Key information
Decision type: Assistant Director
Reference code: ADD2135
Date signed:
Decision by: Julia Slay, Assistant Director for Communities and Social Policy
Executive summary
The Intelligence Unit is requesting funding for its Social Integration programme development. The request is for £20,000 for an external consultant to undertake a short, focused piece of work to support publication of the Social Integration strategy and metrics. This work will undertake analysis of existing datasets to create a set of performance indicators that will be used to measure progress. The analysis will create a baseline and back series of historical data for the draft indicators. Following this work, costed options will be drawn up to fill known gaps in the data and improve measurement more widely across the city.
This request complements DD2120 – which was approved to bring in analytical support to conduct a review appraising policy options for the strategy development.
Decision
That the Assistant Director of Communities and Social Policy approves:
Expenditure of £20,000 for data analysis and indicator development on social integration
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
Social Integration is a major priority for the Mayor. To support the Communities and Social Policy team leading on the development of the strategy to improve social integration in London, the GLA needs to develop its approach to measuring and evaluating progress and performance. This is a completely new area of work for the GLA. The GLA’s approach to social integration, which look at relationships, participation and equalities, is broader than models used in academia and other cities, which focus on the integration of migrants. Existing indicators are therefore not sufficient to use. Although plans are in place to develop improved measurement going forward, a more immediate piece of analytical work pulling together what can be measured from existing data is required to support the publication of the Social Integration strategy which will ensure the Mayor’s resources are used to have the biggest possible impact on London’s communities.
This work will be published as part of the Social Integration Strategy and ensure the Mayor’s resources are used to have the biggest possible impact on London’s communities.
This ADD would commission independent external advice to:
- Develop a draft set of indicators of social integration for London, consistent with the Mayor’s vision, and the emerging model for understanding social integration;
- Mapping existing sources of data on social integration;
- Create baseline and a back series of historical data for the draft indicators where existing data are available;
- Identify data gaps and draw up costed options to create indicators for these;
- Develop a business case and an outline research design for a potential large survey of Londoners to cover the Deputy Mayor’s requirements for social evidence on social integration, diversity and equality, social mobility and economic fairness;
- Support policy analysts conducting appraisal of policy options for the social integration strategy, and other policy officers working on the evidence base for diversity and inclusion;
- Develop outline proposals for the evaluation of social integration policy and further analytical work to support our understanding of integration (e.g. classification and segmentation models)
This funding would secure an external advisor who would work closely with the IU and Communities and Social Policy teams to deliver this brief over a period of 8-10 weeks.
The outcome of this work would be a set of indicators for publication in the Social Integration Strategy and a plan for further research to be commissioned to provide the underlying data where this is missing.
Improving understanding and measurement of social integration will support the development of policy to tackle inequalities in London and reduce discrimination and disadvantage wherever possible. This work will help the team fulfil its duties to promote greater equality in London.
The estimated cost of £20,000 will be funded from the Communities and Social Policy budget for 2017-18.
Signed decision document
ADD2135 Social Integration Consultancy (signed)