Economic Development Strategy, Planning, and Evaluation
Mt. Auburn provides a full range of consulting services in the field of economic development analysis and strategy. Working with a variety of public and private organizations, the firm creates effective economic development policies and programs that promote economic growth and stability, job generation, and the improved functioning of capital markets.
about us
strategic planning
The core of Mt. Auburn’s work for the past 20 years has been in the development of regional strategic plans. Mt. Auburn’s strategic plans are unique from competitors in that they combine the interdependent links required for wealth creation, what we call the 3 Ps of regional economic development – payroll (business development), place (community development) and people (workforce development). Mt. Auburn’s strategic plans are the result of a collaborative process involving diverse stakeholders from the community. The plans are concrete and highly actionable.
Our approach is as follows:
-
We identify the clusters and employers in an economy that generate wealth, examine how those clusters and employers have performed over time and in comparison to wealth generators in other regions, and look at the competitive strengths and weaknesses of those clusters.
-
We evaluate the public and private sector resources that are available to a regional economy, and how these resources are organized for growing a regional economy. We examine: workforce and training resources; the quality of public education; the financial, marketing, and technology assistance available to businesses; the strength of a region’s physical infrastructure; the quality of a region’s economic and workforce development organizations; and the role of labor and community organizations.
-
Based on our analysis of the economic base and the resources available to support the economy, we develop a comprehensive strategy with recommendations that are highly customized to the region’s unique circumstances.
Integral to Mt. Auburn’s approach to strategic planning is cluster analysis and strategy. To read more about our approach to cluster analysis, click here.
representative projects
Beyond the Crossroads: Positioning Nashua to Compete in the Global Economy.
Northern Tier Strategic Initiatives.
Addressing Needs and Opportunities in the Lower Naugutuck Valley: A Funding Strategy.
Technical Assistance to the Annie E. Casey Jobs Initiative.
Welfare to Work Initiatives, State of Missouri. Mt. Auburn prepared welfare-to-work strategies for four communities in the state of Missouri for a collaborative of six state agencies and a number of private foundations. Each plan involved extensive recipient, labor force, training, economic, and institutional analysis. Specific recommendations were developed for each of the four communities.
Design and Evaluation of Hartford Construction Jobs Initiative.
Technical Assistance to the New York Community Trust's Neighborhood Strategies Project.
Economic Development Strategy for Boston's Allston Brighton Neighborhood.
in the news
Where has Nashua's Middle Class Gone
April 8, 2007
Study Marks City's Economic Strengths
February 22, 2005
Region's Economic Plan Nears Completion
January 11, 2005
Congressman Olver Highlights Progress on Economic Plan for Northern Tier
May 11th, 2004
