[programs & services] (community economic development programs)

Economic Development Organization and Planning

There often is an intense local desire to foster local economic development. What is often lacking is the know-how to do it effectively. OLG staff can lead communities through a process of creating the necessary organizational infrastructure, understanding the broad trends that create and constrain economic opportunity, assessing local capacity, and selecting realistic strategies to achieve development objectives.

Applied Research

There are numerous analytic techniques that provide additional insight into effective strategy selection and the consequences of alternative local policies or economic events. The OLG has developed numerous tools to help better inform decision making.

• Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis. The Kansas Integrated Impact Model projects the impacts of policies and events across several dimensions, including economic (employment, income, local sales), public finance (local government revenues and expenditures), population, school enrollment, community demographics, and other socioeconomic characteristics of the community.
  
• Industry Targeting Studies. Economic targeting studies match community characteristics with industry location requirements. The OLG uses several models to estimate the probability of new industry locations, regional clustering opportunities, regional competition, and import substitution opportunities.
  
• Trade Area Analysis. This program provides a detailed analysis of a community's retail sector, including the performance of specific retail sectors and where there may yet remain untapped opportunity for new retail development.

Community and Economic Profiles

At a community level, social and economic changes may occur incrementally, making it difficult to appreciate their cumulative effect over time. To help community leaders keep abreast of what's happening in their communities, the OLG produces custom community and economic profiles. The report tracks a range of economic and social indicators over time within the county and makes relevant comparisons to other counties and state-wide averages. The information provides insight into potential business opportunities, future service needs, and communicates what and who the community is to outside interests.

Community Surveys and Analysis

Understanding community preferences can help local officials and development organizations select policies that will be supported by the broader community. Similarly, understanding local consumer behavior can help local businesses better meet their customers' needs. The OLG has the capacity and expertise to help construct and implement surveys that are valid and reliable, thus insuring a better understanding of the community's situation.

Information and Referral Services

The Direct Resource Referral Service has long served as a source of high quality information and referrals for professionals and volunteers in local government, economic development, and county Extension in Kansas. The OLG emphasizes issues of broad community concern, such as finding community grants or organizing a community recycling program. While emphasizing high "value added" issues, there is also commitment to high quality service: we strive to respond to all Direct Resource Referral Service inquiries with solid information and referrals in 48 hours or less.