The Planning Process
This document is a combination of many years of work, building off the 2011 process during which ECICOG partnered with the Corridor Business Alliance (CBA) to develop one document, known as the CRDS, to serve the interests of both organization.
Given the success of the earlier process, the two organizations intended to replicate it to develop the required five-year update, with the CBA taking the lead role. The update process, tentatively known as Regional Vision Rising, got underway in November 2015 under the facilitation of Market Street consultants who were tasked with completing stakeholder input, developing a regional assessment, completing a regional economic analysis, identifying a regional vision, and compiling a regional report.
Market Street completed the first two tasks, and then the CBA changed its course and contracted with Steve Kappler, a local consultant, to complete the remaining steps. The planned timeline for the Regional Vision Rising process was extended due to the change in direction, and hadbecome incompatible with ECICOG’s timeline to complete their five-year update, so the joint process split.
ECICOG developed a new comprehensive plan, CRDS 2040, which focused on the requirements will specific to the CEDS and LRTP.
As the process continued, a new Action Committee was formed composed of regional stakeholders capable of investing a significant amount of time to providing input about important regional economic sectors, the SWOT analysis, and to help create actionable next steps.
This Action Committee identified important branches and sub-branches of regional economic development and identified action items to facilitate strategic growth.
Given the success of the earlier process, the two organizations intended to replicate it to develop the required five-year update, with the CBA taking the lead role. The update process, tentatively known as Regional Vision Rising, got underway in November 2015 under the facilitation of Market Street consultants who were tasked with completing stakeholder input, developing a regional assessment, completing a regional economic analysis, identifying a regional vision, and compiling a regional report.
Market Street completed the first two tasks, and then the CBA changed its course and contracted with Steve Kappler, a local consultant, to complete the remaining steps. The planned timeline for the Regional Vision Rising process was extended due to the change in direction, and hadbecome incompatible with ECICOG’s timeline to complete their five-year update, so the joint process split.
ECICOG developed a new comprehensive plan, CRDS 2040, which focused on the requirements will specific to the CEDS and LRTP.
As the process continued, a new Action Committee was formed composed of regional stakeholders capable of investing a significant amount of time to providing input about important regional economic sectors, the SWOT analysis, and to help create actionable next steps.
This Action Committee identified important branches and sub-branches of regional economic development and identified action items to facilitate strategic growth.
Action Committee Members:
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Developing an Action Item
The Action Committee members, as seen in our planning framework, were assigned various branches based on their organization’s area of focus.
They were then given six major tasks:
The information provided about pre-existing efforts is included in this document where applicable and appended for further information along with additional raw notes from the workgroups.
Many Action Committee members and workgroup attendees were already taking part in important work relevant to the regional visioning process. These actions, although already underway and budgeted for, are now considered part of the economic development plan and will be monitored for success by their assigned metrics.
In many cases, the workgroup members agreed to maintain a formal relationship after the planning process to continue goalsetting, collaborate more effectively, and to monitor the success of their action items. For example, the Housing Workgroup from the Community Development branch is a fruit of this process.
Additionally, as seen in the planning framework, for branches to flourish, every action item will both create and require education, diversity, mobility, and resilience.
As each workgroup presents their action item, its impact on regional economic resilience will be presented.
They were then given six major tasks:
- Assemble a workgroup of individuals and organizations that brings expertise related, specifically or indirectly, to that planning area, which has a diverse membership of the seven-county region
- Schedule workgroup meetings
- Research and provide information background materials and pre-existing efforts in this planning area
- Facilitate workgroup discussions and provide action items, with information on cost and a potential timeline when available
- Submit this information in accordance with the planning timeline
- Serve as a resource to staff as provided information is being incorporated in the planning document
The information provided about pre-existing efforts is included in this document where applicable and appended for further information along with additional raw notes from the workgroups.
Many Action Committee members and workgroup attendees were already taking part in important work relevant to the regional visioning process. These actions, although already underway and budgeted for, are now considered part of the economic development plan and will be monitored for success by their assigned metrics.
In many cases, the workgroup members agreed to maintain a formal relationship after the planning process to continue goalsetting, collaborate more effectively, and to monitor the success of their action items. For example, the Housing Workgroup from the Community Development branch is a fruit of this process.
Additionally, as seen in the planning framework, for branches to flourish, every action item will both create and require education, diversity, mobility, and resilience.
As each workgroup presents their action item, its impact on regional economic resilience will be presented.
