expertise
Hallam Consulting’s expertise spans a range of economic development themes and geographies.
- Programme evaluation. Hallam Consulting specialises in the evaluation of regional and local economic development policy, programmes and projects, especially in the areas of enterprise and business competitiveness. Simon has managed major evaluations in these areas, including a number of national and regional evaluations of ERDF, LEGI and RDA-funded interventions. He managed LEGI evaluations of LEGI programmes in Sefton/Liverpool, Sheffield and St.Helens and led evaluations of the 2007-13 ERDF programmes in the North East (mid-term evaluation) and Yorkshire and Humber (formative strategic evaluation).
- European Structural Fund programme development and review. Simon has a deep knowledge of ERDF and ESF programmes, and related compliance issues. In addition to the ERDF projects noted above, he also led the development of both the 2007-13 ERDF and ESF Programmes in the North West (and the 2011-13 ESF refresh), evaluations of the North East 2000-06 Objective 2 programme in relation to business support investments and the role of cross-cutting themes (environmental sustainability, equal opportunities and ICT), and the ex-ante evaluation of the 2007-13 ERDF programme in the North East.
- Labour market analysis. Simon’s experience includes a number of employment and skills assignments, for example reviewing good practice in the use of ESF for workforce development and employability for DWP, the preparation of an action plan for the use of Working Neighbourhood Fund in Wirral. Most recently, I led the development of the People Strand of the County Durham Economic Assessment, which involved the creation of a detailed evidence base and fully specified interventions. In his previous employment at the North West Regional Assembly, he provided direction, guidance and advice on regional economic and labour market issues to the Assembly, including on skills.
