Economic Development Strategic PlanningJim DamicisSenior Vice PresidentCamoin Associates

Jan 21-22,2016

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Jim Damicis, Senior Vice President – Principal - Camoin Associates• Immediate Past President, Northeastern

Economic Developers Association• IEDC, Economic Development Research

Program, International Economic Development Council

• Collaborator – Communities of the Future• 25+ Years Experience in Economic and

Community Development

jim@camoinassociates.comwww.camoinassociates.comTwitter: @jdamicisLinkedin:  www.linkedin.com/in/jdamicisBlog:  www.camoinassociates.com/blog/

• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS)

• Stakeholder Engagement• Workforce Development• Market Analysis & Financial Feasibility• Evaluation & Benchmarking Indicators• ED Communication & Marketing

Introduction to Strategic Planning

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what is it?

why do it?

context/key factors

benefits

process

lessons learned

Agenda

what is strategic planning?

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Strategic planning provides a living vehicle for community leaders to think strategically, to make sound decisions in a sea of game-changing circumstances, to focus efforts & to develop consensus for collaboratively solving problems.

strategy & planningstrategy gets at...o Where do you want to go in the future?o Why do you want to go there?o Vision & goals of a community

planning determines the answer to...o What do you want to do?o Where do you want to go?o Who should help you get there?o How should you go about getting there?

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what strategic planning is NOT

not an event

about planning meetings

developing a great well-written report

fulfilling a grant or regulatory requirement

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what strategic planning ISengaging broad spectrum of people

inspiring people to work together

putting individual efforts toward best benefit

of collective whole

process that requires a champions

challenging & time-consuming7

common barriers

focus on personalities & positions

o focus on shared interests & goals instead

lack of motivation for working together for

change

being in the “comfort zone”

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key factors driving local & regional economic development

Workforce, workforce, workforce!Quality of place – amenities, infrastructure, housing, recreation and culture, etc.Regional collaboration and holistic approach to economic developmentCustomer service driven – permitting and approval processes, transparency, accountabilityNetworksComplex Systems requiring adaptability rather than predictability

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strategic planning benefits

shapes community’s future

defines community purpose

provides one-stop information base

provides realistic appraisal

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a critical toolmeans to establish & maintain effective programs

provides guidance in structuring tactical operations

no proverbial clean slateo must assess current projectso use information gathered to adjust plans or establish new goals

can be used for overall plans or sub-activities

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call # 1explore untapped potential

help inventors commercialize ideas

help entrepreneurs launch successful enterprises

help employers grow & sustain operations

help individuals achieve meaningful career pathways

help other investors maximize ROI

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call # 2continual adaptation & innovation

increased global interdependence

high paced scientific & technological change

communities of choice

o creatively & continually reinvent

omeet ever-changing needs

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call # 3 ongoing pursuit of excellence

community as an enterpriseo rather than simply a collection of peopleo set & live by high expectations

plan with inventive creativity o reduces need for crisis reactivity

focus on continual improvement

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ultimate strategies + actioncompatible with community vision

feasible given strengths & weaknesses

implementable given leadership & resources

change-making addresses most urgent challenges

innovative enables forward movement on most promising opportunities

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Ingredients for a successful project:

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questions answeredwhere are you & what is your potential?

o needs & opportunities o situation & context

where do you want to go & why go there?o community visiono development goals

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questions answeredhow will you get there & who will help?

o best people & available resourceso strategies & projects

what will success look like for you? o key benchmarks & metrics

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strategic planning process

organizing & pre-planning o identify & recruit players & stakeholderso create organizational structure o determine necessary financial & technical resources

visioning o develop shared vision

assessing the local community & economic competitiveness o evaluate & define your situation

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strategic planning process cont.

identifying issues & formulating realistic goals, objectives & strategies

publicizing the plan

identifying, evaluating, & prioritizing projects o prioritize based on best approach & return on

project

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strategic planning process cont.

developing plans of action o set out sequence of events & resources o define physical steps

implementing plans o may require an implementation structure or modification of

organizational structure

monitoring & evaluating outcomes o make sure goals & projects remain realistic, worthwhile, &

relevant

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strategic planning process cont.

retooling & adjusting

publicizing progress & outcomeso ongoing process

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importance of the leadership team

• setting overall direction

guide

• structuring the process

organize• identifying

& maintaining resources

manage

• connecting people with people & resources

bridge• providing

ongoing oversight

overlook

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the leadership teamfirst...recruit those who are known for

being fair & people-focused relationship builders

include reps from local & regional EDOs

hold regular (monthly) meetings

consider supporting committees & work group structures

select a neutral managing entity

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factors affecting costs

scope of plan

community size

time to complete plan

professional consultants

available budget

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resources U.S. Economic Development Administration

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

U.S. Department of Agriculture

State Community & Economic Development Agencies

public utilities

area colleges & universities

private foundations

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“must haves”shared sense of urgency

clearly articulated & well-understood vision

local champions

widespread participation & buy-in (or rather

“join in”

shared commitment to progress

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“must haves”

shared ownership (willingness to collaborate)

knowledge of what success looks like

futuristic & proactive orientation in thinking

willingness to self-invest

a let’s do it! attitude

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“must haves”realistic & accurate definition of the

situation

good information

cumulative goals & objectives

balanced approach

options for mutual gain29

“must haves”

effective internal & external communications

openness to learning from others

involvement of external partners

easy-to-follow process

ongoing planning

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“must haves”ongoing review of the status quo

continual cultivation & acceptance of new ideas

continual recruitment of new faces to the

process

community celebration of all successes

resilience

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common barriersnot knowing how to best move forward

lack of shared community vision

apathy or complacency with status quo

poor working relationships

feeling of disconnect among citizens, leaders

inadequate volunteer support

false expectations

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lessons from the fieldDon’t bite off more than you can chew! Break large projects into smaller

digestible components based on your organization’s and partners’ capacity

to implement

Get comfortable making collective decisions without perfect information

and predictable outcomes

Give collaboration and engagement within region, diverse stakeholders,

and the public more than lip service – design and implement together

Market externally AND Internally

Understand what you can have impact over – i.e. at local level you can

impact land-use, zoning, permitting, customer service

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