Building on a long-term working relationship, in 2023 Shared Intelligence was commissioned to develop an economic strategy for Gloucestershire County Council in partnership with GFirst LEP. The emerging strategy is being designed to guide a long- and short-term approach to improving productivity with a number of ‘visions’ for 2050, alongside an action plan detailing the next 5-years.

In order to gauge what the county’s focus should be, we conducted significant stakeholder engagement and evidence analysis. This included numerous interviews with representatives from the public sector, business groups and community sector partners to negotiate and agree priorities. Key to this has been the consideration of LEP integration (see our recent work for LGA on this topic), using the emerging strategy to consider and establish new business engagement routes.

In July this year, a draft set of priorities was developed and released for a public engagement process. Further feedback on the draft priorities will be sought in a number of workshops taking place in the county in September.

The full strategy will be launched at the end of 2023.

Shared Intelligence has recently worked on various projects that have aimed to support local authorities develop green jobs, green skills, and the green economy, as a crucial contribution to their efforts in achieving Net Zero and tackling the climate crisis.

Shared Intelligence was commissioned by Friends of the Earth to produce research which defines the action that should be taken by councils to stimulate green jobs. Through identifying the practical tools, challenges, best practice, and gaps in provision of local councils in delivering green jobs and skills, the research produced a set of six recommendations that build on a core set of actions. These include building a green workforce and green job opportunities, publishing local data and evidence on the green economy, and building skills and knowledge among council staff. Our work involved producing a literature review, facilitating conversations and roundtables, and engaging with the reference group and wider stakeholders.

Shared Intelligence has also worked with Barking and Dagenham Borough to produce a comprehensive analysis and review of it’s potential to further develop the green economy. This review covered the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the borough’s approach to the green economy and provided a set of recommendations for development. Shared Intelligence has also completed work for Gloucestershire County on a Local Investment Framework, which brings together evidence on where investment is needed, and identifies the priorities required for achieving carbon reduction and building a greener economy.