Economic Development Strategic PlanningJim DamicisSenior Vice PresidentCamoin Associates

April 28-29,2016

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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.

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?

owhat will you do?o best people & available resourceso strategies & projects

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

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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 IS

engaging broad spectrum of people

inspiring people to work together

putting individual efforts toward best benefit of

collective whole

process that requires advocates and champions

challenging & time-consuming

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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 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 slate – it is continualo 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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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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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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“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 gain21

“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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Questions, Expectations, Issues?

Questions

Expectations for the next 2 days?

Issues you would like covered?

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