Last week HOTCOG, in partnership with HOTEDD, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone Counties, and a host of other regional partners, collaborated on and submitted an application for a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant.
The significance of this project is that, if successful, it would fund the creation of technical studies, field work, and ultimately recommendations to achieve greater sustainability for the region - meaning, greater prosperity, efficiency, resource management, and economic vitality. Some of the key components of the plan - particularly entrepreneurship development, infrastructure management tools, and a plan to deepen community engagement - will remain at the top of the list of priorities to accomplish, regardless of the success of this particular application for funds. New prosperity will require new thinking, and HOTEDD will continue building partnerships and resources to get the best information for the region.
Word regarding the success of the Sustainable Communities application may come as soon as January, but we won't wait - work to develop alternative ways to accomplish the goals will begin in November.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
Farewell, Ken Simons!
Many, many thanks to Ken Simons for eight years of leadership. Ken's tenure with HOTEDD has seen the organization grow from a few people and some paper (bylaws, articles of incorporation) into an entity with significant assets, cash flow, program of work, and staff support - and plans for even bigger things yet to come. Much of this growth was accomplished as the result of Ken's financial savvy, strong relationships, and a deal he put together with, as they say, No Money Down!
Thank you, Ken, for your years of service. You will be missed.
Thank you, Ken, for your years of service. You will be missed.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Regional Branding: Advice from Ed Burghard
Yesterday we quoted Ed Burghard, of The Burghard Group, regarding the difference between marketing and branding.
Here is an additional piece: his advice to communities. The following is quoted from his site, with the link to the full article below.
When you are asked to brand (or re-brand) your location, take the time to clarify what the real expectation is. Often, the community leadership is simply asking for either a new advertising campaign or a marketing plan. Get aligned on what is really required and what resources are available.
When talking with an Advertising Agency who is promising to create a new brand for your location, clarify what they will actually deliver. Typically it will not be a strategic plan that includes guidance on your community’s core promise and recommendations on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform. If it turns out the Agency is simply promising a new logo and tagline, walk away. It is a signal that they know very little about branding and you are about to waste your money.
Another challenge that seems to come up in discussions I have with economic development professionals is that no amount of branding will make your location more competitive for capital investment if it lacks required assets.
The fundamental wording of the challenge is convoluted.
No amount of advertising will make a bad product (or location) good. That is absolutely correct. As one community leader once said to me “You can’t put lipstick on a pig and hope to win a beauty contest”. And, he was absolutely right.
If your location is inherently non-competitive, job #1 is to invest in getting it competitive. My advice would be to not invest in advertising or marketing until you have a plausible chance for success.
I would argue this is when branding is mandatory. You need a blueprint on how to make your location competitive. You need alignment on what the core differentiating promise is and the identity you want to create. Then you need to make informed choices on creating the right assets, investing in the right infrastructure and enacting the right public policy reforms to make your location promise authentic.
The problem most locations have is that branding takes time, money and emotional commitment. Branding is about building prosperity that will stand the test of time. Branding requires genuine statesmanship and stewardship. Both of which are often in short supply.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799
Here is an additional piece: his advice to communities. The following is quoted from his site, with the link to the full article below.
When you are asked to brand (or re-brand) your location, take the time to clarify what the real expectation is. Often, the community leadership is simply asking for either a new advertising campaign or a marketing plan. Get aligned on what is really required and what resources are available.
When talking with an Advertising Agency who is promising to create a new brand for your location, clarify what they will actually deliver. Typically it will not be a strategic plan that includes guidance on your community’s core promise and recommendations on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform. If it turns out the Agency is simply promising a new logo and tagline, walk away. It is a signal that they know very little about branding and you are about to waste your money.
Another challenge that seems to come up in discussions I have with economic development professionals is that no amount of branding will make your location more competitive for capital investment if it lacks required assets.
The fundamental wording of the challenge is convoluted.
No amount of advertising will make a bad product (or location) good. That is absolutely correct. As one community leader once said to me “You can’t put lipstick on a pig and hope to win a beauty contest”. And, he was absolutely right.
If your location is inherently non-competitive, job #1 is to invest in getting it competitive. My advice would be to not invest in advertising or marketing until you have a plausible chance for success.
I would argue this is when branding is mandatory. You need a blueprint on how to make your location competitive. You need alignment on what the core differentiating promise is and the identity you want to create. Then you need to make informed choices on creating the right assets, investing in the right infrastructure and enacting the right public policy reforms to make your location promise authentic.
The problem most locations have is that branding takes time, money and emotional commitment. Branding is about building prosperity that will stand the test of time. Branding requires genuine statesmanship and stewardship. Both of which are often in short supply.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Regional Branding: Resource for Ideas on Place Branding
Ed Burghard, of The Burghard Group, recently asked for comments from economic development professionals regarding the difference between marketing and branding.
Here are Ed's definitions, followed by a link to his site.
Marketing
According to the American Marketing Association, “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” (Approved October 2007)
Marketing focuses primarily on communicating (or correcting) and ensuring consistent delivery of your product or service image. The emphasis is on making certain the promise you make is understood and authentic. That promise must be relevant and competitive in order to be compelling.
Advertising is one tool used in marketing. So are social media and promotional efforts to support capital investment lead management. Any interaction or communication about your location can be considered part of the marketing mix and will benefit from being in alignment with the core promise.
Branding
My working definition for branding is the proactive management of your product or service identity.
The single biggest differences between branding and marketing are –
1.Marketing focuses on communicating or correcting the product or service image (present) while branding focuses on creating the identity (future).
2.Because it is identity focused, branding includes a strong emphasis on strategic product development.
A way to think about it is branding ensures your core promise remains relevant, competitive and authentic year after year. Good branding plans will have a 5 – 10 year planning horizon and a process for ensuring the plans are responsive to changes in the competitive environment.
In economic development, branding guides choices on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799
Here are Ed's definitions, followed by a link to his site.
Marketing
According to the American Marketing Association, “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” (Approved October 2007)
Marketing focuses primarily on communicating (or correcting) and ensuring consistent delivery of your product or service image. The emphasis is on making certain the promise you make is understood and authentic. That promise must be relevant and competitive in order to be compelling.
Advertising is one tool used in marketing. So are social media and promotional efforts to support capital investment lead management. Any interaction or communication about your location can be considered part of the marketing mix and will benefit from being in alignment with the core promise.
Branding
My working definition for branding is the proactive management of your product or service identity.
The single biggest differences between branding and marketing are –
1.Marketing focuses on communicating or correcting the product or service image (present) while branding focuses on creating the identity (future).
2.Because it is identity focused, branding includes a strong emphasis on strategic product development.
A way to think about it is branding ensures your core promise remains relevant, competitive and authentic year after year. Good branding plans will have a 5 – 10 year planning horizon and a process for ensuring the plans are responsive to changes in the competitive environment.
In economic development, branding guides choices on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform.
http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Regional Brand for the Heart of Texas
Who are we?
Sounds like a silly question - navel-gazing, perhaps, and not much to do with the nuts and bolts of delivering economic development. It matters, though, because the six counties that make up the Heart of Texas don't have much that binds them together beyond the fact that someone at a desk somewhere arbitrarily put them together when the state was carving out regions for Councils of Governments.
In economic development, we know that we're selling communities. Lots of our work is done for us already in selling communities - for better or for worse - because each community already has a brand. Whether you're a member of that community, or the other town they play in football, or someone who just drives through, you have an idea of what that community is.
With our six-county region, there is not the same sense of identity. That's good in some ways - it means we have a relatively clean slate. We don't have to battle existing notions that may be different than we'd like. But selling a clean slate won't work in economic development, any more than it would work in a grocery store. Would you buy a box with no label, no ingredients?
Right now, the EDD is working on regional branding, as a first step to marketing the region. We're gathering information on the communities, what people think and feel about this area, and what images and taglines are out there. We're reviewing best practices from around the state and around the nation, to get a sense of what excellence looks like. The results of this work will be presented to the Marketing Committee on Thursday, and then the group will move forward toward development of images and language to communicate the brand to the world.
We'd love your input - and we'll keep you posted on what we discover!
Sounds like a silly question - navel-gazing, perhaps, and not much to do with the nuts and bolts of delivering economic development. It matters, though, because the six counties that make up the Heart of Texas don't have much that binds them together beyond the fact that someone at a desk somewhere arbitrarily put them together when the state was carving out regions for Councils of Governments.
In economic development, we know that we're selling communities. Lots of our work is done for us already in selling communities - for better or for worse - because each community already has a brand. Whether you're a member of that community, or the other town they play in football, or someone who just drives through, you have an idea of what that community is.
With our six-county region, there is not the same sense of identity. That's good in some ways - it means we have a relatively clean slate. We don't have to battle existing notions that may be different than we'd like. But selling a clean slate won't work in economic development, any more than it would work in a grocery store. Would you buy a box with no label, no ingredients?
Right now, the EDD is working on regional branding, as a first step to marketing the region. We're gathering information on the communities, what people think and feel about this area, and what images and taglines are out there. We're reviewing best practices from around the state and around the nation, to get a sense of what excellence looks like. The results of this work will be presented to the Marketing Committee on Thursday, and then the group will move forward toward development of images and language to communicate the brand to the world.
We'd love your input - and we'll keep you posted on what we discover!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update
HOTEDD will complete and submit the annual update to our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy within the next few weeks. Once this is completed, it is likely that the EDD Board will look ahead to constructing a new five-year CEDS document.
While the current CEDS has been in effect for only three of the allowable five years, the currency of Census data, the availability of a new web-based platform, and the unrolling of new guidance from EDA through NADO all mean there is a wealth of good information for producing a new CEDS. Why wait?
While the current CEDS has been in effect for only three of the allowable five years, the currency of Census data, the availability of a new web-based platform, and the unrolling of new guidance from EDA through NADO all mean there is a wealth of good information for producing a new CEDS. Why wait?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Census Counts and the Heart of Texas Region
Much of what the 2010 Census will tell us about the Heart of Texas is still unknown to us, as socioeconomic and other data has not yet been released. The population figures, however, are available – and they mostly tell us what we’ve been able to observe ourselves: namely, that the parts that are growing, keep growing, and the parts that aren’t growing, keep not growing.
The region’s population grew from 321,536 in 2000 to 349,273 in 2010 – a rate of growth of approximately .83% per year. The moderate growth contributes to economic vitality without placing excessive demands on existing infrastructure. (High population growth can lead to traffic congestion and stress water/wastewater capacity, among other issues.) A gentle rate of growth means the region can accommodate the new folks, and build its infrastructure to match, comfortably over time. At the same time, a slightly higher rate than this would still fall in the “comfortable” range – so we should continue to focus on attracting businesses and families to even the fastest-growing parts of the region.
Bosque County, which grew by 5.86%, has a 2010 population density of 18.41.
Falls County, which declined by 3.82%, has a 2010 population density of 23.23.
Freestone County, which grew by 10.91%, has a 2010 population density of 22.58.
Hill County, which grew by 8.56%, has a 2010 population density of 36.46.
Limestone County, which grew by 6.05%, has a 2010 population density of 25.73.
McLennan County, which grew by 10.02%, has a 2010 population density of 225.46.
The region as a whole grew by 8.63%, and has a population density of 62.95.
Let’s discuss the differing growth rates. For the most part, Heart of Texas counties with higher population densities had higher rates of population growth, and counties with lower population densities had lower rates of growth. Simply put, people like to go to where people already are – and where there are plenty of the amenities that come with those existing population densities. This pattern is consistent with statewide trends, so it’s not likely to change any time soon. This poses a challenge for sparsely-populated counties working to maintain quality of life.
McLennan County is growing at the highest rate; Limestone and Hill Counties have some slow growth; Bosque County has very little growth; and Freestone County is growing faster – and Falls County slower – than their densities would suggest. Hill and, to a lesser extent, Limestone Counties are working to achieve “escape velocity” – to achieve a density of people and amenities that will make those counties draws in themselves. They’re assisted in this by the expansion of development from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the increased economic activity in McLennan County. Bosque County, on the other hand, is working to maintain enough growth and activity to continue its high quality of life.
Looking at the outliers, Freestone County has the second-lowest population density, but it enjoyed he highest rate of population growth in the region from 2000 to 2010 – 11%. Falls County’s population density falls in the middle at around 22 people per square mile, but its population declined by 3%. It may be no coincidence that these outliers also differ from the rest of the region economically: Freestone with higher economic values, and Falls County with lower ones.
While much is riding on Census numbers in terms of outside resources, the greatest impact on the Heart of Texas communities will come from what their growth rates mean in terms of local effects. Outside the City of Waco, Heart of Texas communities must compete for Federal block grant funds – so their populations may change the amount of matching funds they are required to contribute to projects if they’re funded, but they won’t affect their ordinary revenues much. On the other hand, for communities struggling to maintain population and attract and retain businesses, a modest amount of growth is essential to maintain the current standard of living.
The region’s population grew from 321,536 in 2000 to 349,273 in 2010 – a rate of growth of approximately .83% per year. The moderate growth contributes to economic vitality without placing excessive demands on existing infrastructure. (High population growth can lead to traffic congestion and stress water/wastewater capacity, among other issues.) A gentle rate of growth means the region can accommodate the new folks, and build its infrastructure to match, comfortably over time. At the same time, a slightly higher rate than this would still fall in the “comfortable” range – so we should continue to focus on attracting businesses and families to even the fastest-growing parts of the region.
Bosque County, which grew by 5.86%, has a 2010 population density of 18.41.
Falls County, which declined by 3.82%, has a 2010 population density of 23.23.
Freestone County, which grew by 10.91%, has a 2010 population density of 22.58.
Hill County, which grew by 8.56%, has a 2010 population density of 36.46.
Limestone County, which grew by 6.05%, has a 2010 population density of 25.73.
McLennan County, which grew by 10.02%, has a 2010 population density of 225.46.
The region as a whole grew by 8.63%, and has a population density of 62.95.
Let’s discuss the differing growth rates. For the most part, Heart of Texas counties with higher population densities had higher rates of population growth, and counties with lower population densities had lower rates of growth. Simply put, people like to go to where people already are – and where there are plenty of the amenities that come with those existing population densities. This pattern is consistent with statewide trends, so it’s not likely to change any time soon. This poses a challenge for sparsely-populated counties working to maintain quality of life.
McLennan County is growing at the highest rate; Limestone and Hill Counties have some slow growth; Bosque County has very little growth; and Freestone County is growing faster – and Falls County slower – than their densities would suggest. Hill and, to a lesser extent, Limestone Counties are working to achieve “escape velocity” – to achieve a density of people and amenities that will make those counties draws in themselves. They’re assisted in this by the expansion of development from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the increased economic activity in McLennan County. Bosque County, on the other hand, is working to maintain enough growth and activity to continue its high quality of life.
Looking at the outliers, Freestone County has the second-lowest population density, but it enjoyed he highest rate of population growth in the region from 2000 to 2010 – 11%. Falls County’s population density falls in the middle at around 22 people per square mile, but its population declined by 3%. It may be no coincidence that these outliers also differ from the rest of the region economically: Freestone with higher economic values, and Falls County with lower ones.
While much is riding on Census numbers in terms of outside resources, the greatest impact on the Heart of Texas communities will come from what their growth rates mean in terms of local effects. Outside the City of Waco, Heart of Texas communities must compete for Federal block grant funds – so their populations may change the amount of matching funds they are required to contribute to projects if they’re funded, but they won’t affect their ordinary revenues much. On the other hand, for communities struggling to maintain population and attract and retain businesses, a modest amount of growth is essential to maintain the current standard of living.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
What's a Triple Bottom Line?
In Economic Development, we understand the bottom line. It's a matter of pride that we consider a project all the way through to the end, to evaluate whether over time the reward will outweigh the risk. Of course, there's some risk involved - we're making guesses about the future, however well-informed - but we can at least rest assured we've done our due diligence.
We may need to think again. Even when we are sure our project is going to mean bottom-line profits, that bottom line may not cover everything we need it to.
Just yesterday I put together some information about economic development programs and had some "negative" examples - projects that didn't make money - that were also transformative projects in their communities. On the other hand, we've all seen projects that made money on paper, but resulted in overdevelopment, played out early and left an empty big box, or had other unintended consequences. The bottom line is an important measure, but it doesn't measure everything.
It's this fact that has inspired many - including, now, the Economic Development Administration - to expand their thinking about what constitutes "profit." Enter the "Triple Bottom Line" - a way of looking at a project that asks about not only its financial net profit, but also at its social and environmental consequences as well. It's a fancy new term, but it captures things we intuitively grasp in the Heart of Texas - we understand our communities need lots of things, not just money. So it may not be a new concept at heart, but the Triple Bottom Line does give us a new tool: a way of measuring, comparing, and evaluating projects looking at all three of those areas.
Watch this space for more information as it becomes available: EDA is currently vetting a Triple Bottom Line evaluation tool that all our communities will soon be able to use.
We may need to think again. Even when we are sure our project is going to mean bottom-line profits, that bottom line may not cover everything we need it to.
Just yesterday I put together some information about economic development programs and had some "negative" examples - projects that didn't make money - that were also transformative projects in their communities. On the other hand, we've all seen projects that made money on paper, but resulted in overdevelopment, played out early and left an empty big box, or had other unintended consequences. The bottom line is an important measure, but it doesn't measure everything.
It's this fact that has inspired many - including, now, the Economic Development Administration - to expand their thinking about what constitutes "profit." Enter the "Triple Bottom Line" - a way of looking at a project that asks about not only its financial net profit, but also at its social and environmental consequences as well. It's a fancy new term, but it captures things we intuitively grasp in the Heart of Texas - we understand our communities need lots of things, not just money. So it may not be a new concept at heart, but the Triple Bottom Line does give us a new tool: a way of measuring, comparing, and evaluating projects looking at all three of those areas.
Watch this space for more information as it becomes available: EDA is currently vetting a Triple Bottom Line evaluation tool that all our communities will soon be able to use.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Honoring Robert Gordon
At its meeting last week, the HOTEDD Board honored Robert Gordon with the following Resolution:
Whereas, the Honorable Robert Gordon has served his nation, state, and community over many years; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a Korean War Veteran, served his nation honorably; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a distinguished educator for several decades has helped and enriched the lives of thousands; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, was a council member in the City of Lacy-Lakeview and served on several local and regional boards and councils; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a charter member of the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors, and chaired the Recycling and Environmental Committee and made major contributions to the success of the District board; now,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors does hereby and hereon honor and commend Mr. Robert Gordon for his exceptional and dedicated service.
Thanks, Bob, for all your work for your community and this Region!
Whereas, the Honorable Robert Gordon has served his nation, state, and community over many years; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a Korean War Veteran, served his nation honorably; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a distinguished educator for several decades has helped and enriched the lives of thousands; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, was a council member in the City of Lacy-Lakeview and served on several local and regional boards and councils; and,
Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a charter member of the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors, and chaired the Recycling and Environmental Committee and made major contributions to the success of the District board; now,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors does hereby and hereon honor and commend Mr. Robert Gordon for his exceptional and dedicated service.
Thanks, Bob, for all your work for your community and this Region!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Economic Gardening: an article from NMPolitics.net
This is an article by Nick Voges, published on 1/6/11 on NMPolitics.net. It captures the concept of Economic Gardening, which is a practice that fits very well with the Heart of Texas Region's values and strengths.
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/01/economic-gardening-a-fresh-paradigm-for-growing-local-jobs/
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/01/economic-gardening-a-fresh-paradigm-for-growing-local-jobs/
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Images Needed for HOTEDD Web Site!
One of the dimensions that will be added by our new web site will be the ability to tell a visual story about our Region. That story will only be as good as the information and images we collect - so this is your call to action! If you have or encounter images of your community, industry, or lifestyle that would help us tell the Region's story, please send them! If you need our contact information, please respond to this post and we'll follow up with you.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A New Take on Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
According to officials in the Economic Development Administration, it's time to put the Strategy back in the CEDS.
The CEDS, or Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, is the planning document that economic development districts - of which HOTEDD is one - exist to create. Districts do lots of things, but their foundation and core purpose, according to their funders at EDA, is creating the CEDS.
Unfortunately, the CEDS is a mixed bag of benefits and burdens. The regulations describing it are fairly dense, and districts are eager to meet the requirements, so many CEDS end up as data dumps - huge, unwieldy documents that are heavy on tables and lists, pages upon pages of specifics, from which it is impossible to discern an overall strategic direction for a region.
Interestingly, districts and EDA both know this and are working from their respective positions toward a better model for the CEDS. Megan participated in a work session in Washington whose purpose was to craft a way forward to a more relevant, more strategic, and more useable CEDS, and one thing that came out of that meeting was an informal list of criteria describing what CEDS should be and do. In the coming months, HOTEDD will use those criteria to make gentle changes as part of our annual CEDS update. For 2013, the new web environment currently in construction, new guidance from EDA and peer best practices will inform the creation of a new five-year CEDS that will be a true strategic document. We're excited, as better tools mean a better economic development effort in the Heart of Texas.
According to discussion at the workshop of some draft CEDS goals, NADO's workgroup thinks CEDS should:
* Be asset-based, respecting the diversity among regions
* Be a strategy on how to align a broad array of resources, not just EDA's
* Be evidence-based, including a variety of measurements and timetables for implementation
* Be strategic, not encyclopedic - focus on big picture, and any thick lists or data tables should be removed to an appendix
* Allow for a flexible, district-led peer-review process
* Ultimately roll up into statewide strategies that are based on districts' needs
* Be framed in terms of a clear strategy in an executive summary, delivered using a nimble communications plan
* Reflect a commitment to innovation, including cluster-based strategies
* Engage the public sector, private sector, and the public both in framing and in implementation
The CEDS, or Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, is the planning document that economic development districts - of which HOTEDD is one - exist to create. Districts do lots of things, but their foundation and core purpose, according to their funders at EDA, is creating the CEDS.
Unfortunately, the CEDS is a mixed bag of benefits and burdens. The regulations describing it are fairly dense, and districts are eager to meet the requirements, so many CEDS end up as data dumps - huge, unwieldy documents that are heavy on tables and lists, pages upon pages of specifics, from which it is impossible to discern an overall strategic direction for a region.
Interestingly, districts and EDA both know this and are working from their respective positions toward a better model for the CEDS. Megan participated in a work session in Washington whose purpose was to craft a way forward to a more relevant, more strategic, and more useable CEDS, and one thing that came out of that meeting was an informal list of criteria describing what CEDS should be and do. In the coming months, HOTEDD will use those criteria to make gentle changes as part of our annual CEDS update. For 2013, the new web environment currently in construction, new guidance from EDA and peer best practices will inform the creation of a new five-year CEDS that will be a true strategic document. We're excited, as better tools mean a better economic development effort in the Heart of Texas.
According to discussion at the workshop of some draft CEDS goals, NADO's workgroup thinks CEDS should:
* Be asset-based, respecting the diversity among regions
* Be a strategy on how to align a broad array of resources, not just EDA's
* Be evidence-based, including a variety of measurements and timetables for implementation
* Be strategic, not encyclopedic - focus on big picture, and any thick lists or data tables should be removed to an appendix
* Allow for a flexible, district-led peer-review process
* Ultimately roll up into statewide strategies that are based on districts' needs
* Be framed in terms of a clear strategy in an executive summary, delivered using a nimble communications plan
* Reflect a commitment to innovation, including cluster-based strategies
* Engage the public sector, private sector, and the public both in framing and in implementation
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Megan will Represent Region in Washington DC
Megan Henderson is one of 25 regional development practitioners from across the country invited to participate in a CEDS Innovation Forum held next week by the National Association of Development Organizations. The CEDS is the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy required of each Economic Development District.
Part of the event's activities will be an interactive dialogue among Obama administration and agency officials, including EDA Assistant Secretary John Fernandez, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O'Brien, Shelley Poticha, Director of HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, and representatives from the White House, Appalachian Regional Commission, EPA, and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Megan has been asked to give a presentation on the Texas CEDS Project, the $400,000 project funded by an EDA grant that will pay for interactive web sites with CEDS components, GIS, and data features for each of the 24 regional councils in Texas. She advanced this project as president of the Texas Association of Regional Councils' Community and Economic Development Staff Association.
Part of the event's activities will be an interactive dialogue among Obama administration and agency officials, including EDA Assistant Secretary John Fernandez, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O'Brien, Shelley Poticha, Director of HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, and representatives from the White House, Appalachian Regional Commission, EPA, and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Megan has been asked to give a presentation on the Texas CEDS Project, the $400,000 project funded by an EDA grant that will pay for interactive web sites with CEDS components, GIS, and data features for each of the 24 regional councils in Texas. She advanced this project as president of the Texas Association of Regional Councils' Community and Economic Development Staff Association.
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