CARIBOU — Staff with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) are drafting new guidance for the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), the key economic development planning document for regional planning organizations, and the executive director of Northern Maine Development Commission will play a role in the process.
During the 2013-14 National Association of Development Organizations board of director’s meeting in August, the board approved the appointment of NMDC’s Bob Clark to the CEDS Steering Committee, which will offer suggestions to EDA on the draft guidance.
The guidance focuses on the content of CEDS and suggests tools, resources, and examples to guide the development of the required elements that must be included in a CEDS document: summary background; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis; strategic direction/action plan; and evaluation framework.
“I think my appointment is a result of the work we have been doing statewide through Mobilize Maine, changing the CEDS process to be more of a strategic planning document for the region and together for the state,” said Clark.
Mobilize Maine is an action-oriented initiative that invites strong private sector participation, uses innovative, technology-driven tools and processes and focuses on capitalizing on a region’s assets to deliver measurable results.
He added Mobilize Maine has transformed the CEDS to be more of a dynamic planning tool rather than the standard SWOT analysis and list of projects.
“EDA is now reviewing the CEDS and the NADO committee will offer suggestions to make it a more effective planning tool, not only for the individual regions but for the state as a whole,” Clark said. “We have now developed a CEDS template that is used by all seven Economic Development Districts in the state and Maine has been a leader in this transformation. From my perspective, we are now more connected with what other regions are doing in the CEDS strategic planning so it will truly become a statewide strategy, surviving changes in state administration and empowering businesses and people at the local level to chart their future economic growth.”
Clark is one of only two from New England appointed to the CEDS steering committee.
We [NMDC on behalf of the 7 EDDs] have received $575,000 from EDA for developing the Mobilize Maine strategic planning program and have requested another $575,000 to implement these changes,” he said. “EDA is very interested and impressed with what is going on in Maine as it relates to the CEDS, hence their investment in Maine as a leader in the process.”
