The document discusses the benefits and challenges of undertaking a Local Economic Assessment (LEA) in-house at Torbay Development Agency rather than commissioning consultants. Key benefits included having more flexibility to tailor the assessment to local needs, keeping skills and knowledge in-house, and the ability to update the assessment more easily. Challenges involved ensuring the right level of detail and data was included without missing important factors. By working with the local observatory, the agency was able to produce a comprehensive evidence-based assessment to inform its economic strategy.