Two Regional Economic Development Boards Host Strategic Planning Workshops

Momentum is building throughout the province in community driven regional economic development activity. This past weekend, members of two Regional Economic Development Boards spent a day and a half enhancing their strategic planning and management skills at strategic planning and management workshops for regional economic development. Employees of the Department of Development and Rural Renewal led the workshops which were given to the REDBs in two communities: the Exploits Valley Economic Development Corporation in Bishops Falls, and the Coast of Bays Corporation in Baie d'Espoir. This brings the number of REDBs who have participated in similar workshops to 11 out of a possible 18 boards which are now in place.

In February of 1995, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada announced a new approach to regional economic development, as recommended by the Task Force on Community Economic Development. This involved the creation of new community-based volunteer boards to support economic development planning and coordination within specific zones of the province. Since then, Regional Economic Development Boards have formed in 18 of the province's 20 economic zones, with the boards pursuing the development and implementation of economic development activity through various projects. In addition to making projects happen now, the boards are moving towards their next phase -- the creation of long term strategic economic plans for their zones.

"Strategic planning is a crucial step in regional economic development," said Development and Rural Renewal Minister Judy Foote. "Participants in these workshops develop the skills to logically determine where they stand as an economic region, and where they want to go. They will define achievable objectives and then plan how they will make those objectives a reality. The community volunteers who comprise the Regional Economic Development Boards are learning how to collectively use their resources in a systematic approach to realizing their economic development goals."

Each of the workshops ran for a day and a half. Sessions covered the stages of strategic planning which included: defining a vision, establishing goals and objectives, setting targets, and developing initiatives. During the workshops, board members focused upon the needs of their zones and outlined tactics for engaging the residents of their zones in the strategic planning process.

"The Regional Economic Development Boards are moving forward in the knowledge that strategic planning is a tool for achieving economic development, not an end in itself," said the minister. "The boards have been continuing to develop economic initiatives and activities hand-in- hand with the development of their economic plans, and I am very pleased with the progress made to date."

Subsequent to these strategic planning workshops, many of the Boards will follow up with Education and Training Linkage Workshops. These workshops will bring together Board members with stakeholders from the broad education community to focus upon the integration of education, training and human resource development into zonal strategic economic plans. The first will be held this coming weekend in Cow Head for the Red Ochre Regional Board.
Contact: Susan Laite, Director of Communications, (709) 729-4570.