Introduction:
A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic road map to diversify and strengthen regional economies. The CEDS should analyze the regional economy and serve as a guide for establishing regional goals and objectives, developing and implementing a regional plan of action, and identifying investment priorities and funding sources. A CEDS integrates a region’s human and physical capital planning in the service of economic development. Integrated economic development planning provides the flexibility to adapt to global economic conditions and fully utilize the region’s unique advantages to maximize economic opportunity for its residents by attracting the private investment that creates jobs for the region’s residents. A CEDS must be the result of a continuing economic development planning process developed with broad-based and diverse public and private sector participation, and must set forth the goals and objectives necessary to solve the economic development problems of the region and clearly define the metrics of success. Finally, a CEDS provides a useful benchmark by which a regional economy can evaluate opportunities with other regions in the national economy.
In this CEDS, we shall describe the Western Arizona Economic Development District, its communities and their economic bases and development histories. We shall discuss and analyze a variety of factors which impact economic development potentials in the District, and identify advantages and obstacles. We shall identify paths to development which maximize the existing advantages and past development and set out ways to overcome the obstacles. Finally, we shall set goals and objectives, which will comprise a comprehensive strategy for achieving desirable development in our communities. These goals and objectives shall be benchmarked, to establish reasonable timelines for progress; and an implementation plan laid out for achieving these benchmarks, detailing specific projects and efforts for the WAEDD and its communities to carry out. WAEDD shall review the progress made on these identified projects and benchmarks each year, and update this plan, annually, to reflect this progress and to adjust the goals, objectives, benchmarks, and identified projects to encompass changing conditions and newly identified potentials.
Preparation of this document was done by WAEDD staff. The WAEDD CEDS Committee has reviewed and approved this document. The WAEDD Board of Directors formally adopted this document with its included goals, objectives, and implementation measures, in December 2007.
