Their Challenge:

To remain economically competitive, cities routinely use economic development incentives to promote investment. However, mechanisms to reliably quantify the effects of those initiatives are scarce. While anecdotal evidence abounds, the client was not able to monitor and report on how much aggregate investment occurs, how many tax dollars are lost or gained, or the effects on overall community benefit. Consequently, the lack of objective evaluation makes data-driven decision making nearly impossible. Additionally, economic development programs are less agile, and perceptions of poor accountability and transparency can lead to distrust from members of the public. While the client had many ideas for ways to measure the impact of economic development, they had no quantitative or qualitative measure, analytics, or supportive processes to do so, and required a program that would meet the city’s unique goals and resource availability.

The Approach:

I researched, developed, proposed, and implemented a systematic, standardized program to comprehensively evaluate the impact of economic development incentives. To accomplish this, I gathered feedback from government officials across departments to ensure the program addressed administrative capacity and needs. I also performed an in-depth comparative analysis of other policies and best practices from other cities across the US. From this research, and the goals the client wanted to achieve, we were able to integrate both qualitative and quantitative metrics and analysis processes into the performance review program. Throughout this analysis, building, and implementation, I communicated with various stakeholder and influencer groups to build consensus around the program and its benefits, which led to both adoption and a smooth transition.

Stakeholder engagement was essential throughout the problem solving, solutioning, and implementation phases. Major alternation of workflows was needed to increase efficiency as well as to support ongoing program compliance after adoption. Effective change management conversations helped drive a major change to stakeholder attitudes towards public-private investments, which were needed to ensure sustainability of the program after implementation.

Results:

Standardized Performance Review Program:

• A comprehensive review program which tracks 9 separate programs using objective quantitative and qualitative analysis, and directly accounts for over $1.5B in public dollars.

• Improves transparency and accountability by making the information readily accessible to the public via the client’s website.

• Utilizes a comprehensive approach built upon meaningful KPIs and sustainable processes that were tailored to the client’s unique needs and ongoing resource availability.

Long Term Positive Impacts:

• Program design optimized resources to streamline data flows and promote inter-department collaboration, centered on KPIs for measuring meaningful success.

• Improved program design allows for real-time intervention and monitoring due to improved cross-functional communication and clarity around well-defined success targets.

• Evaluation program continues forward, now in its 3rd year, with greater public recognition and transparency than ever before.