Strategic Planning

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This 2 day interactive class will review the fundamentals of developing and implementing an effective strategic plan that can lead to a community or region achieving a more competitive location for encouraging business investment and the attraction of a talented workforce.

The Strategic Planning course is a core course in the Certified Louisiana Economic Developer certification.  It utilizes case studies and sample plans to highlight best practices in economic development strategic planning.   Group exercises and class discussion are designed to provide a better understanding of the planning process.

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Course Highlights:

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• Why do a strategic plan?
  The purpose and value of planning for the community’s economic development is reviewed, as well as the key components of the strategic planning process.

• Organizing the process for effective community involvement
  No plan is worth much unless careful consideration is given at the beginning to the desired outcomes of the planning process, and who should be involved in that process and to what extent.

• Understanding the community’s competitive position
  A strategic plan needs to begin with a clear understanding of the assets, liabilities, opportunities, and economic trends impacting the community.  Each community competes with all other communities for investment.

• Visioning the future

A plan must have a vision if it is to take the community to a desirable place.  This vision needs to be one that is shared among the leadership if it is to be effective.

• Setting priorities
  A broadly stated vision with ambiguous ideas isn’t likely to chart a clear path for the community’s leadership.  It is important to clarify what is “most” important to pursue to meet the desired outcomes.  These priorities should come from a process that involves local leadership and is endorsed by the community

• Determining goals and measurable outcomes
  The vision is more easily translated into action if it incorporates the priorities of the community, which in turn can be developed as goals to achieve.  Goals are more specific than the vision, but are not measurable.  The measurable outcomes, or objectives, provide a basis for being able to demonstrate achievement.

• Developing a “strategic” action plan

• One of the biggest challenges in strategic planning is to formulate “strategic” actions that are likely to lead to a satisfactory achievement of the goals.  It is important to learn to think strategically and innovatively, and to address goals and priority issues as problems to be solved.

• Setting benchmarks and performance measures
  This session continues the discussion concerning the strategy formulation process. However, the focus is on being able to set benchmarks or milestones and performance measures so that the strategic plan is implementable and has a basis for accountability.

• Implementing and evaluating the plan effectively

A plan is worth much if it isn’t successfully implemented, which should seem obvious but effective implementation is often overlooked once the plan is completed.  Furthermore, the plan must be periodically evaluated so that it can be adapted to changing conditions or responsive to needed modifications.

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Instructor Bio:

Dr. Ed Bee, CEcD

President of Taimerica Management Company

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Ed Bee, PhD, CEcD, is President and founder of Taimerica Management Company. Taimerica, headquartered in Mandeville, Louisiana.  Dr. Bee counsels development groups and businesses worldwide on issues of strategic planning, corporate site selection, targeting and incentive development. The company has clients in over 21 states of the United States, and in Puerto Rico and Central America. Ed is an adjunct professor in the MBA and Economic Development Master’s programs at University of Southern Mississippi.

 

Bee has earned a number of achievements and awards during his career, including a Distinguished Service Award conferred by the American Economic Development Council in 1994 and the Alumni of the Year Award in 2004 by the Geography Department of Youngstown State University. He has authored nine peer reviewed articles on leading edge economic development topics in globally recognized publications such as Economic Development Quarterly, the Economic Development Journal, and Economic Development Review.

 

Prior to founding Taimerica, Bee led regional and local economic development groups in New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, TX, and Darien, GA. His global trade strategy for the New Orleans region, entitled Intercambio 2000, won the Best of Class award from the Council for Urban Economic Development (predecessor to IEDC) in 1998. Other marketing awards include the Best of Class Award by the Southern Economic Development Council for marketing literature in 1986.

 

Ed completed the PhD in Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. He is an active member of LIDEA, IEDC, American Economic Association, and International Association of Energy Economists. His dissertation topic is "The Influence of the Electric Supply Industry on Economic Growth in Less Developed Nations."

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Event Location:

Southeast Louisiana Development Center

2nd Floor Room 208

1514 Martens Drive

Hammond, LA  70401

985-549-3831

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Parking:

Free parking is available on the south and east sides within the facility parking lot.

 

Directions:

 If traveling from Baton Rouge:  Take I-12 East towards Hammond.  Then take I-55 N towards Hammond.  Take exit 32 Wardline/University Avenue.  Go right onto University Avenue. Continue on University Avenue through the first light, and take a right on Martens Drive. Its the 3rd building on left.

 

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If traveling from Covington:  Take I-12 West toward Baton Rouge.  Then take I-55 North towards Jackson.  Take exit 32 Wardline/University Avenue.  Go right onto University Avenue. Continue on University Avenue through the first light, and take a right on Martens Drive. Its the 3rd building on left.

 

If traveling from New Orleans:  Take I-55 North toward Hammond.  Take exit 32 Wardline/University Avenue.  Go right onto University Avenue. Continue on University Avenue through the first light, and take a right on Martens Drive. Its the 3rd building on left.

 

Hotel Information:  There are several nearby hotels. LIDEA recommends the following options as having always provided good service and a reasonable cost:

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Courtyard by Marriott           1605 S. Magnolia Street, Hammond, LA 70403

                                                (Interstate 12 – Exit 40)

Phone:                                     (985) 956-7730

Group Rate:                             $109 per night.  To book Reservations, Click here. 

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Holiday Inn                           1819 SW Railroad Avenue, Hammond, LA 70403

                                              (Interstate 12 – Exit 40)

Phone:                                   (985) 662-3877 

 

Hampton Inn                        401 Westin Oak Drive, Hammond, LA 70130

                                              (Interstate 55 – Exit 31)

Phone:                                   (985) 419-2188 

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