Dialogue Debriefs: Evaluating Inclusive Growth
Our first Growth and Reform Dialogue focused on how places can more effectively measure and deliver inclusive growth.
Growth and Reform Network
Growth and Reform Network
Our first Growth and Reform Dialogue – a series of peer-to-peer discussion forums led by the network membership - focused on how places can more effectively measure and deliver inclusive growth. Inclusive growth is a core workstream of the GRN, building on the legacy of our predecessor, the Centre for Progressive Policy and its Inclusive Growth Network, and our wider mission to understand what drives growth across different levels of local government in the context of more than a decade of lost national growth. The session explored analytical tools, local government practice and regional approaches to embedding inclusive growth across strategies, investments and organisational culture. Two presentations - from Leeds City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority - provided practical examples of how data and frameworks are shaping action on the ground.
From Measurement to Delivery
The integration of inclusive growth frameworks with local growth strategies key for driving impact. New powers under Local Growth Plans offer opportunities to integrate these measures of inclusive growth more deeply into investment decisions.
Kristina Stipetic, Research Analyst at the Growth and Reform Network, presented an employment vulnerability analysis for the North East assessing the exposure, competitiveness and volatility of employment across 16 industries, on the basis that employment quality – manifested in secure, well-paid work - remains a central determinant of inclusive growth. Key findings included:
- The foundational economy, especially hospitality, offers stable employment but low wages, raising questions about support for workers.
- Manufacturing provides comparatively secure, well-paid jobs in several areas and offers lessons for neighbouring places’ strategies.
Case Study: Leeds City Council and its Social Progress Index
Leeds City Council shared how it uses its Social Progress Index (SPI) to track wellbeing and measure inclusive growth at ward level. The SPI:
- Is a visualisation tool that uses open data to create an accessible, unbiased picture of local social outcomes, allowing comparison across wards over time.
- Helps councillors, partners and residents understand where challenges lie.
The SPI has informed locality working, community planning and the targeting of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) resources. Examples included investments in food infrastructure, debt advice, community centres, cultural engagement, and inclusive business support - particularly for under-represented groups.
Regional Practice: A Coherent Framework for Inclusive Growth in the West Midlands
West Midlands Combined Authority described its work to create a consistent, organisation-wide narrative for inclusive growth through a regional growth plan and a new Impact Framework. This includes:
- A shared mission to raise living standards, reduce deprivation and support thriving people and places.
- Four strategic priorities: empowering people, increasing business productivity, making places more prosperous and resilient, and strengthening the regional story and identity.
- A self-assessment toolkit that helps teams evaluate social, environmental and economic impact, accompanied by recommendations to strengthen future work.
- Ongoing integration of strategic planning and Health Equity Impact Assessments to reduce duplication and embed inclusive growth early in programme design.
This approach aims to simplify complex strategies, ensure consistency, and support more targeted evaluation.
Shared Themes
Across presentations, several themes emerged:
- Inclusive growth approaches must be practical, place-based, and embedded into decision-making, rather than a conceptual exercise.
- Data and community insight work best when used together – as they allow places to build inclusive growth strategies based on both lived experience and statistical evidence.
- Quality employment is a core driver of social and economic outcomes – and understanding sector strengths and vulnerabilities is essential.
- Clear frameworks help organisations align activity across cities and regions and avoid “strategy overload.”
- Collaboration and peer learning remain vital to effectively target resources and maximise impact as places navigate devolution and constrained budgets.
Relevant Resources
GRN blogs and insights
Browse other GRN blogs and insights in inclusive growth and public service reform across the UK:
