshops. This work enabled SQW to develop both the high level strategy and the associated action plan.