Getting Organized:

Institutional Arrangements for Regional Growth and Development

Multi-sector Partnership Initiatives

Miami, FloridaFebruary 2005

Challenge:New Responses Required

Most complex challenges today are regional in scale

Traditional business, government and civic responses are not adequate

Boundary-crossing is now required

Few know how to engage in this kind of regional civic leadership

America’s Citistates

There are four distinct conversations going on in communities today

Rarely are they connected - and they need to be to effectively address critical issues

Collaborative civic leadership is required to connect these conversations

The Challenge

The Challenge

Is the economy competitive? Is it based on speed, quality, flexibility, knowledge, and networks?

Does the economy provide jobs that enable all citizens to enjoy a good quality of life? Does it produce meaningful jobs that sustain families all along the economic spectrum?

The Challenge

Are diverse populations and perspectives engaged and encouraged to participate as contributing members of the society?

Are there safe civic spaces where public dialogue and conversations can occur?

Are diverse thoughts and opinions respected in the decision-making process?

The Challenge

Are citizens’ public safety and well-being ensured?

Are housing and public education opportunities ensured for all members of the community?

Are new visions of design that reduce sprawl and traffic congestion being employed?

Are arts and cultural amenities being promoted?

The Challenge

Are citizens, businesses, nonprofits, educations, and governments working together to set directions, solve problems, and take action?

Are the participants in collaborative governance coordinating resources and sharing information, ideas, and power?

Integrating Regional Conversations

Who—or What—Are Regional Stewards?

• Integrators—share perspective about linked economic, environmental, social objectives

• Connectors—bring people together across worlds, “boundary crossers”

• Communicators of Possibility—raise aspirations, articulate potential, persuade

Regional Business Civic Organizations (RBCOs)

What are they? The private sector partners in multi-sector

regional collaboration Include regional chambers of commerce,

boards of trade, business councils, councils of business executives, and special-purpose committees

Regional Business Civic Organizations (RBCOs)

Regional Business Civic Organizations (RBCOs)

RBCOs: Recognize the link between the well-being of

the region and the well-being of businesses in the region

Understand that regions are “real places” where people live and work

Recognize the role of regions as the arena in which challenges are best addressed

Recognize that regional challenges are too complex to be effectively addressed by a single organization

How are RBCOs Making a Difference?

Creating multi-sector partnership initiatives

Fresno Business Council

Alliance of business leaders dedicated to improving long-term social and economic climate of the region

Partnered with California State University and recruited local leaders (non-profit and government) to work together on five priority issues:

1. Promoting a culture of innovation2. Human investment3. Land use and transportation4. Preparation of knowledgeable workers5. Investment in high-tech infrastructure

Fresno Business Council

Collaborative Regional Initiative - Community Values

1. Stewardship2. Boundary Crossing and Collaboration3. Commitment to Outcomes4. “Art of the Possible” Thinking5. Fact-based Decision Making6. Truth Telling7. Power Parity8. Commitment to Resolving Conflict9. Asset-based Approach10. Conflict of Interest

Fresno Business Council:Success Story

Regional Jobs Initiative (RJI): Mission: To develop a short and long-

term comprehensive strategy aimed at creating 25,000 to 30,000 net new jobs within five years at an average salary of $29,500

A partnership involving of literally hundreds of business, civic and public organizations After 1 year, nearly 2,000 jobs created 1,300 business and government leaders now

involved in the effort Unemployment rate in Fresno has dropped

Hampton Roads Partnership

Brings together representatives from major private sector employers, educational institutions, local governments, and other local organizations

Focus on the region's strategic issues for the purpose of enhancing our competitiveness in the global economy

Collaborative structure & regional approach became model for Virginia’s Regional Competitiveness Act—adopted in 1996 to support regional collaboratives working on workforce issues

Hampton Roads Partnership

Current priorities: Correcting regional transportation

inefficiencies Promoting technology-based

economic development Supporting early childhood

development and workforce readiness

Advocating for enhanced regional cooperation

Hampton Roads Partnership:Success Story

“A Success for Regional Cooperation” On March 1, 2005, the Peninsula and Southside

economic development alliances will merge New organization will be called the Hampton

Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA)

HREDA will represent the entire region nationally and internationally to prospective businesses

Change of perspective—marketing the assets of “One” region is more effective than two competing organizations

“The rising tide raises all ships”

Metropolitan Forum (St. Louis)

Brings together 45 leaders from the public, private and civic sectors to cooperate in addressing challenges facing the bi-state St. Louis region

Leaders come from the Boards of Directors of the convening organizations: the East-West Gateway Council of Government, FOCUS St. Louis, and the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association

Metropolitan Forum (St. Louis)

Priority Concerns: Sluggish job growth, Racial and economic disparity The effectiveness of local tax policy

First action step: to build a one-stop information source on local public investment

Next step: convene a dialogue about how these public investments can strengthen the quality of regional life

Metropolitan Forum:Success Story

“More for Our Money” Framework for first initiatives Can we develop a coordinated public

spending and investment strategy that will turn the St. Louis region in the right direction?

First initiative: Metropolitan Forum website—data portal allowing community comparisons Data provided “never before available” Being used by communities to determine

policy actions

Research Triangle Regional Partnership

Public-private partnership of economic development agencies Works collaboratively with the N.C. Department

of Commerce to market 13-county Research Triangle Region for the economic benefit of communities

Works with “institutional partners” from business, government, academia and the nonprofit sector to identify and address economic development issues

“Staying on Top: Winning the Job Wars of the Future” – a $5 million, five-year plan which aims to create 100,000 new jobs in the region and boost employment in all 13 counties

Research Triangle Regional Partnership

RTRP focuses its marketing efforts to attract corporate investments primarily from 10 clusters of industry and innovation: Pharmaceuticals Biological agents and infectious diseases Agricultural biotechnology Pervasive computing Advanced medical care Analytical instrumentation Nanoscale technologies Informatics Vehicle component parts Logistics and distribution

Research Triangle Regional Partnership: Success Story

“Staying on Top: Winning the Job Wars of the Future”

Success relies on the alignment of "institutional partners" — now more than 60 organizations across the region — that have agreed to align their resources and strategies around a single vision for economic growth

To date, 19 of 30 action items have begun

Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce

Partner in Regional Growth Alliance Region 2020 Regional Planning Commission of Greater

Birmingham Formed in 2001 in central Alabama as a

means of encouraging regional cooperation across traditional jurisdictional lines

1/3 citizens, 1/3 business, 1/3 government

Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce

Regional achievements: Development of land-use regulations to

protect the Cahaba River watershed Generation of hundreds of high-tech sector

jobs Progress toward low-income homeownership Regional support of arts and cultural programs Economic development and community design

assistance to small rural cities within the 12-county regional footprint

Development of a two-county regional transportation district proposal