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Creative Beacons Network Meeting – 21 January 2009

Farraday Wharf, Advantage West Midlands

Attendees

Andy Lovatt, The White RoomPhil Birchenall, The White RoomBernie Emery, The White RoomEmily Lyons, The White RoomLara Ratnaraja, Business Link WM (Chair)Chris Garcia, South West RDADavid Furmage, Advantage West MidlandsRebecca Binns, South West RDA

Jessica Vallentine, BL SWStuart McFarlane, Yorkshire ForwardIain Bennett, NWDASue Warburton, Business Link North WestFrances Hinton, EEDAAdrian Brazier, BERRAnna Smart, SEEDAAlistair Findlay, DCMS

Apologies

Mark Adamson – One North EastAndy Brown – Business Link North EastHeidi Brailsford – Business Link East MidlandsRichard Lukey – Business Link YorkshireAlan Searle – SEEDAMax Adam – Business Link KentRob Ball – EMD

Research Update: Progress & Challenges

Data gathering has become more of a challenge lately which ishampering progress. TWR need more data from most people if thework is to be completed on time.

So far all scoping studies have been completed including latecomersEast of England. TWR will be returning to East of England and theSouth East for more in depth analysis.

More guidance is needed from the South East as they have 6

Business Links so a more complicated set up. However, thecontract will be changing in April. They do not have a definition of

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the CI sector so mapping is pointless at the moment.

East Midlands do not have best practice at the moment and CI isdissolved as a sector. They don’t want to have the detailed researchdone but do want to be part of dissemination. There is however avery good CI network, but not going to spend a huge resource there.

The Customer Survey was sent out to all the Business Links andthey are sending it to their client base. This is to validate TWRconclusions about what is good about the BL service. So far wehave received a good feedback to date, this helps TWR gather bestpractice.

Gathering the quantitative data has been like “pulling teeth”. Todate, the South West is the only region to give full managementinformation. This has been a challenge. TWR should have done thefull interactive mapping but this has not been done yet due to thehold up with gathering this information.

Case Studies – also had partial response.

What is the lack of response due to?Issue of confidentiality, internal battles, changes of commandproblems.“Clients surveyed to death”

Current economic climate doesn’t help.

TWR were hoping to get all quantitative data in December but ithasn’t happened. Wanted to build a quantitative profile to look atlevel of impact of services. The longer the things go on the harderthat will be to deliver because of lack of info coming forward andregions are using different definitions. Everybody is using adifferent definition. Not the DCMS definition.

TWR can use that data regionally but it won’t be comparable dataacross regions.

TWR wanted to align the evaluation framework with BERR logicmodels.AL asked the group if it was a good use of TWR time and resourcesto take partial and inconsistent data about CI to build an evaluationto then feedback to back fit into BERR? Or was it better toconcentrate efforts to do a qualitative analysis in the regions andwait for BSSP evaluation framework to be completed which BLs aregoing to be deploying anyway?

IB responded “Yes and” to utilising quantitative data.Data is comparable to other data in the region and there is a worry

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of returning to fragmentation if some quantitative analysis isn’tcarried out.

AL said data was similar but different ie. some have better GVAfigures than others. Any evaluation framework has to involve GVA.Looking for a method to bring qualitative and quantitative datatogether but has to align with BERR’s logic model.

This is a task and finish group that has to be finished by April butnot sure if BSSP model will be finished then.

Who is going to taking it forward? MI people at BLs.Who is interested? RDAs.

CG said the point of quantitative data is it will help to evaluate goodand best practice so we want a methodological framework and adevelopment path that says how we make judgements eg. Is it

Yorkshire we talk to or East of England so some of that frameworkwill relate to quantitative data within a region, some of it maybequasi – quantitative and qualitative and although it doesn’t join upwe can take a view, or get a feel – need a framework methodologythat isn’t science but more judgemental.

We can draw conclusions that can be presented to Managementteams. When development processes continue we have gotsomething we can signpost to, need a basis we can all see and live

with.If there is something that is quantitative that is backing thatstatement. We make a judgement eg. Region X excellent marketingcampaign with the quantitative data that backs it up with returns of a marketing campaign.

IB said this is a roadmap, this is how the management teamscontinue to focus and how these intermediate outcomes will bereflected in the framework when it is available.

CG used the Investors in People example – they have amethodological framework which is entirely qualitative. Aggregatequalitative data to give it statistical significance.Accepted that no right or wrong answers but that it was a journey.

Therefore it should be a Continuous Improvement model to provideplanning tools for BLs going forward.

Customer Survey – responses been really good and constructiveIn SW the survey went out with newsletter – 20,000 companies, 10%CIs. – 5000 CIs.

Case Studies – TWR will be going into companies and filming,

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looking at how BL intervention impacted on their businesses.3-4 per region. Case studies need to cover software sector/ gamescompanies etc.

ACTION: Give BLs a deadline for getting information to TWR.

TWR will do a task list for each region with deadlines.

Infrastructure Mapping

TWR has done some mapping with data collected. Google earth –showing rich data and regional infrastructure. This is something thenetwork can take ownership of, update and take forward. TWRwould like to do something similar with ONS so the network can seeall the businesses you are dealing with – marketing, interventiontools. This information won’t be “public access”.

Implications of lack of quantitative data: delayed dynamic mappingand regional reports. No quantitative data in evaluation

Solutions: Can still identify best practice with qualitative informationbacked up where possible with quantitative. Will try as best we canto fit it with BERR models.

The network will influence and own the National Guide to bestpractice - best practices from each region which will be incorporatedinto the guide – process, marketing, products etc.. Everybody iscurrently delivering services slightly differently and there are manyexamples of good practice.

CG pointed out that during this work, a recession has begun so interms of some of the outputs we need a specific focus maybe usingthe case studies to include topics on “surviving the recession”.Picking up intelligence from some of the other sectors, there aresome imaginative schemes under Train To Gain.

Examples from the regions – how businesses are coping with therecession.

IB – need to demonstrate resilience and opportunities that havecome out – digital agencies etc.LR – new product development and diversification into new marketsFirst big challenge the industry has faced.Contextualise case studies in terms of economic climate.

Quality Assurance

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Frances helped to develop Customer First standard.IB – what do you say to businesses in the sector to say this is areally good thing for them? Is a kite mark appropriate for thisgroup? How do we do that?

There needs to be some degree of quality assurance.

Is it not done through Commitment 13 and the Creative Britain doc.Should there be an externally facing sign to assure qualityassurance or done through the process of the network?Quality assurance or continuous improvement?Customer First is continuous improvement – have to have evidencebase over a period of time.

There should be a learning improvement process rather than aquality assurance mark across the network.

Looking at Commitment 13 bullet points -Forging links with specialised advisers and mentors – not touchedon? (I think this is a matter of focus – we have identified andcontacted some specialist advisers but the emphasis has been onBusiness Links and their interactions with such specialists).Specialist advisers – centered around London – NE struggling toaccess specialist advisers.

Quality Assurance is important to the business, need to be assured

that the broker is quality assured. Don’t have the same resources inall regions. However all BL advisers/brokers are SFEDI accreditedwhich provides a basis for QA.

A measure of value of business support would be useful.

TWR will build a narrative around quality assurance for each region,looking at customer journey, recruiting specialist advisers etc..

Skills

Presentation from Skillset postponed until next meeting.

Which of our regions are integrating skills into business support?

Most have LSC Train to Gain contract – not East Midlands, Yorkshirewill have the contract in April.

How integrated is the skills offer in a sectoral capacity? How is itbeing managed?

SW – separate teams last year but things have moved on and they

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are part of our team, part of brokerage team. Operating in a CIcontext.

Other BLs?In the South West there are separate teams but being integratedmuch more from April although they don’t have creative specificteamsWest Midlands is similar.

AL said there is an issue with quality of supply of training.Key is putting large and small employers where they can influencefunding and start stimulating demand.

RB said that there is very little representation of the sector on sub-regional Employment and Skills Boards.

SM said TtG has limitations, however Yorkshire has an Enhancementfund which is very flexible in what it defines as training. Doesn’thave to be accredited in any way. A business can apply, a providercan apply or funding can be accessed through a consortium bid.

BLs may be able to provide the same type of initiative right acrossNorth of England.If brokers could come forward and offer the same package it wouldease things up a lot.

Dissemination of Best Practice

Deadline for reports: end of April

National online platform – in each region TWR have been to,advisers have said it would be good to have some sort of platform/network for advisers to compare cases, identify specialistproviders, as well as a place to meet and solve problems.

Organise knowledge? Some putting more into it than others. Somemay or may not benefit from being aggregated in some way.Aggregated Knowledge Hub?

The network seems to be starting to work – sharing ideas andopportunities – is there a requirement to keep this group goingforward?Web 2.0 an issue, branding and marketingOr is the network going to dissolve, can it exist on line?

What does the group become - advocacy? It is happening in regions

to a greater or lesser extent.

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TWR will provide Bespoke Guides to Good practice both for thesector and for the regions. Could take this forward even further -Sub-sector guides, music, software or even area guides.

AF said it was up to the network as to where they wanted to take it –if want to put in the time it would be a good idea to keep it going.Network should decide and would get BERR support.

How is the DCMS going to report back that Commitment 13 hasbeen done?AF – you have done it because you are meeting regularly and bydoing the report – what is delivered from TWR means that you havesucceeded.

IB asked how do DCMS and BERR intend to use the qualitative andquantitative measures? Is this a transformational change in the waybusinesses work together to increase this sector?

IB said it would be good to link continuous improvements to assesswhether products and services have worked or not.

AB said what would keep it ongoing is the value and the process tothe network. When BERR see the analysis and we have reactionfrom around the table – might be something that could be replicatedoutside the network. There is then a case for BERR and DCMS andothers to essentially have a proper and coherent report to take to

business support colleagues.

CG said it reinforces one of the outputs that we need from TWR forBERR and other colleagues which is a clear business case. Do weneed to be able to complete a mini evaluation of what do we get outof this process? Eg. NW having conversations with Yorks. “This costus X but the value we got out of it was X”.One of outputs we need is a summary of tangible and intangiblebenefits so beside guides we need to see benefits of the process.

Online platformWould want to be used by all sectors?– Huddle platform

Themed network meetings – pick up on relationships formed hereand could certainly extend that.

Guides should be in a workbook format that BLs can use on anongoing basis.

It would be useful for TWR to meet Business Support team at BERR

before compiling reports.

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AB – key is that what works here works elsewhere, it is theunderlying rationale that is what they are interested in.

IB said if there are new policy challenges coming in we need tounderstand how that might take place (delivering Digital Britain).

Things have changed since Creative Britain was published – need forDCMS to say at some point here is the progress that has been madeand here is how it has been updated. What comes next? Need toknow it is still a priority.

AB – there is a strong tendency for govt to produce something likeCreative Britain with more commitments than there should havebeen – not necessarily seeing beyond big tick in the box. Make acase that having started the process, there is value in taking itforward that will deliver within the broader policy framework.

The more granular stuff that can be of real benefit can be left in theverge. Don’t rely on govt doing it, you need to be making a clearcase that will say this really works and can be built on.

How is this relevant to digital Britain?AF – there will be something on the first anniversary looking at thecommitments and progress made - Digital Britain will feed into that.After that during March and April, DCMS will look at what is left –and decide what can come next.

Interim report stage is key – “marker in the sand”

Arts Council soon to report on their plans to deliver Creative Britain.

AL said the discussion had been helpful in terms of determining whothe real audience is - EDs

Possibility of launch event?Who is the national guide aimed at?AF said aim it at our level – links to trade bodies – happy to host anevent in London.

The guide could provide a knowledge hub and form an aggregationif it lived on the website.AB asked to what extent has the work involved the trade bodies? Itmight be worthwhile to keep them in mind as an audience - do notsurprise them too much. Intellect, BPI, DBA etc..

AL – this has not emerged because London has not been involved inthe network.

DCMS could invite them to a presentation – get them feeling likethey are involved.

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AOB

Date of next meeting: Monday 16 March, 11amLocation: AWM