1.
Enhancing State-Local
Economic Development
Planning and Engagement
2022 NADO Annual Training Conference
Sunday, October 16
Mereb Hagos

2.
What?
Why?
How?
Key
Takeaways
on EDA
Project

3.
What?
• A 24-month project funded by EDA for CREC and
partners to promote alignment across state and
regional economic development organizations

4.
Why?
• State and local economic development strategies
and investments are often poorly aligned and not
very well coordinated
• States tend to operate independently of EDA
supported initiatives, including those identified in
regional CEDS

5.
How?
• Through applied research, education, and technical
assistance, this project will enable state and local
leaders to create jobs and achieve economic
recovery through better:
➢ Coordination of investments
➢ Alignment of efforts to grow key industry clusters
➢ Leverage common tools

6.
Task 1: Research
Project
Tasks
Task 2: Education
Task 3: Technical Assistance

7.
Task 1: Research
• Develop matrix of current states’ economic development
strategies and initiatives mapped against CEDS plans
• Prepare best practice guide to inform efforts to increase
alignment, collaboration, and co-investment between states
and local EDDs
• Research and add new content for USACompetes.com
website

8.
Task 2: Education
• Engage state leaders through a state-EDA working group to amplify EDA’s
priority tools and resources and create interaction opportunities
• Develop self-paced and peer-led virtual curriculum for new state economic
development leaders
• Deliver relevant educational content at least twice per year to key
constituencies from SEDE, NADO/DDAA, SIDO, AMCC, ARC/DRA, etc​.
• Deliver 15 webinars on topics targeted to state economic development leaders

9.
Task 3: Technical Assistance
• Conduct a hands-on technical assistance engagement with 5-7 states through a
‘Policy Academy cohort’ process aimed at refining state economic recovery and
development strategies and integrating outcomes with local CEDS
• Deliver additional on-site and virtual technical assistance
efforts through partner conferences or peer exchanges
• Conduct outreach and technical assistance to incorporate international
engagement strategies into local CEDS
• Deliver bi-annual meetings of state economic development agency leaders

10.
State Economic
Development
Executives (SEDE)
network
NADO (economic
development
district
leaders)
SIDO (state
international
trade
leaders)
AMCC (American
Manufacturing
Communities
Collaborative)
CREC is engaging several
national networks to reach
key stakeholders…
…to participate in organizing the applied research,
developing and deploying educational materials, and
providing technical assistance to states and regions.

11.
Deeper Dive on Selected
Tasks/Deliverables:
Update and
upgrade of
USACompetes.com
website​
Course for
new state
economic
development
leaders​
Alignment
Matrix
Discussion
sessions on
emerging
topics and
Webinars​
Policy
Academy
for 6
states

12.
Alignment Matrix

13.
Alignment Matrix
• Mapped 52 state economic development strategic plans and 379
comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS)
• Covers 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia
• 20,000 records of economic development strategies categorized by goal,
tactic, and activity
• Captured metrics on strategies that are:
• 1) targeting specific underserved populations,
• 2) advancing equity,
• 3) addressing the climate crisis (environmental sustainability), and
• 4) serving rural communities
Searchable Database Coming Soon!

14.
Alignment Matrix Initial Findings
• Most CEDS and state plans include strategies on
workforce development, industry cluster
development, admin, and business development and
assistance
• CEDS strategies mostly target broadband
development, infrastructure/project development,
and transportation infrastructure
• Tech-based economic development, international
trade, and manufacturing strategies are primarily
driven by the state
• State plans also have more strategies on business
finance, business climate, and recovery & resilience
efforts
Category EDDs States
Administration/Governance 84% 71%
Broadband 67% 54%
Business Climate 31% 62%
Business Development and Assistance 80% 83%
Business Finance 36% 60%
Community Support 89% 62%
Education 54% 56%
Entrepreneurial Development 68% 75%
Industry Cluster Development 85% 83%
Infrastructure & Project Development 87% 67%
International Trade & Investment 18% 62%
Manufacturing 19% 33%
Recovery & Resilience (P) 61% 79%
Technology-Based Economic Development 29% 60%
Transportation Infrastructure 76% 46%
Workforce Development 89% 87%

15.
Equity
• 755 strategies are aiming to
advance equity
• Mentioned in 153 CEDS and 31
state strategic plans
• CEDS strategies addressing equity
largely focus on community
support (workforce/affordable
housing, food security,
healthcare), workforce
development, and administration
• State equity strategies also target
workforce development and
community support as well as
business development and
assistance
Categories EDDs States
% of
Equ
Community Support 23% 19%
Workforce Development (P) 12% 29%
Administration/Governance 11% 13%
Business Development and Assistance 6% 21%
Infrastructure & Project Development 6% 6%
Broadband 5% 10%
Industry Cluster Development 5% 10%
Transportation Infrastructure 4% 2%
Entrepreneurial Development 3% 13%
Education 3% 10%

16.
Recovery &
Resilience
• 914 strategies are building
economic resilience and long-term
recovery from economic shocks
• Mentioned in 235 CEDS and 16
state strategic plans
• CEDS recovery and resilience
strategies are primarily addressing
disaster preparedness, followed
by conservation/climate change
and industry diversification
• State strategic plans are focusing
on other recovery and resilience
strategies, including capacity
building and policy and planning
Recovery & Resilience Strategies EDDs States
% o
R
R
Disaster preparedness 39% 10%
Conservation/Climate Change 22% 8%
Industry Diversification 20% 10%
Other Recovery and Resilience 16% 15%
COVID-19 5% 4%
Examples of Other Recovery & Resilience Strategies:
1) Use of infrastructure grants to help in local recovery efforts;
2) Expand capacity for regional planning around economic
resiliency.

17.
Workforce
Development
• Over 2,200 strategies are
supporting workforce
education and training
activities
• Mentioned in 336 CEDS and 47
state strategic plans
• CEDS and state strategic plans
are both focused on aligning
education/training with
industry demand, talent
recruitment and placement,
and new/incumbent worker
training
Workforce Development Strategies EDDs States
% of
WD
Aligning education and training with industry needs 48% 44%
Other Workforce Development 41% 44%
Talent Recruitment and Placement 36% 44%
New and Incumbent Worker training 35% 35%
Work-based Learning (including apprenticeships, internships)
26% 35%
Career Pathways 26% 27%
Youth Programs 14% 12%
Career Awareness 13% 19%
Non-degree Credentials 8% 15%
Examples of Other Workforce Development Strategies:
1) Identify strengths of curriculum and programs to be used in
marketing/recruiting to targeted business sectors;
2) Support the transition from military to civilian jobs

18.
International
Trade and
Investment
• 230 strategies are supporting
growth in US exports or
foreign direct investment.
• Mentioned in 71 CEDS and 33
state strategic plans
• Only 19% of EDDs have an
international trade and
investment strategy vs 64% of
states
• States strategies are largely
focused on export promotion,
FDI, and international
advertising
International Trade and Investment Strategies EDDs States
% of
Int
St
Export promotion 11% 21%
Other International Trade and Investment 5% 13%
Foreign direct investment 3% 29%
Overseas representation 3% 2%
Advertising (international) 1% 46%
Import substitution 1% 19%
Examples of Other International Trade and Investment Strategies:
1) Establish international investment partnerships for
information/digital technologies and environmental management;
2) Identify and implement opportunities for entrepreneurs to
increase international transactions

19.
Emerging Practices

20.
Infrastructure Partnerships
Federal Highway Infrastructure Designation in Eastern New Mexico
• An initiative of the NM Economic Development Department, FUNDIT is an alliance of 20+
agencies and public/private agencies to increase funding and leverage finance opportunities
for communities across the state
• Eastern Plains Council of Governments conducted an impact study to determine the potential
benefits and impacts that an Interstate Highway designation would have along the Port to
Plains Corridor
• EPCOG worked closely with the Governor to get the required letter of support needed for
congressional action
• On March 15th, the designation of future Interstate 27 (I-27) became official. The designation
recognizes the highway from Laredo, Texas to Raton, New Mexico.

21.
Infrastructure Partnerships
Informing Broadband Investments in Louisiana
• Acadiana Planning Commission leveraged its role working with the EDA to develop in-house
expertise on broadband deployment and planning
• In 2019, the District won a NTIA grant to study broadband deployment in its rural parishes
• As the state began to ramp up its broadband planning efforts, it has leveraged Acadiana’s
experience by making them a key partner in its Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband
Opportunities Program
• Acadiana has served as a critical go-between for rural parishes and is now working on an EDA-
funded eligibility mapping study to inform state investments.

22.
Organizational Partnerships
Leveraging CEDS plans to Inform Statewide Goals and Programs in Wisconsin
• State agencies and offices in Wisconsin, including the newly-formed Office of Rural Prosperity,
look to the work and expertise of the regional planning commissions and EDDs
• Generally, the state align their goals and approaches with those that have emerged in the
regional CEDS.
• Incorporating the goals and strategies from regional CEDS into larger statewide economic
development, planning, workforce, and resilience efforts is a natural fit and enables the state
to be more responsive to the on-the-ground needs of residents and businesses.

23.
Organizational Partnerships
Providing Data and Resources to Support Regional CEDS Planning in Vermont
• West Central Vermont is currently developing its CEDS plan, an effort involving five counties
home to 91 municipalities that are coming together to write a CEDS with the possibility of
eventually forming a new Economic Development District
• Staff at the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) have assisted
EDDs with developing an economic profile for the region by supplying valuable statewide and
regional data
• ACCD also provided the CEDS Steering Committee with timely information about COVID-19
economic impacts in Vermont and in the region

24.
Thank You!
Questions?
Mereb Hagos
mhagos@CREC.net