Minutes Creative Beacons Nov 08 Network Meeting

Creative Beacons Network Meeting Business Link, West Midlands 11 November 2008 Apologies: Lara Ratnaraja Stuart McFarlane Andy Brown Adrian Brazier Alastair Findlay Jessica Vallentine Mark Adamson Chris Garcia Attendees: Andy Lovatt, The White Room (TWR) Bernie Emery, TWR (Chair) Phil Birchenall, TWR Andrew Melchior, TWR Emily Lyons, TWR Richard Lukey, Yorkshire David Furmage, West Midlands Noelle James, East Midlands Nick Weaver, South West Eric Carveth, East Midlands Heidi Brailsford, East Midlands Rob Ball, East Midlands Max Adam, South East Anna Smart, South East Sue Warburton, North West Rebecca Binns, South West Iain Bennett, North West 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Welcome and Introductions Research Update Lunch and On-Line Network Training BSSP – Products and the Creative Offer BSSP – Evaluation Framework Exit Strategy & Dissemination AOB & Date of Next Meeting

Notes and Actions 2. Research Update Scoping research completed in all but East of England and South East

Concerns at length of time being taken to deliver data for quantitative research hand to develop and Evaluation Framework. TWR will request information in advance of regional meetings and discuss information at the visit. Budget has not been extended for East of England so no detailed mapping can take place here but they will join the network Detailed mapping should be completed by Christmas although this will depend upon the efficient supply of data from the regions. TWR are producing interactive maps which will be useful for each regional BL going forward. There will be dynamic mapping of Businesses and Services that will be updatable by BL East Midlands expressed concern that they do not support the creative industries directly, they support them from the wider service, concerned of comparisons with other regions. Info will not be shared across the network. Eg. East Midlands data given to people in EM to use as they see fit. Want to avoid league tables and sense of competition. This will help TWR to develop analysis about each regions’ services and will help Business Links monitor where they are reaching not reaching. TWR will be undertaking a number of ‘Case studies in each region. Case studies need to be identified by regional BL’s TWR will be setting up an online and telephone customer survey. It will be broken down by region to gain an overview of people’s perceptions of the service. Will distribute end of this week/next week.

These reports will be delivered to each region and confidential information not shared between regions

Moving towards a guide book of good practice. Will be providing contextualised reports for each region, which will only go to the individual region There were a number of questions arising David Furmage, West Midlands asked about subsectors – what subsectors are we going to use? Is there a list? We will be falling back on regional context – how each region describes their region’s subsectors. AL said will use SIC codes from DCMS and BERR. The analysis will be grouped within subsectors that you might work with.

David Furmage said that the subsectors not valid anymore need to move to something more up to date. Bernie Emery (BE) said this exercise will enable us to look at what is relevant for each region and start to make some sense of it because everyone is doing something different Max Adam, South East asked - will we differentiate between skills provision and business support? It was felt that Train to Gain was an inherent part of the offer and totally integrated – part of what BL offers. Rob Ball, East Midlands asked if the challenge of definitions was solved. AL said no, a political construct with fuzzy edges. All we can do is work with SIC codes from DCMS and for BL to adapt this to their locale The issue of commercial sensitivity was raised; a feeling that from participating in the network, some sort of competitive advantage might be given away. However providing regional reports that only go to those regions, that should overcome any danger of passing on commercial advantage to competitors. Because of the above, TWR are not going to be able to give specific evidence on a national level. Iain Bennett, North West asked if the DCMS know what they want from this study? We need DCMS and BERR at next meeting.

3. Lunch and On-Line Training 4. BSSP – Products and the Creative Offer A list of products was shown to the network which covers every aspect of intervention into business, every possible tool you could have to help a business grow and most are adaptable for creative businesses. The network was asked if there were any concerns that their service would be inhibited by these products? Rob Ball – each product should cover all the aspects of business growth and enable all interventions, but when you go into it you get specifics and exclusions which makes it hard to service business model of CIs. It was felt that CIs were slowing burning followed by a period of fast growth. The work goes on beyond grants.

Lara has concerns that some of CI support in WM would fall under the business collaboration rather than the business support through BL. Boundary between business development and cluster support is blurred. How much scope for fudging? David Furmage said it was a big concern for them – if they are hard and fast definitions they will come unstuck. Rob Ball said it was generalised universal business support. In terms of conflict or cross over, a question of devising an organisation and give support to those sectors within the products. Iain Bennett asked - does the current economic climate mean we should forget about it? We do need to understand whether the product descriptions are currently set to assist businesses in crisis or potential crisis. A lack of flexibility around support. Max Adam, South East said they fell in between EMDA and SWERDA. BSSP programme working. Looking at IDB, looking at what we can influence rather than wasting energy on what hasn’t happened yet. Work with what is on the table with one eye on the interventions. They adapt opportunites. Richard Lukey, Yorkshire – Most of products and services do seem to fit. No major issues. Sue Warburton, NW – teams brought in with BSSP definitions, growing at quite a pace, new Train to Gain coming in, lots changing, exceedingly busy, referrals coming in at a great pace. BE asked if this was to do with economic crisis? SW – companies are looking at resource efficiency, crisis hasn’t effected them directly. The challenge is around companies needing different support, so getting up to speed with everything available. Credibility side has grown – credit crunch promotion working also. This initiative has taken over more than concentrating on CIs. AL asked how will this impact on this project? Data managers engage with trends or identify crisis? Are they that proactive? Does this need to be done? AL said an element on how each region is tackling the credit crunch will be added. Will BLs share best practice? Max Adam, South East said it is important that we focus on needs of this particular sector because we could lose our way by going down the credit crunch route. Keep the context and keep it narrow.

Iain Bennett said there needs to be a timing and balance of reactive and proactive with this sector – large percent will be micro businesses. AL suggested an online network for advisers between regions looking at the specifics of credit crunch to CIs – this would be a good way to share the good practice around the UK. Max Adam said they already have something similar in development, a national initiative to do with resource efficiency. BE asked if there is mileage in an online network where we can discuss issues and strategies for coping with problems. Richard Lukey felt that yes there is, especially near neighbours – Yorks and NW. AL said that during the research phase virtually every adviser said it would be good to contact colleagues in other regions. BE – need a mechanism to enable information to be shared outside of the region SW – subsector intelligence should be shared with other regions AL – scope within this project to pilot this. Make it proactive – force the information out there. MA – room to do a survey of the Business Advisers? DF – use this for quick feedback on economic climate. IB - Idea that a business cycle within this sector is poorly researched in these products. Need more sophisticated rendition of business cycle. 5. BSSP – Evaluation Framework AL asked everyone to score qualitative and quantitative measures from each region. Co-sponsored product DCMS & BERR – Evidence and analysis, measurement.

DCMS have commissioned an evidence toolkit – going on website. It is an economic analysis framework which measures concentric rings, go out to supply chains. Model is problematic for BERR as can’t really measure. Despite that the DCMS are taking IDBR figures and they are working with ONS. Andy Butterill to operationalise their framework in EM and will roll it out. Useful if you need to know size and change of sector. But we are not measuring the growth of the sector and at the same time BERR are using an evaluation framework.

BERR are working on an evaluation framework for BSSP, measuring impact of interventions. We can use this to evaluate good practice (products and processes), not growth GVA etc. We can develop an EF that fits in with BERR framework which is useful and appropriate for CIs. x We can measure: Appropriateness of intervention (specific products) – relative to business cycle Effectiveness of Intervention – impact on GVA, employment, investment etc. Efficiency of the Intervention – Return on investment Need to know how much you are spending in this area – not easy to detect. Contact hours with businesses provides a consistent measure. What we can’t measure (drivers) in terms of quantitative measures: Networks and partnerships Innovation and R&D Skills and Talent Marketing Markets

These are best measured against user experience and who attends e.g. network meetings etc. BL measures are based on IDB, these are RDA measures Some measures can be taken by talking to businesses – are there strong networks, are you involved in Innovation etc. Can we measure uptake of new technologies? Any figures may be incomplete. TWR will, as far as possible try and follow the BERR model and create a framework that the regions can follow. Quantitative – Using logic models to evaluate Qualitative – Customer journey through IDB Max Adam queried the evaluation and how it stands up, what extra information are they getting exactly? A - Good practice for CIs. Challenges: Timescale – can’t do longitudinal stuff But can provide a useful framework for BL teams and RDAs Prioritising and Weighting Exercise was carried out amongst the group.

Group split into regions to answer the sheets to weight qualitative and quantitative measures in each region. IB said not long enough time for comparison on this project but project should recommend the starting point for a series of quantitative measures that should be taken up. 6. Exit Strategy & Dissemination Task and finish or ongoing process? A - It is a task and finish group. In terms of Exit Strategy – establish a national guide for good practice for business support for the CIs. Can exist online, in printed format, print on demand, it will live on a website could be owned by the network, could be put out into the community for further development using Web2.0 This will be enhanced by regional reports will contextualise analysis. There will be: Online guide Printed guide Regional dissemination reports Regional mapping tools to take away and update Dissemination event – Network felt there has to be an event that brings a higher profile to it. With DCMS and BERR present. World Creative Forum maybe? Next steps, collaborations and recommendations: Rob Ball asked whether we need to articulate what this has contributed to in terms of developing the creative economy programme through the BLs. IB suggested the group be involved in a Creative Britain Event in 2009 at The Grove in Hertfordshire Dissemination will be an item on the agenda at the next meeting. NW and Yorkshire working collaboratively across borders and will be logging it on Beacons site. Information that we can draw together about the network itself, can justify moving this project and the work forward. IT Recommendation – needs to be some statement and analysis Some colleagues can’t get on the internet. Should there be some aspirations for the network? Everyone should think about what they would like to see happen to the network. Measure milestones for progression for DCMS to see etc. 7. AOB

David Furmage said WM have been grappling with getting skills handled. A lot of influencing needs to be done, not adequately targeted for the sector. Skills important but it is being marginalised in WM. Not being funded appropriately. Funding isn’t working very well. What do we mean by skills? DF - A graduate’s first year in work for example. There is an inconsistent landscape. Skills need to be addressed across the sector. TWR will contact SSC’s for input into next meeting Item at next meeting. IB raised Quality Assurance How are recommendations from the network quality assured? Opportunity for quality assurance for providers? Creative Industries procurement panel. Item at next meeting Date of next meeting: check with DCMS/BERR so they can be present.