Remit
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation identifies small area concentrations of multiple deprivation across all of Scotland in a consistent way. It allows effective targeting of policies and funding where the aim is to wholly or partly tackle or take account of area concentrations of multiple deprivation.
The SIMD website, which contains information on the SIMD 2006 and SIMD 2004, an interactive mapping tool, background data sets and analysis, technical reports and links to related publications, can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/simd.
The SIMD 2006 is the second SIMD output from the SG's long-term strategy for measuring deprivation. Through the long-term strategy the SG states its future aims, committing to using better data and providing regular updates. This will result in the continual improvement of the index over the next ten years. The strategy states that the methodology will be refined, new data sources developed and included and, most importantly, users will be informed when the next update is due. This is of particular benefit for funding or policy purposes.
Measuring Deprivation Advisory Group
The Advisory Group provides the OCS (Office of the Chief Statistician) with advice on measuring deprivation as it works to implement the long term strategy for measuring deprivation. Advice will cover:
- the needs of users
- development priorities;
- methodological options;
- quality of outputs;
- dissemination and guidance on the use of outputs.
This group was previously called the Index of Deprivation Advisory Group, which advised the Executive on the development of the SID 2003 and SIMD 2004.
The previous minutes and papers of advisory group meetings can be found here:
Index of Deprivation Advisory Group minutes
The SIMD 2004 and SIMD 2006 are based on the methodology used in the interim Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2003 (SID 2003). This interim index has now been superseded by SIMD 2004 and SIMD 2006 and it is no longer recommended for use. Some background information about SID 2003 can be found at:
Interim Scottish Indices of Deprivation 2003