CERC Report Garners National Award
06/09/2006
Contact:
Kristi Sullivan, 860-571-6213
CERC's 2005 Benchmarking Connecticut's Economy report received an Outstanding Achievement award from the national organization ACCRA - The Council for Economic & Community Research.
On June 9, 2006, economic development professionals from across the U.S. assembled at the annual conference of ACCRA in Charlotte, NC to recognize excellence in economic development research work done by their peers.
The Council awards program recognizes the contribution of research activities to the success of local, regional, or state/provincial economic development initiatives. The purpose of the award is to increase the quality of economic development research by identifying meritorious projects and promoting the diffusion of creative ideas for research activities.
Projects could be submitted for evaluation in the following categories of research activity:
- Projects that support business development activities
- Data collection/dissemination efforts, including web-based systems
- Policy Analysis
- Project impact/program evaluation or assessment
- Projects that support collaborative community/regional initiatives
The projects were judged on their contributions to the economic development research field, innovativeness in approach, implementation or collaborative efforts, responsiveness to customer needs, and benefits resulting from project implementation. The five highest scored projects were chosen out of 21 submissions.
Research projects recognized for "Outstanding Achievement" include:
Baton Rouge Area Chamber: Post Katrina Regional Economic Analysis
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Baton Rouge area faced many challenges. Almost overnight, the area's population increased beyond its 5-10 year projections, and any previous assumptions about the regional economy suddenly changed. The Baton Rouge Area Chamber was under pressure to document the impact of these changes and plan for the future in less than six months. The Chamber's Post-Katrina Regional Economic Analysis is very deserving of the Council's Applied Excellence in Research Award in recognition of Excellence in Projects that Support Collaborative Community or Regional Initiatives.
Connecticut Economic Resource Center: Benchmarking Connecticut's Economy
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center has worked to define and measure the technology economy not only for Connecticut, but in comparison to all 50 states. Their report, Benchmarking Connecticut's Economy, is a comprehensive data collection and analysis projects at the state level. The report measures Connecticut's capacity and trends related to competitiveness and innovation relative to all states. The Council awarded Benchmarking Connecticut's Economy the Applied Excellence in Research Award for Excellence in Projects that Support Data Collection/Dissemination.
Economic Development Research Group and Appalachian Regional Commission: Local Economic Assessment Package
This project represents a federal-private partnership effort to build research and analysis capacity in small communities. The Appalachian Regional Commission partnered with the Economic Development Research Group, a private Massachusetts-based consulting group, to produce the Local Economic Assessment Package (LEAP) - a web-based system for business that allows communities to perform some of the analysis needed to evaluate their local economies, identify business development targets and implement business development strategies. The Council recognized the LEAP project for its Excellence in Support for Projects that Support Business Development Activities.
Oklahoma Department of Commerce: Industry Cluster Report on Health Care
Workforce is maybe the most important asset we have to sell to prospective employers. The Oklahoma Industry Cluster Report on Health Care is a workforce supply and demand study that provides an in-depth examination of a state's health care workforce. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce spearheaded this effort and collaborated with many state agencies and organizations for the data collection and dissemination. The Industry Cluster Report on Health Care received the Council's Applied Excellence in Research Award in recognition of Excellence in Data Collection/Dissemination Efforts.
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and Allegheny Conference: The Impact of Foreign Business on Regional Companies
The Pittsburgh Region: A Global Investment Hub study was recognized because it offers an innovative approach to quantifying overseas business activity for Southwestern Pennsylvania. International trade is hard to measure on a regional level, but global trade can be very important to local businesses. The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance has analyzed the role of global business with Pittsburgh companies and foreign business presence in the region with this study. The Pittsburgh Region: A Global Investment Hub received the Council's Applied Excellence in Research Award in recognition of Excellence in Support for Projects that Support Business Development Activities.
ACCRA - The Council for Community and Economic Research - is a membership organization of approximately 500 economic development researchers, represents professionals working for chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, local government, utilities, academic institutions, and regional planning councils.