Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What Should Eda Fund? Developing A Model For Pre-Assessment Of Economic Development Investments, Brad R. Watts, George A. Erickcek, Jacob Duritsky, Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, Jim Robey

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper describes the completion of a "comprehensive study of regionalism" that was conducted by a joint team of economists and economic development specialists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The project consisted of two main activities: an examination of the factors associated with economic development success and the creation of a practical interactive tool for EDA project assessment and comparison. Findings from surveys, interviews, and project case studies are discussed in terms of their support for a positive relationship between successful economic development efforts and factors such as leadership and private investment. Also, the authors discuss the creation of …