Economics
AMION offers a range of economic analyses and advice in relation to economic, social, and development-led regeneration.
These include:
- Economic impact, appraisal, monitoring, and evaluation:
o Impact - assessment of the economic and social impact of projects as part of feasibility and planning
o Appraisal - assessment of projects and value for money prior to implementation to HM Treasury Green Book standards, using the five cases approach
o Baseline and monitoring - undertaking of independent assessment at the start and during the course of programme or project implementation
o Evaluation - formal assessment of projects post completion to Magenta Book and Green Book standards
- Benefit realisation - the development of benefit realisation plans to enable organisations in both the public and private sectors to ensure that the results of programmes or projects are maximised and realised
- Funding - development of funding packages for a range of UK and European grants and loans including:
o UK competitiveness support - Regional Growth Fund (RGF) and Enterprise Zones. AMION has extensive experience of RGF and Enterprise Zones
o Other UK funding - including land and property, historic environments, and the arts
o New and innovative infrastructure funding - Section 106/Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), New Homes Bonus, Business Rates retention, Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
o European funding - Structural funds (ERDF/ESF), Framework Programme 7, and other funds
o Loan and 'evergreen' funds - including Jessica (such as the Northwest Urban Investment Fund)
- Economic analysis - preparation of economic analysis (business and enterprise, people and communities, and place and sustainability), often involving detailed econometric modelling, to provide an evidence base to support policy development, strategy development and research:
o Economic (business and enterprise) - sectoral structure of the economy and significance of particular businesses; enterprise and innovation (levels of and trends in VAT and non-VAT registered businesses start-ups and closures, growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), self-employment, and employment in, or growth of knowledge intensive industries and other high-growth sectors, and in the public and private sectors); business needs and factors affecting business investment and economic growth; and future trends.
o Social (people and communities) - demography (current and future population trends, particularly the working-age population); labour market (occupational structure and patterns, including earnings, employment and unemployment rates); skills (skill levels, including educational attainment and skills gaps); economic inclusion (areas or communities that exhibit high levels of deprivation and economic exclusion and the key underlying economic and social barriers to economic participation).
o Environmental (place and sustainability) - existing and proposed land uses and infrastructure and whether this supports economic sustainability; adequacy of residential, commercial and industrial provision of the right size and affordability with sufficient infrastructure to support sustainable economic growth and economic inclusion.
- Environmental Impact Assessment - assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project or programme may have on the environment, together consisting of the economic, social and ecological aspects. AMION works in conjunction with others to provide comprehensive assessments for planning and other purposes.
- Policy analysis and literature reviews - systematic analysis to determine which of various alternative policies will most achieve a given set of goals in the light of the relations between the policies and the goals. Defining the problem by analyzing the data and the information gathered. This would typically involve: identifying the decision criteria that will be important in solving the issue(s); generating possible alternatives to resolve the issue(s); critical analyses of each criterion in order to give the alternative policies a correct weighting/priority; evaluation of each alternative against the criteria and selection of the preferred alternative. Many of AMION's major national studies for Government have involved extensive literature reviews.
- Market analysis - market analysis is used to determine the attractiveness of a market, both now and in the future. This would include evaluation of the future attractiveness of a market by gaining an understanding of evolving opportunities and threats as they relate to that organization's own strengths and weaknesses. AMION would typically use primary and secondary market research sources to provide appropriate analysis. The firm has previously undertaken property (commercial and residential) and sectoral market assessments for a range of public and private sector clients.
- Risk analysis - analysis to identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or achieving a goal. This would include techniques to define preventive measures to reduce the probability of these factors from occurring and identify mitigation measures to successfully deal with these constraints when they develop to avert possible negative effects. In accordance with HM Treasury Green Book guidance, this will often include sensitivity analysis and scenario planning.
- Efficiency analysis - reviews to assess efficiency and potential savings from budgets that do not affect the standard or level of service to the population at large or for particular client groups through better organisation of operations; greater use of information and communication technologies; better utilisation of assets; more economical procurement practices; partnership arrangements with other authorities and the private sector; and from the automation of clerical and administrative procedures.