Creating a Successful Economic Development Organization: A Guide for Community Leaders, Slides of Human Development

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Wisconsin Basic Economic

Development Course

Creating a Healthy Economic

Development Organization

Community, Natural Resources

& Economic Development

Program Area

Laura Brown, Crawford County

Kelly Haverkampf, Vilas County

Fundamentals of Community-Based

Economic Development

1. Leadership
2. Organization
3. Strategic Planning

The Progress Triangle

The Progress Triangle

Organization

• Organizational structure serves the

mission

• Regular visioning and mission review
• Understand and adapt to trends and opportunities

• Regular assessment of organizational

structure for strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, threats, plus proper

role(s)

• Make structural changes where indicated
• Scan region for other initiatives and compatibilities
• Develop partnerships and collaborations where indicated, e.g.

regional EDCs, I&E Clubs, neighboring municipalities, non-profits,

industries, etc.

Strategic Planning

● Start with where you are and what you know

● Assumptions: Collect and analyze hard

data

• Facts, statistics, measurements
• How things have changed over time
• Include review of previous and current efforts

● Discovery: Uncover and discuss soft data

• Ideas, attitudes, impressions
• Facilitate a community dialogue

Strategic Planning

● Learn more

● Study economic development strategies

and best practices from other

communities

• BR&E, Entrepreneurship, Workforce, Tourism, etc.

● Explore “New Economy” economic

development opportunities such as

wildlife recreation, historic tourism,

creative economy, agricultural tourism,

community philanthropy

Managing a Strategic Agenda

Adapted from Managing Complex Change by Knosler, T. (1991) Enterprise Group, Ltd. presentation to TASH Conference, Washington, D.C.

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Vision

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Skills

Self-incentives

Self-incentives

Self-incentives

Self-incentives

Self-incentives

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Resources

Action Plan

Action Plan

Action Plan

Action Plan

Action Plan

PROGRESS

CONFUSION

ANXIETY

GRADUAL

CHANGE

FRUSTRATION

FALSE

STARTS

Build Partnerships

● Economic Development, by its very

nature, needs partnerships to be effective

● Others have similar objectives

● take the time to find out what they are

● design your work so that you can share resources to achieve

everyone’s goals

● Create an organizational policy for

entering into partnerships

● Partnerships can result in efficiencies and

mutual support systems

Best Practices

SUBSTANCE

 Whoever is involved in the setup of the org needs

to have a clear understanding of the

organization’s mission and goals

 Create and review your strategic plan and

strategic issues

 Start with your values, beliefs and goals, and

plan from there

 Create the environment for economic

development to happen

Best Practices

PROCESS- L EADERSHIP

● Include the private sector.

● Identify key leaders and stakeholders and make sure they are

involved from the beginning.

● The person makes the position.

“There are lots of ways to do ED right and three ways to do ED

wrong: 1) Not communicating the value of the position and

progress to investors 2) Failing to evolve or continue to learn

3) Not caring about the community.”

● Economic Development is everyone’s responsibility, not just the

director.

● Connect to the regional ED and learning community.