Project: Evidence Base for a Higher Education Strategy

Client: Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership

In partnership with Buckman Associates Ltd we developed an evidence base to inform the development of a Higher Education Strategy for the SWLEP. This included the development of online surveys of employers and individuals (young people and adults), detailed analysis of secondary data including numerous publicly available data sources and bespoke analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data. The study clearly brought together supply side and demand side data, alongside local employer needs to develop a series of recommendations to develop the provision of Higher Education in the SWLEP area to benefit economic growth.

Project: Evaluation and Critical Friend Support for the Interreg Flavour Project

Client: Plymouth Marjon University

Working with Lorna Bell Research we are providing evaluation and critical friend support services for the Interreg funded Flavour project. Flavour is a multi-partnered project spanning Belgium, France and the UK focusing on food surplus and labour. It aims to learn from the experience of delivering 15 separate pilot initiatives to create new business models that maximise underused resources and create jobs for people far from the labour market. As well as delivering a longitudinal evaluation of the project we are supporting the Marjon team and other partners with advice and guidance as well as practical support for its effective delivery.

Client: Cornwall 365

In collaboration with Buckman Associates we assisted Cornwall 365 (which is a network of cultural players and tourism businesses designed to raise the region’s profile as a year-round destination for the arts, culture and heritage) with bespoke consultation to inform their activities. This included an on-line business survey, attendance at a Cultural Ambassadors Event and a series of qualitative telephone conversations with ten of C365’s Cultural Ambassadors. The consultation helped to identify what had been working well, the difference the programme had made and what participants would like it to focus on in the future.