On July 22, Governor Hickenlooper’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade released its business development blueprint for the state. The document is the culmination of seven months of surveys, meetings, and information gathering.
Reaction to the blueprint is mixed. Coloradans feel the strengths of the plan are:
• It has received input from people in all parts of the state and all walks of life. As such it allows various regions to have customzied plans focused on their unique strengths.
• Various groups have openly provided support for the “bottom-up” approach.
• The plan focuses on what some think are some of the state’s natural strengths, such as tourism.
• The plan gives OEDIT staff an opportunity to take actions that they feel are appropriate because it has been mandated by the people.
As well, there is trepidation about parts of the plan. A sampling of some of the concerns are:
• There is not enough attention given to innovation.
• While there is talk about innovation, there is no clear-cut definition of what it is.
• There is a lack of attention given to strengthening the infrastructure.
• Lack of sufficient attention given to the development of primary jobs.
• Input from the masses lacks the vision gained from the expertise of strong leaders.
As with any plan there are a multitude of questions and opinions. An example of these questions follows:
• Who will be accountable for achieving the various goals within the plan – state or local government?
• Since the planning process involved significant local input, will the local organizations be responsible for funding its strategic initiatives or will that responsibility fall on state government?
• What is the proposed economic impact of the plan? How many jobs will it create? What types of jobs will be created?
The good news is that there is now a plan and the state will have a direction for moving forward.
For information about the blueprint go to the OEDIT website or call 303 892 3840.
©Copyright 2011 by CBER.