State of the Region 2020

Welcome to State of the Region 2020 – the fourth annual review of performance across the West Midlands. In this edition we had already begun the process of moving to a wider analysis focussing on alignment to monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This report is written on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority and all its partners, it should be seen as a stocktake of where the region stands, it’s a snapshot on where we are doing well and where we need to work together to improve the region. But this year it is produced in extraordinary circumstances it’s a call to action for everyone invested in the West Midlands. It is important to note this report was written in June 2020 and that some of the data included changes on a weekly basis. Latest data will be found in the weekly monitors as circumstances unfold.

It endeavours to be an honest reflection of the current regional condition, highlighting the challenges we face. However, we are not attempting to suggest what the solutions are; this lies within strategies and action plans the WMCA and partners own and deliver. It highlights how we are driving our evidence base for the future and continuing to build our understanding of the performance of the region. There are challenges to understanding this performance and how we change places for the better, not least understanding the causation and causality between action, output and outcomes. This document provides a balanced approach to regional monitoring and a useful tool understand the progress we are making through our combined action.

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