Georgia Tech EDI Community Innovation Services

1. Georgia Tech EDICommunity Innovation Services CEDS Associates Meeting December 15, 2003

2. Goal • To help communities move forward by… • Enabling communities to identify, adopt, and implement innovative economic development strategies and practices • Offering innovative approaches for making sound economic development decisions • Supporting community efforts to pursue quality growth and development

3. The Team Alan Barfoot Todd Greene Don Betts Hortense Jackson Danny Duggar Greg Laudeman Larry Edens Jennifer Trapp Karen Fite Joy Wilkins Art Ford Jill Winkelman (outreach)

4. Update • Significant capacity to assist communities in many key economic development areas • Limited capacity to serve Augusta and Savannah • Limited resources to do everything we may want to do • Need for more follow-up with clients • Need to develop more mid-range services to address unmet community needs (e.g., something between CEDRA and Accelerator services)

5. Update • Budget constraints require even greater attention to covering our costs for delivering services • Budget constraints of partners and communities will provide further support for more ‘regional’ initiatives / collaboration • Need for identifying alternative sources of funding • E.g,. WIA? • FundingSources database

6. Update • DCA Quality Growth Resource Teams • Focus on Communities – December/January, April, August • CEDS web site to be updated • Relationships with Partners • NE Georgia Network Meetings • GREDC / RAC 9 / DCA CEDRA • USDA / RDC / DITT Four County Accelerator • RAC 2 / DCA

7. Update • Assessing Customer Needs • Interviews or focus groups? • Customer Service Reports to be revised • Follow-up plan with CEDS clients • Proposal / contract reminder • Pricing policy for services under $ 25 K to be developed

8. EDA University Center News

9. New Developments • Community IT Services • ENet • WebFIT • Accelerator Program • CEDRA • Calibrating Economic Development Operations • Existing Business and Industry Support Service

10. New Developments • Innovators Roundtable (in concept phase) • Forum for information about innovative practices from other practitioners, EDI, and partners • Facilitative review of ideas for innovative practices by peers, EDI, possibly others • Research assistance from EDI to support implementation of innovative practices for a predefined term limit (e.g., number of hours per year) • Facilitation of visits to “model” communities • Members-only list serv, Web portal, possible meetings (e-meetings?) * Mechanism for ongoing opportunity to serve former and current clients, and potential new clients

11. New Developments • Certified Communities (in concept phase) • Rejuvenation of “Certified Cities” program concept • To encourage, reward, and assist interested Georgia communities for creating an environment conducive to innovative economic development that leads to quality growth • Communities reviewed according to high standards, to qualify for review, they would be required to conduct certain activities (e.g., may incorporate recommendations from updated CEDRA?) • Seek outside sponsorship and in-kind assistance • Ideal – Certified status helps with deciding state grant funding • Next Step – Need to form development team to explore

12. Where Do We Go From Here? • Assessing Customer Needs • Identifying Alternative Funding Sources • Connecting with Partners • Understanding Team Assets • Serving “Strategic” Communities