Regional data sharing days

On 20th and 21st January 2009, the Chief Economist Unit (CEU) at  Yorkshire Forward ran some data sharing workshops, which were attended by around 80 partners across the region.

These workshops focused on delivering six key priorities, in the context of the forthcoming evidence requirements of Sub-National Review, and Integrated Regional Strategy:

  • Building greater awareness of the full range of socio-economic data resources available to partners from within Yorkshire Forward’s CEU
  • Raising awareness so that the partner network can develop a comprehensive and consistent picture of how these resources work locally
  • Capacity building
  • Explaining the role of the CEU in all of this
  • Share with partners key areas of data development in the next year
  • Making contact with each other.

View the Regional data sharing days presentation outlining the purpose of the day, and the role of the CEU team.

The two days focused on four key data resources available to the partner network across the region. A short summary and access to the overview presentations, and more detailed workshop presentations is outlined below.

National Research Opinion Poll

This workshop focuses on Acxiom’s National Research Opinion Poll of households across the country. It outlines what data the CEU purchases in Yorkshire and Humber and how partners can access this data via the online ‘Demographics Now’ service. It also explains how this data can be used in the public sector ‘plan, monitor, manage’ context.

The presentations also cover the PersonicxGeo segmentation tool, how it can be accessed and used to analyse client records, and how the PersonicxPlanner can be used to meet information needs on household and lifestyle data.

View the overview presentation on what the CEU / Acxiom service can provide to partners, and the detailed presentation about the National Research Opinion Poll and PersonicxGeo.

You can obtain further background information about the National Research Opinion Poll via the Acxiom data home page on Yorkshire Futures’ website or see Acxiom’s GeoDirect website.

Regional Econometric Model

This workshop introduces you to the Yorkshire Forward / Experian Business Strategies’ Ltd Regional Econometric Forecasting Model (REM) for Yorkshire and Humber: what it can do, how it works and what you can use it for.

It outlines the various macro-economic variables that form part of the REM and their impact on regional and local area outputs. Recently added functionality that has been incorporated into the REM includes the new environmental accounts, skills profiling and population projections.

View the overview presentation and detailed presentation about the Regional Econometric Model.

This section also gives the latest Experian Regional Planning Service update for Yorkshire and Humber. This is Experian’s annual planning service which sets the forecasts for the national and regional economies according to the latest available data.

Access the long and short-term outlook for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

For further background information about the Regional Econometric Model visit the Regional Econometric Model page on Yorkshire Futures website.

National Business Survey

Yorkshire Forward currently manages the National Business Survey on behalf of the nine English Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and Invest Northern Ireland. Historically, this has been a paper-based survey that has been undertaken twice a year, in March/April and October/November. It has been running twice a year since 2000.

Currently, the National Business Survey (NBS) is a four-page survey that collects views from a sample of businesses across each region, representing industry structure, size and location. It is intended as a snapshot view of business confidence, investment experiences and intentions; and provides the RDAs with a significant level of detail about the issues currently affecting businesses in their local areas.

This workshop shows you the background of the survey, including its methodology, sample sizes and some key national and regional findings from the latest survey (autumn 2008).

The national and regional reports for the autumn 2008 NBS can be found here on our Economic view.

The Regional Data Sharing Days also covered how partners can access the NBS data via the online web-portal, which allows access to local level data (including sample sizes) and sectoral cross-tabulations. For more information on how to use the online portal view our guide.

Office for National Statistics

Yorkshire Forward hosts two Office for National Statistics Regional Statisticians on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humber region – Ian Kay and Keith Tyrell.

This workshop covers the background and history to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), how National Statistics are branded, and recent changes to the ONS. For more information view our Office for National Statistics presentation.

The detailed afternoon workshop covered ONS products and services, including access to data sources, training, communications and how regional partners can work with the two ONS Regional Statisticians in Yorkshire and Humber.

The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Statisticians also produce a monthly communications newsletter, which outlines the latest data releases. These can be access from our Key publication page.