Stronger Economies Together
Introduction
Executive Summary(expand)
- Tampa Bay Region: (Page 3) A single page summarizes the geographical span, target industry clusters, and basic framework for the 16 identified initiatives (goals).
- Southern Tier: (Page 9) Planners outline the foundation for the plan and the associated philosophy and approach in a few short paragraphs.
Region Descriptions(expand)
- Southern Tier: Page 10 provides a brief one paragraph description along with a map of the region.
- Dallas Region: Page 4 gives a brief description of the region along with a rationale for the focus area.
Regional Vision Statements(expand)
- Southern Tier: "Building on a strong foundation of existing businesses and higher education institutions the Southern Tier region uses a collaborative approach to leverage its globally competitive advantages to attract talent and investment for the development of industry clusters. Our focus will be on increasing the size and prosperity of the region's workforce through new business creation based on high-technology discoveries and other entrepreneurship activities, while ensuring healthy communities and protecting the natural beauty and resources of the region."
- Northland Partnership: "We will leave to future generations a Northland region that:
- Embraces entrepreneurs with thick networks of connections to speed investment in new ideas and encourage risk taking
- Promotes creative minds and innovative thinking across business, education, and government;
- Transforms education from early childhood to mature adulthood to provide the 21st Century skills needed by innovative firms, governments, and non-profit organizations; and
- Connects our region with the collaborations and leadership skills we need to act strategically and prepare for what's next."
- Northern NM Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI): "Under a cluster-focused approach, REDI's mission is to develop and strengthen the target clusters of Renewable Energy/Clean Industry, Media, Technology and High Value/Value Added Agriculture in northern NM."
- Dallas Region: "Together, we will lead the Dallas region to become the most economically prosperous region — and the most desirable place to live and work — in the United States."
Regional Collaboration
Buy in (participating organizations/individuals)(expand)
- Tampa Bay Region: (Page 15) This page outlines a number of input strategies used to gather information for the plan. These included surveys, focus groups, interviews, and webinars.
- Northland Works: (Page 12) The list of people that are included as partners appears to represent a diverse cross-section of the economy and region.
- Southern Tier: (Page 9) The introduction describes a diverse set of 32 individuals directly engaged in the planning process. Pages 155-157 list those involved in specific working groups, a rather extensive list.
Key decision makers (expand)
- Southern Tier: Several places within the plan, the planners refer back to their state Governor's overarching plan and support. Additionally, the Implementation Agenda (beginning on page 28) lists a variety of Lead Agencies that have apparently agreed to take ownership of various Action Items.
Public input(expand)
- Oregon State Plan: (Page 5) While the actual planning committee was not very large (see page 2), the team did reach out to stakeholders by holding meetings with various groups throughout the region.
- Central Mississippi CEDS: (Page 4) While all stakeholders were not full participants throughout the planning process, several good attempts were made to hear their voices (1) brainstorming meetings in each county, followed by (2) a survey of needs, projects and priorities. The plan was also (3) published to the web for public comment which followed a mail-out notice of the comment period.
- Southern Tier: (Page 9) The Philosophy and Approach summarizes a variety of approaches used to reach out to stakeholders and the general public. A combination of work plan groups, online surveys, comment sections on a website, six public forums and public sessions during the planning meeting gave a variety of ways for the public to weigh in. Also, Page 33 describes how the planners intend to continue seeking public input. The planners provide greater detail in Pages 97-102.
Regional Economic Development Plan
Goal:(expand)
- Dallas Region: (Pages 7- 11 ) Clearly defined SMART goals accompany the first two priority areas. Each of these priority areas include easy to read charts that show the current status for these targets and the intended goal.
- Valley/Adams County Region: (Pages 6-29) The outline used in this plan provides an easy to follow format for the reader. Each focus area begins with a situation summary (why this focus is needed), overarching goal, related strategies, available tools and resources, and a planning worksheet. While there are some weaknesses in the actual content of some of these (i.e. SMART format not used), the basic outline does show a clear connection among the components.
Regional Economic Benefits(expand)
- Southern Tier (Pages 19-25) Following each strategy is a paragraph on the anticipated Return on Investment. These are clearly regional economic benefits.
Strategies:(expand)
- Mid Hudson New York: While the goals could use some SMART tweaking, clear connections can be seen between the target industry clusters, identified goals, and related strategies. (Pages 37-40 particularly focused on clusters, pages 41- 48 focused on related infrastructure, workforce, etc.)
Target Outcomes: (expand)
- Mid Hudson New York: (Pages 57-62) The measurement plan describes what will be tracked under each goal. These appear to be logical measures and manageable to track. However, addressing three weaknesses would strengthen this section: (1) overuse of acronyms should be corrected so that the reader does not have to search for meanings, (2) specifics on targets within each measure should be articulated (what is the target for each of these?), and (3) ensuring that benchmarks are set for short, intermediate and long-term.
- Dallas Region: (Pages 7- 11 ) Clearly defined SMART goals accompany the first two priority areas. Each of these priority areas include easy to read charts that show the current status for these targets and the intended goal.
- Southern Tier: (Pages 19-25) Each strategy discussion closes with a paragraph on Return on Investment (ROI). Most of these items are measurable. Pages 34-36 provide a more concise list of measure for each action item. However, this could be stronger if attention were given to a logical progression between short term measures, leading to intermediate, leading to long term measures.
Evidence Basis for Plan
Regional Demographic Data(expand)
- Northland Partnership: (Page 6) In a single page, the planners articulated a clear set of demographic concerns that will be addressed in the plan. Bullet lists under clear headers make this an easy to digest summary.
- Southern Tier: (Pages 45-56) The planners walk through a discussion of many of the same demographic topics that are explored in SET. Using clear charts and graphs, they tell the story in an easy to read fashion.
Regional Economic Data(expand)
- Tampa Bay Region Cluster Study: While the process for identifying most promising clusters used here is different from SET, the factors considered are still fairly consistent with SET in that they looked at overarching industries first, then identified a subset for more focused research (page 7)
- Tampa Bay Region:
- Applied Medicine and Human Performance (Pages 38-52)
- High-Tech Electronics and Instruments (Pages 53-68)
- Business, Financial, and Data Services (Pages 69-84)
- Marine and Environmental Activities (Pages 85-105)
- Oregon State Plan: Page 6 summaries a study of the key industry clusters and the cross cutting needs that were identified. This approach gives deeper meaning and more concise focus to goals that might otherwise be rather broad-stroked.
- Oregon Cluster Priorities: (Pages 1-4) A simple chart outlines the top industry clusters that Oregon is targeting, providing a set of "cluster specific actionable initiatives" for each.
- Portland Plan: The cluster report clearly identifies the four clusters listed below (see page 14). It is on these four that the planners developed key strategies.
- Clean Tech and Sustainable Industries (Pages 10-12)
- Active-wear (Pages 12-13)
- Software (Pages 14-15)
- Advanced Manufacturing (Pages 15-17)
- Northland Partnership: (Page 8) provides a single page summary of the seven key regional clusters along with essential assets and opportunities.
- Southern Tier: (Pages 65-69) Planners state that 16 clusters were identified within the region, then provide data from several angles to discuss some of these. The data are interesting, but it is not clear in this section that the planners chose clusters to target. Moving to the strategies and reading back through this analysis, connections are evident. However, drawing the reader along to help connect the dots throughout is valuable.
- Energy (Pages 107-120)
- Transportation Technology and Manufacturing (Pages 120-125)
- Healthcare (Pages 125-131)
- Agriculture and Forest (Pages 131 – 132)
Regional Assets(expand)
- Oregon State Plan: (Pages 5-8) Following extensive data gathering from those in the regional clusters, the team identified nine recurring themes, some of which were assets and some of which were challenges. The team built on these themes.
- Valley/Adams County Region: (Pages 6-29) The outline used in this plan provides an easy to follow format for the reader. Each focus area begins with a situation summary (why this focus is needed), overarching goal, related strategies, available tools and assets, and a planning worksheet. While there are some weaknesses in the actual content of some of these, the basic outline does show a clear connection among the components. Assets are clearly identified to support each focus area.
Potential Barriers and Related Strategies (expand)
- Tampa Bay Region: (Page 19) Foundational Initiatives opening section describes "cracks" (challenges) in the region's economic foundation. The initiatives (SET Goals) that follow include a rationale as to how those initiatives will address the challenges.
- Tampa Bay Region: (Page 106-129) Workforce issues related to the targeted cluster are addressed in the plan.
- Central Mississippi CEDS: (Pages 6-14) Using a SWOT analysis with a broad group of stakeholders, planners were able to hone in on some key assets and challenges that frame the planning process
- Southern Tier: (Pages 11-17) A summary of barriers and opportunities are presented as a foundation to the planning process. A more comprehensive discussion follows in the section titled "Existing Conditions and Strategic Opportunities" beginning on page 39.
Evaluation Plan
Key Measures and Strategies to Track Progress:(expand)
- Southern Tier: (Pages 19-25) Each strategy discussion closes with a paragraph on Return on Investment (ROI). Most of these items are measurable. However, a weakness is the lack of measures along the road over time and the lack of a clear structure/mechanism for measuring these returns. Pages 34-36 provide a more concise list of measure for each action item. However, this could be stronger if attention were given to a logical progression between short term measures, leading to intermediate, leading to long term measures.
- Mid Hudson New York: (Pages 57-62) The measurement plan describes what will be tracked under each goal. These appear to be logical measures and manageable to track. However, addressing two weaknesses would strengthen this section: (1) overuse of acronyms should be corrected so that the reader does not have to search for meanings and (2) specifics on targets within each measure should be articulated (what is the target for each of these?)
- Dallas Region: (Pages 7- 11 ) Clearly defined SMART goals accompany the first two priority areas. Each of these priority areas include easy to read charts that show the current status for these targets and the intended goal.
Example Plan Websites(expand)
- Central Mississippi Regional Plan Website
http://www.cmpdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/FINAL-CEDS-Sept-30.pdf - Dallas Region Website
http://www.dallaschamber.org/index.aspx?id=strategicplan - Mid Hudson New York Website
http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/content/mid-hudson - Northland Partnership Plan Website
http://northlandconnection.com/ - Oregon State Plan Website
http://www.oregonbusinessplan.org/About-the-Plan.aspx - Portland Plan Website
http://pdxeconomicdevelopment.com/ - Southern Tier Plan Website
http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/themes/nyopenrc/rc-files/southerntier/CU_RegEcoDevRprt_loR.pdf - Tampa Bay Region Website
http://partnership.tampabay.org/subpage.asp?navid=7&id=205 - Three Rivers Planning & Development District (Mississippi)
http://www.trpdd.com/ceds/ - Valley/Adams Region Website
http://irp.idaho.gov/