NEED A COMMUNITY PLAN ? NEED A COMMUNITY PLAN ? Providing CARE for Healthy CommunitiesProviding CARE for Healthy Communities

Strategic Planning for Local Economic Development: An Outline

I.I. Economic Development OptionsEconomic Development Options

A.A. Defining Economic DevelopmentDefining Economic Development

B.B. The “CARE” ModelThe “CARE” Model

II.II. Benefits of Strategic PlanningBenefits of Strategic Planning

III.III. Ten Steps to Your Community’s FutureTen Steps to Your Community’s Future

IV.IV. Strategic Planning ConceptsStrategic Planning Concepts

V.V. Successful Planning EffortsSuccessful Planning Efforts

VI.VI. Tools to Aid in Developing a StrategyTools to Aid in Developing a Strategy

Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development

Can Mean Many Things to Different PeopleCan Mean Many Things to Different People

EconomyEconomy“…is a system for meeting the needs and wants of

people in a particular geographic area.”

DevelopmentDevelopment“…is the improvement of well-being for residents in a

particular geographic area.”

Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development“Any activity which provides additional jobs and

income given a community’s standard or quality of life.”

The CARE Model of Economic DevelopmentThe CARE Model of Economic Development

• Create new employment opportunities!

• Attract business activity!

• Retain existing business and industry!

• Expand current job/income sources!

Which option is the best for your community?Which option is the best for your community?

Creation: New Businesses Need Support New Businesses Need Support in Several Areasin Several Areas

• Capital FinancingCapital Financing• Labor SupplyLabor Supply• TechnologyTechnology

• Management AssistanceManagement Assistance

Attraction or Business and Industry or Business and Industry RecruitmentRecruitment

• Is the most well-known economic Is the most well-known economic development option.development option.

• Local communities should assess their Local communities should assess their chances of recruiting a basic employer.chances of recruiting a basic employer.• Major metropolitan areas willMajor metropolitan areas will

attract most larger employers.attract most larger employers.

Factors that Influence Larger Employers Include:Factors that Influence Larger Employers Include:

1.1. Labor SupplyLabor Supply2.2. TransportationTransportation

3.3. Location of related businessesLocation of related businesses4.4. Water and other resource constraintsWater and other resource constraints

5.5. Community attitude and/or preparednessCommunity attitude and/or preparedness

Retention of Existing Incomeof Existing Incomeand Jobsand Jobs

• Do your local consumers spend money for Do your local consumers spend money for goods and services in goods and services in otherother communities? communities?

• How much?How much?• Could special events and promotions lead to Could special events and promotions lead to

more local shopping?more local shopping?• What would this mean to your local What would this mean to your local

merchants?merchants?

Expansion of Existing Firms• This can become an important source of new job This can become an important source of new job

growth in the community.growth in the community.• Existing businesses can be supported by:Existing businesses can be supported by:– Training Programs– Financial Assistance– Positive Attitude from the Community

• On-site visitations can “red-flag”On-site visitations can “red-flag”the needs of the business community.the needs of the business community.

Strategic Planning• Is similar to a business developing a Is similar to a business developing a

business plan.business plan.• Is the process of identifying future goals Is the process of identifying future goals

and how to achieve them.and how to achieve them.• Does require forward thinking and Does require forward thinking and

anticipation of the futureanticipation of the future

7 Benefits of Strategic Planning1.1. Outlines the steps to follow. A community must identify the steps Outlines the steps to follow. A community must identify the steps

necessary to achieve its final goal.necessary to achieve its final goal.

2.2. Promotes efficient use of resources. A significant amount of time, Promotes efficient use of resources. A significant amount of time, money and people will be required for economic development efforts.money and people will be required for economic development efforts.

3.3. Improves coordination. Many different groups should be involved.Improves coordination. Many different groups should be involved.

4.4. Builds consensus. The public and private sectors must agree on the Builds consensus. The public and private sectors must agree on the major issues.major issues.

5.5. Increases public awareness. Without public support, economic Increases public awareness. Without public support, economic development cannot happen.development cannot happen.

6.6. Strengthens the community’s competitive position.Strengthens the community’s competitive position.

7.7. Encourages forward thinking.Encourages forward thinking.

There’s nothing mystical about developing a strategy.

Hard WorkHard Work

CommunicationCommunication

ThoughtThoughtCooperationCooperation

Ten Steps to Your Community’s Future:

1. Begin/Continue the Process: Begin/Continue the Process: Someone Someone must make the initial must make the initial decision to decision to build a community build a community strategy.strategy.

-- Are the benefits worth the effort?Are the benefits worth the effort?

-- Call in outside resource providers.Call in outside resource providers.

Ten Steps to Your Community’s Future:

2. Engage the Community. Broad Engage the Community. Broad community support is critical. Seek community support is critical. Seek support from the following:support from the following:

- Public Sector- Public Sector

- Private Sector- Private Sector

-Volunteer Organizations-Volunteer Organizations

Ten Steps to Your Community’s Future:

3. Form an organized structure. Utilize an existing group or form a new organization.

4. Conduct community assessments. Data and information can be very useful.

5. Develop a strategic plan. Identify goals and measurable objectives.

6. Seek community feedback and commitment. Share the draft with the community. Involve the local media.

Ten Steps to Your Community’s Future:

7. Implement the plan. Implement the plan.

- Are adequate resources available.- Are adequate resources available.

- Are adequate volunteers available?- Are adequate volunteers available?

- This is the stage when most plans falter.- This is the stage when most plans falter.

- Will your plan end up “sitting on the shelf?”- Will your plan end up “sitting on the shelf?”

- A lack of resources will insure disappointment. - A lack of resources will insure disappointment.

Ten Steps to Your Community’s Future:

8. Evaluate the effort. Set benchmarks and Evaluate the effort. Set benchmarks and document success.document success.

9. Celebrate successes. Reward yourself and the Celebrate successes. Reward yourself and the entire community when goals or tasks are entire community when goals or tasks are accomplished.accomplished.

10.Create an ongoing process. The effort does not Create an ongoing process. The effort does not end, but should be re-evaluated annually.end, but should be re-evaluated annually.

(2)Engage the

Community & Legitimize the Process

(3) Form An

Organized Structure

(4)Conduct Community

Assessments

(5)Develop a

Strategic Plan

(6)Seek Community

Feedback &Commitment

(7)Implement

the Plan

(8)Evaluatethe Effort

(9)CelebrateSuccesses

(10)Create

Ongoing Process

(1)Begin/Continue

the Process

Strategic Planning Strategic Planning ConceptsConcepts

• Mission StatementMission Statement• GoalsGoals• ObjectivesObjectives• StrategyStrategy

““If you don’t know where you are going, If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”any road will get you there.”

Mission Statement: The community’s Mission Statement: The community’s philosophy for development.philosophy for development.

“To make Sulphur a better place to live, to work, and to conduct business.”

(Example)

“To create an environment that allows Coalgate to provide reasonable business growth and

employment opportunities for Coalgate residents.”

(Example)

A mission statement will answer some of the A mission statement will answer some of the following questions:following questions:

• Who are we serving?Who are we serving?• What markets will be served?What markets will be served?• What are the major outputs or products of the What are the major outputs or products of the

organization?organization?• What defines the organization’s constraints?What defines the organization’s constraints?• What functions does the organization perform?What functions does the organization perform?• For whom does the organization perform these For whom does the organization perform these

functions?functions?• How does the organization fulfill these functions?How does the organization fulfill these functions?

After Defining the Mission,Set Some GOALS

• An end-state or result to be achieved.An end-state or result to be achieved.• Specific statement of what the community would Specific statement of what the community would

like to be.like to be.• The more explicit the goal, the better.The more explicit the goal, the better.• Based on more than wishful thinking.Based on more than wishful thinking.• Must contain a sense of economic reality.Must contain a sense of economic reality.• Provides specific direction for the planning Provides specific direction for the planning

process.process.

Examples of Goals:Examples of Goals:

““Bring customers back to the downtown Bring customers back to the downtown shopping area.”shopping area.”

““Become a retirement Become a retirement destination destination

community.”community.”““Expand the agricultural processing industry Expand the agricultural processing industry

in the southwestern part of the state.”in the southwestern part of the state.”

For Each Goal, List Some OBJECTIVES

• The key result to be achieved.• Numerical measures of the progress.

• Target date for completion.

Each objectives should define:Each objectives should define:

Objectives vs. Goals(What’s the Difference?)

• Goals are aspirations while objective Goals are aspirations while objective are targets.are targets.

• Objectives are actions that allow the Objectives are actions that allow the community to reach its goals.community to reach its goals.

• Progress toward objectives is Progress toward objectives is measurable.measurable.

The Goal: “Bring customers back to the The Goal: “Bring customers back to the downtown shopping area.”downtown shopping area.”

Some Objectives1. Make the area more attractive to customers by June

of next year.- Add benches and planters- Bring in new stores- Clean up the downtown area

2. Make shopping more convenient by next June.- More on-street parking- Access to alley parking- Add a parking lot in specified location

Strategy oror Strategic Action: A project or : A project or activity undertaken to accomplish the activity undertaken to accomplish the defined objective.defined objective.

Objective: Make the area more attractive to customers by next June.

Strategies:- Add benches and planters- Bring in new stores- Clean up the downtown area

Concerns when selecting strategies:Concerns when selecting strategies:

• How much will the proposed program cost?

• What are the relative costs and benefits of various options?

Strategic Strategic ActionAction

Time Time FrameFrame

Possible Possible Contacts or Contacts or ResourcesResources

Staffing Staffing RequirementsRequirements

Estimated Estimated Budget $Budget $

Source of Source of FundsFunds

Strategic Planning/Economic Strategic Planning/Economic Development Action Work PlanDevelopment Action Work Plan

Goal:Goal:Objective:Objective:Agency or Group:Agency or Group:Project Manager:Project Manager:

Future

A SHARED VISIONOF THE FUTURE

A VISION OFTHE FUTURE

Present

A communitywith no shared

vision of itsfuture.

A community with a vision andaction plan that is not supported

by its citizens (no alignmentwith the vision).

A shared vision and action plansupported by community (communityorganizations and institutions aligned

with the vision).

You are seeking the alignment of organizations - their agendas, their resources, and theiractions - to an overall vision for the future which they help develop.

SOURCE: Mark Peterson, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas

Three Conclusions about Successful Community Strategies

1.1. No strategy should be dismissed No strategy should be dismissed automatically as inappropriate.automatically as inappropriate.

2.2. There is no unique formula that can work There is no unique formula that can work in all places under all conditions.in all places under all conditions.

3.3. Careful analysis of unique local situations Careful analysis of unique local situations is required for success.is required for success.

Keys for SuccessKeys for Success

• Local Commitment• Broad Community Involvement• Community Ownership• On-Site Visits• Reliable Survey and Secondary Data• Exposure to New Information• Timely Response

TOOLS to Aid in Developing a to Aid in Developing a Strategy:Strategy:• Survey InstrumentsSurvey Instruments– Helps identify strengths and weaknesses in the

community.– Helps set priorities for economic development.– Helps inform a cross-section of the community

about the economic development effort and can help gain their support if they are given anopportunity to express their opinions.

Good Fair Poor Do Not Know

1 Streets & Roads

2 Traffic Conditions

3 Parking Downtown

4 Police Protection

5 Fire Protection

6 Garbage Collection & Disposal

7 Water Supply

8 Sewage Collection & Disposal

9 Community Parks & Playgrounds

10 Recreation for Adults

11 Recreation for Teenagers

12 Recreation for Children 12 & under

13 Library

14 Flood Control

15 Crime Prevention Programs

16 Ambulance Service

17 Availability of Doctors

18 Availability of Dentists

19 Availability of Emergency Care

20 Availability of Care for the Elderly

21 Availability of Housing

22 Condition of School Building

23 Elementary Education

24 High School Education

25 Vocational Education-Job Training

Here is a list of things that are important to a town. Be absolutely honest, how do you rate your town? In answering the questions below, please make a check mark in the appropriate column.

Rank Attracting New Industry Expand Local Industry Retail & Commercial Development Expand Tourism Industry Expand Community Services

Rank Create Community Organizations Downtown Revitalization Retirement Industry Development Create Home Grown Businesses Other

What are the strengths and weaknesses of our town? Your answers to this survey will assist in the developmentof the Economic Development Strategy for . Our objective is to identify the needs we

havein and to find out what you feel should be done to make this town a better place to live, work, rear children, do business, and enjoy life. Please be as candid and as specific as possible in your answers(each survey is confidential).

A. In your opinion, what are the biggest strengths or advantages in which could lead to future growth?1.

2.

3.

B. What would you say are some of the biggest problems and obstacles faced by for the future growth of the area? (note in order of importance)1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

C. Identify in your opinion which of the following are most important; with highest priority rated #1.