Recently, RSG partnered with the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) to assist with the expansion of CALED’s Local Economic Advisory Program, often simply referred to as LEAP. LEAP is an innovative technical assistance program helping cities, counties, and other communities across California achieve their economic development objectives. The program features one- or two-day events during which four leading economic development experts visit a community to tackle a specific strategic, policy, or program challenge presented by community leaders. The event culminates with the experts’ presentation to elected officials, staff, and business leaders, outlining near-term recommendations and action steps.
What kind of economic development challenge could be meaningfully addressed by a team of experts in just one or two days? Below are what we’ve found to be the top 3 characteristics of challenges that make perfect candidates for LEAP:
1. A specific, clearly defined challenge…but no clear direction on where to start
2. Visionary City/County staff eager to utilize an out-of-the-box approach to address the challenge
3. Community leaders that are willing and available to participate in the process
Interested in participating in LEAP? Click here to learn more about the program!