Managing collaboration among economic development organizations Monday, March 03, 2003 Economic development organizations (EDO's) are no different than the rest of business or government...over time, they fragment and bloat. Improving how EDO's operate and collaborate will be one of our biggest challenges as a profession over the next decade. EDO's arise for all sorts of reasons. Some are designed to manage real estate. Others form inside chambers. Still others are based in city or county governments and are very sensititve to political agendas. The motivations and competence of the EDPros in these organizations vary widely. Fragmentation carries heavy risks. EDO's cost money to run, and if they are not managed effectively, money gets wasted, progress slows, and infighting breaks out. If these EDO's are not carefully harmonized, everything can start to break apart. (This is what is happening in Wichita now.) So, it makes sense to pull out a clean sheet of paper, map the different organizations in your region and what they do, and figure out if there is a better way to manage. That's what Erie County, Pennsylvania is doing. Cost savings can be significant. You might find also find that big chunks of your economic development agenda (typically business retention) is falling off the table. (That's what's happening in Charleston, SC, for example.) Most likely, you'll find that through tighter collaboration you can do a better job. As EDPros, our core challenge is changing our mindset. If we continue to think that our main rivalry comes from the next county over, or across the river, or even in the next state, we're cooked. We are competing globally now, and we need to start thinking this way. Managing collaboration is tricky and a continuous challenge. We'll need to get used to it. If we are going to move forward, EDPros need to develop these skills of negotiation, consultation, and communication. One of the leading regional economic development organizations in the country, Greater Phoenix Economic Council is confronting the loss of one of its communities. But Rick Weddle, head of GPEC, has it right: ""We think it's entirely fitting . . . that all our communities are looking at the value we add...We don't shirk from that at all. When those questions are asked, it makes us better." If you would like to start thinking about regional alliances, here's a place to start. It's a proposal in Massachusetts to establish a regional alliance in the Worchester area. The proposal gives you a good structure for outlining a case for a reginal alliance. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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