Our Approach
How we gather, synthesise and publish independent intelligence for Sussex.
Methodology
New data. New analysis of existing data. One integrated picture.
SIU combines two types of research. The first is new data collection — surveys, interviews, community-level data gathering and multimedia evidence that no existing dataset holds. The second is new analysis of existing data — bringing together the scattered, incomplete and often incompatible datasets that cover different parts of Sussex, and synthesising them at a level of local granularity that national reporting cannot provide.
The result is a picture of Sussex that no single existing source can give you. Not just what the national data says about the South East. What the evidence actually shows about East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton as distinct and interdependent places.
Research is conducted independently. No single partner or funder shapes what gets measured or what the findings say. The methodology is published openly. The data is available to partners before public release.
Research principles
1
Local granularity
Data gathered and reported at district and borough level — not averaged across the South East region.
2
Cross-sector
Economic, social, civic and governance data treated as a system, not separate silos.
3
Repeatable
Consistent methodology across editions, so change over time can be tracked and compared.
4
Usable by design
All outputs written and formatted for the people who need to act on them, not for academic audiences.
What we measure
Indicator framework.
SIU tracks indicators across four pillars. The framework is designed to be comprehensive but not exhaustive — focused on the data points that decision-makers most need, and that no single existing source provides.
Growth
Economic indicators
- Business formation and survival rates by district
- Employment and skills profile by sector
- Inward investment and business relocation
- Productivity and GVA at local level
- Wage levels and income distribution
- Start-up density and growth-stage business pipeline
Infrastructure
Physical and digital foundations
- Transport connectivity and journey time data
- Broadband and mobile coverage by area
- Housing supply, affordability and pipeline
- Energy infrastructure and net zero progress
- Public realm investment and condition
- Infrastructure investment pipeline and gaps
Governance
Civic and institutional capacity
- Local authority financial resilience
- Devolution framework progress indicators
- Democratic participation and voter engagement
- Cross-boundary collaboration and joint working
- Public sector capacity and staffing
- Accountability and transparency measures
Belonging
Social and community health
- Community cohesion and social trust indicators
- Civic participation and volunteering rates
- Voluntary sector health and financial resilience
- Loneliness and social isolation metrics
- Cultural and community infrastructure
- Qualitative community intelligence (case study data)
Publication
Research designed to be used, not just read.
SIU publishes in multiple formats, designed for different audiences and use cases. All outputs are accessible in tone, design and format — and published to support AI discoverability.
Quarterly editions
The core SIU publication. A comprehensive cross-pillar picture of Sussex published four times a year — tracking change, identifying trends and providing the consistent evidence base that Sussex currently lacks.
Sector deep dives
In-depth research on a specific sector, theme or challenge — commissioned by partners or produced by SIU in response to emerging evidence. Designed for the organisations with the most at stake in a given area.
Policy briefings
Concise, evidence-led briefings for policymakers — designed for distribution to the Combined Authority, council leadership and national government. Short, direct and citable.
All SIU research is published with structured metadata, clean URLs and semantic markup — applying best practice for AI search and discoverability. SIU intelligence is designed to be found and used, including by AI tools that policymakers and businesses increasingly rely on.
Editorial independence
The evidence says what the evidence says.
SIU’s value depends entirely on its independence. Partners receive advance access to publications. They help shape what gets measured. They do not shape what the evidence concludes.
Research methodology is published openly. Findings are reported without favour to any sector, institution or political body. If the evidence is uncomfortable for a partner, it is published on the same terms as evidence that is not.
This is non-negotiable. It is also what makes SIU worth citing.
Independence in practice
- Methodology published and available for scrutiny
- No institutional affiliation or political sponsorship
- Partner access before publication — not editorial influence
- All findings published regardless of who they favour
- Cross-sector governance of the research programme
Explore how SIU works.
Read about our research methodology, or get in touch to discuss partnership and commissioning.