Research

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) produces high quality research and intelligence to form the evidence base underpinning policy and strategy for the city region. We undertake both overarching research and analysis to inform all Greater Manchester priorities, as well as research projects relating to the GMCA portfolio areas.

Cross-cutting research

Greater Manchester Resident Surveys

Greater Manchester Strategy Performance Dashboards

The Greater Manchester Strategy, called Our People, Our Place, has been written by all 10 councils, the Mayor, the NHS, transport, the police and the fire service, with help from businesses, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, and members of the public. The plan explains our ambitions for the future of our city-region and the 2.8 million of us who live in the towns, cities, communities and neighbourhoods that make up Greater Manchester. It covers health, wellbeing, work and jobs, housing, transport, skills, training and economic growth. The Research team produces the performance reports, which are six-monthly dashboards that assesses performance against the ten priority targets of the Greater Manchester Strategy.

Greater Manchester Strategy

Greater Manchester Strategy Performance Framework (aboutgreatermanchester.com) (opens in a new tab)

Greater Manchester Population: Census Topic Briefings

The GMCA Research Team is producing a series of topic briefings on Census 2021 so that a range of audiences can understand the high-level messages and findings from the data as it is released. Our fundamental questions for these summaries will be: what does the data tell us about Greater Manchester and the 10 districts within the city region, and what are the implications for future policy? The order in which topic briefings are produced and published will be informed by the ONS departmental plan for the release of Census 2021 data and analysis.

Census 2021: Greater Manchester Topic Briefings

Key facts and socio-economic indicators

About Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review

The Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review was established to undertake a detailed and rigorous assessment of the current state, and future potential, of Greater Manchester’s economy. Ten years on from the path-breaking Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) (opens in a new window), it provides a fresh understanding of what needs to be done to improve productivity and drive prosperity across the city-region.

Greater Manchester Independent Prosperity Review

Cost Benefit Analysis

The GMCA Research Team (formerly New Economy) has pioneered the development of a cost benefit analysis (CBA) methodology that has become nationally leading in its approach to articulating the fiscal, economic and social value of interventions. The methodology has been subject to an ongoing process of development since it was initially developed in 2011, and was adopted as supplementary guidance to HM Treasury’s Green Book (opens in a new window) in 2014. Representatives from a range of central government departments have supported the development process, and remain engaged in further refinement of the model and accompanying resources.

Cost Benefit Analysis

Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER)

The MIER consisted of a Commission of prominent economists and business leaders, supported by a Policy Advisory Group and Secretariat, with responsibility for commissioning high quality evidence-based research to inform decision makers in Greater Manchester.

Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) (external website)

MappingGM

The home of Greater Manchester mapped data. MappingGM provides a range of maps that you can use to explore Greater Manchester’s housing, planning, infrastructure, socio-economic and demographic data. The maps are open for you to use, and most of the data used is freely available to download.

MappingGM (opens in a new window)