The West Midlands is the first English region to produce a Regional Integrated Economic Assessment. The aim is to provide an assessment of the region's economic performance and the factors which contribute to this performance. We also assess the relative position of the different parts of the region.
The Observatory produced the Assessment in collaboration with the region's local authorities, the first example of joint working on this scale and a model for future work on the evidence base for the Single Integrated Regional Strategy.
The Assessment forms an important first step in the iterative development of the evidence base for the Single Integrated Regional Strategy, proposed in the sub-national review of economic development and regeneration.
It also provides a starting point and foundation for more detailed local work required in the preparation of individual Local Economic Assessments, also proposed by the sub-national review.
The Assessment was commissioned from the Observatory by the Regional Forum of Leaders in partnership with Advantage West Midlands, as a joint response to the requirements of the sub-national review. There are three distinct elements:
- An overarching regional summary (PDF, 1.7MB)
- Three thematic chapters:
- Local authority area profiles for each of the 14 strategic authorities
There is an executive summary (PDF, 138KB) and all other sections of the Assessment are available on the downloads tab.
The Assessment's primary focus is the synthesis of existing data and evidence across the range of themes and local areas. It has been developed by identifying, collating, integrating, analysing and interpreting current information, rather than sourcing new information.
The evidence is presented to provide an overview of the regional position, highlighting how the situation varies across the region through comparisons across sub-regional and local levels.
The Assessment has been prepared in collaboration with staff from the 14 strategic local authorities in the West Midlands. They have supplied much of the evidence which underpins the Assessment and have been heavily involved in writing, editing and improving its constituent parts, particularly the local area profiles.