Recent Projects

The summaries below give a flavour of the wide range of disciplines in which SLIMS is able to carry out research and consultancy.  These include: 

• qualitative & survey-based research 
• evaluation of labour market policy
• policy-directed data analysis
• workforce development policy 
• evidence-based policy formation
• industry and topic factsheets 
• economic audits
• partnership projects and services
  

North Lanarkshire Labour Market Study

SLIMS, in partnership with Lowland Market Research, are currently engaged in a detailed Labour Market Study on behalf of North Lanarkshire Council.  The purpose of the work is to assess the extent of progress in tackling deprivation in the area since the last such study in 2003 and to provide a basis for policies in the period to 2010.

Lowland Market Research have extensive experience in carrying out large scale surveys and will be responsible for the household survey component of the project.  SLIMS will have overall responsibility for analysing the findings from the survey and delivering the final report.  Our wide experience in labour market policy and analysis will help to ensure the final report is of maximum possible use to the Council.  The completion date for this project will be early 2008.

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Evaluation of Labour Market Policy

We were commissioned by North Lanarkshire Council to do a mid-term evaluation of the performance of the Full Employment Area Initiative in Whinhall, Airdrie.  The Initiative is an innovative scheme which aims to find out directly from workless members of the local community about the barriers they face in returning to employment.  Our research involved an intensive programme of telephone and face-to-face interviews with the Initiative’s Steering Group, staff from other local agencies and from the project itself.  We also held 2 focus groups to discover the views of those who have been helped by the scheme.  The evaluation concluded that the Initiative provides good value for money, but made a number of recommendations regarding ways that its operation could be improved.

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Policy-Directed Data Analysis

The UK Treasury published the first part of the Leitch Report into Britain’s workforce skills in December 2005.  As part of its policy formation process, SE Glasgow asked SLIMS to replicate the Leitch analysis for Glasgow and Scotland.  We were able to use our expertise in the sourcing and interpretation of data to find all the available comparable information, to draw out the main skills issues facing the city and to show how these differed from the overall UK position.

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Workforce Development Policy

As part of SE Glasgow’s review of their Workforce Development Framework, SLIMS worked on a collaborative study with GEN Consulting.  The project identified key growth sectors in the Glasgow economy, and examined the suitability of these industries as potential employers of some of the city’s long term unemployed and economically inactive.  The research involved a number of employer interviews, as well as detailed analysis of SLIMS’ employment forecasts.  It concluded that targeting of adult interventions would require further work with both the employers in these industries and with the potential client groups.  The final report was published by SE Glasgow as Future Jobs and Skills Growth in Glasgow. It can be obtained by clicking here.

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Evidence-Based Policy Formation

SE Lanarkshire commissioned SLIMS to examine the issue of whether it would be feasible to target participation in three key Skills & Learning programmes towards growth sectors in the local economy.  The project involved an assessment of the performance of the three schemes (Skillseekers, Modern Apprenticeships and Training for Work), requiring the analysis of around 50,000 separate records using SPSS.  The results were then set against an examination of high job growth and high GVA sectors to produce recommendations for improved workforce development policies in the future.

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Industry and Topic Factsheets

SLIMS was commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire to provide a wide range of factsheets on Ayrshire and its economy.  They included topics as varied as the key economic and labour market facts, profiles of the three largest towns in the area, the quality of life in Ayrshire, transport links and infrastructure, business property and housing.  Additionally, the work involved a series of key sector factsheets as well as much longer reports on the contact centre industry, aerospace and tourism.

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Economic Audits

SLIMS have recently been commissioned by Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow to produce an economic audit of the city.  The first output from this project will be a summary report to be distributed to attendees at the annual State of the City conference in November 2007.  The final report, published in early 2008, will also be distributed widely and used to help inform future economic development policy in Glasgow.

SLIMS, in collaboration with GEN Consulting, carried out the 2005 Fife Economic Audit.  The work required the creation of a comprehensive data matrix of the latest available economic and labour market indicators, as well as analysis to benchmark the local area against several comparators in other parts of Britain, and to assess the economic position in the sub regions within Fife.  The report is available by clicking here.

SLIMS was also commissioned to conduct the Glasgow Economic Audit 2004, in collaboration with Oxford Economic Forecasting.  This work reported on the performance of Glasgow and the surrounding Metropolitan economy, assessing progress against benchmarks and specific targets and providing details of the future prospects for the Glasgow City economy, as well as reporting on topics such as the knowledge economy and the ‘creative class’.  The report is available by clicking here.

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Partnership Projects and Services

SLIMS has undertaken numberous projects for various Partnership organisations across Scotland.  A recent project carried out on behalf of the Glasgow South East Community Planning Partnership involved providing data and analysis of a large number of variables relating to the strategic regeneration objectives of the organisation.  Ten individual neighbourhood profiles were produced and the work utilised SLIMS' extensive knowledge of local area statistics and GIS software to create a unique analysis of the bespoke geographies.

We currently provide Quarterly Performance Bulletins to the Inverclyde and Renfrewshire Workforce Plus Partnerships.  These bulletins are designed to monitor and evaluate progress made by the Partnerships towards achieving their Closing the Opportunity Gap (CtOG) targets.  In addition, we have been commisioned to provide a series of additional topic factsheets for the Inverclyde Workforce Plus Partnership.  The purpose of these reports is to increase knowledge and understanding among partners of their key client groups, benefit claimants, local transport infrastructure and trends in the local economy.

Traditional SLIMS membership allows member organisation to share SLIMS reports and intelligence only within their own organisations.  With this in mind, SLIMS have developed a new form of membership specifically designed with the needs of effective partnership working in mind.  Corporate Membership permits members to legally transfer SLIMS intellectual property between partners.  Currently, our Corporate Members include Inverclyde and Renfrewshire Workforce Plus Partnerships and the Ayrshire Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team.

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Testimonials

In undertaking the Whinhall Mid-term evaluation, the SLIMS team proved themselves to be adept at undertaking interviews, focus groups and running a workshop session. The final report was easy to understand and presented a number of clear recommendations which could be acted upon. I would have no hesitation in recommending SLIMS to anyone else looking for a similar project evaluation.
Ian Hunter
Economic Development Officer
North Lanarkshire Council

SLIMS was able to accurately benchmark our area using a wide range of variables and measures. The Economic Audit has proved to be a very useful resource for SE Fife and our Economic Forum partners. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to any other organisation wishing to undertake similar research.
Alex Dalrymple
Senior Strategy Executive
Scottish Enterprise Fife