Inclusive Competitiveness Measures for Comprehensive Economic Strategies

For Team Pennsylvania and National Institute for Inclusive Competitiveness, ESI identified the gaps in inclusive economic competitiveness that exist across the Commonwealth, measuring against national best practices, to ensure that future regional Comprehensive Economic Strategy documents are developed to achieve inclusivity. ESI’s work was to assist NIIC with ensuring that as Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) documents are being developed in Pennsylvania’s ten Economic Development Districts (EDD), and the Commonwealth, that inclusive economic competitiveness is a visible and viable part of every plan.

Our work includes helping the NIIC develop a framework for ensuring equity and inclusion in economic development planning within each of the 10 EDD regions in the Commonwealth. Our process included identifying and interviewing stakeholders from across the region, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, as well as  framing a context that will allow NIIC to develop next steps that would lead to all regions working towards a more aligned strategy to enhance economic development and include economic competitiveness as part of their strategy in the Commonwealth.