Welcome to Educe
Welcome to Educe, specialists in policy, partnerships and performance improvement.
We combine in-depth expertise in economic development, employment and skills with breadth in understanding the critical links with other fields - such as health, planning and housing - that matter to economic prosperity and to the wellbeing of local communities.
Worklessness Co-design
DWP have been working with local authorities, Jobcentre Plus and local partners in five areas to develop Co-design Pilots, testing new solutions in tackling worklessness. This is in a world where local authorities are having to rethink their role, given much reduced resources and the advent of the Work Programme and Community Budgets. The pilots are in Birmingham, Bradford, Lewisham, South Tyneside and Swindon. New ways of working variously relate to, eg, working with families; Jobcentre Plus outreach; key workers; personal budgets; social enterprise for employability; and employer engagement; and a youth employment campaign.
On behalf of Local Government Improvement and Development, we have been supporting the pilots and promoting wider dissemination. We have set out to:
On behalf of Local Government Improvement and Development, we have been supporting the pilots and promoting wider dissemination. We have set out to:
- bring together knowledge and learning from the pilots, from parallel developments coming out of Total Place, similar initiatives in other parts of the country and related programmes such as Family Interventions and Drug System Change
- signpost relevant tools, research and evidence, eg, on customer insight, cost-benefit, and service design and innovation
- highlight policy developments which are shaping the future terrain
Resources from this work are available for download on the LG Improvement and Development website.
DWP have now published their final Co-design report, which draws out achievements, lessons and next steps. There are also case studies on each of the pilots, a checklist for local authorities on working with JCP and Work Programme contractors, and an outline of what JCP now bring to the partnership table.
The DWP interim report includes an appendix providing a 'light touch' cost-benefit framework, and we have produced an evaluation checklist to accompany this (on the LG Improvement and Development website).
DWP have now published their final Co-design report, which draws out achievements, lessons and next steps. There are also case studies on each of the pilots, a checklist for local authorities on working with JCP and Work Programme contractors, and an outline of what JCP now bring to the partnership table.
The DWP interim report includes an appendix providing a 'light touch' cost-benefit framework, and we have produced an evaluation checklist to accompany this (on the LG Improvement and Development website).
Responding to public sector redundancies
We've been working with Kevin Griffiths of Chrysalis Outcomes for a client in the West Midlands to assess the likely local impact of public sector redundancies and options open to local partners to mitigate the worst effects. Questions posed of local partners have included:
- restructuring plans and redundancy profiles
- support made available for staff who are leaving, including outplacement
- prospects for alternative employment, especially where job growth is expected in the private sector
Recommendations address action by the public sector employers, Chamber of Commerce and College.
Value for money services in economic development
All government expenditure has to demonstrate its value for money, with scrutiny more intense than ever. Economic development practitioners are having to fight their corner hard in making the strongest possible economic case for projects and programmes - not least in terms of additionality and cost-benefit.
We are collaborating with Cambridge Economic Associates (leads: Peter Tyler and Colin Warnock) in offering a service to Local Enterprise Partnerships, local authorities and other organisations developing proposals, for example, for the Regional Growth Fund.
Together we offer a full economic advisory service using robust, best practice methods and the latest available evidence. This builds on an established reputation for high quality economic appraisals, evaluations and economic advice to Government. We specialise in:
We are collaborating with Cambridge Economic Associates (leads: Peter Tyler and Colin Warnock) in offering a service to Local Enterprise Partnerships, local authorities and other organisations developing proposals, for example, for the Regional Growth Fund.
Together we offer a full economic advisory service using robust, best practice methods and the latest available evidence. This builds on an established reputation for high quality economic appraisals, evaluations and economic advice to Government. We specialise in:
- Value for Money analysis (cost-effectiveness and cost benefit analysis)
- economic impact assessments, including access to the latest economic and market intelligence
- strategic planning – identifying potential opportunities and supporting the prioritisation process
- assessing and benchmarking additionality
- business case preparation to Green Book standards using the Treasury’s best practice 5 Case Model
- training in appraisals and business cases – from high level awareness raising through to in-depth learning
- developing monitoring systems and helping project and programme managers to plan how they will deliver promised benefits
- impact evaluations of projects, programmes and policies to demonstrate their effectiveness and value for money.
Download for further information (
257KB).
257KB).Customer Insight Skills Audit
Humber Innovation Partnership - formed by the four Humber councils and other public sector partners - commissioned a Customer Insight Skills Audit as part of their Customer Insight Programme. Its objectives were to:
- take stock of the state of play in developing customer insight, including how customer insight is perceived and addressed
- highlight good practice on which to build, and how to increase returns to insight activities
- identify skills gaps and how best to meet these, notably through making the most of existing knowledge and expertise
The research was carried out primarily through an online survey aimed at strategic and service managers and analysts, and through face-to-face interviews.
The report ( 568KB)sets out the state of play on customer insight, factors driving and constraining its further development, skill requirements, gaps and expertise. There are recommendations for driving the agenda forward and for developing skills and capacity at LA level and across the Humber.
The report (
568KB)sets out the state of play on customer insight, factors driving and constraining its further development, skill requirements, gaps and expertise. There are recommendations for driving the agenda forward and for developing skills and capacity at LA level and across the Humber.More Articles...
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