A Toolkit for Economic Development Planning in Native Communities
This toolkit provides practical guidance and tools for tribal leaders, partners, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders responsible for designing local economic development plans in their tribal community.
Use the full toolkit to get familiar with the planning process and print out the companion worksheets as you navigate each phase.
Introduction
A brief overview of economic development planning in tribal and Native communities highlighting the important role formal planning documents play in catalyzing development efforts
Chapter 1: Launching a Plan Development Process
Guidance on reviewing your community’s economic, legal, and decision-making frameworks and the creation and structure of an economic planning committee
Chapter 2: Beginning to Plan
Establishing a values-based economic development framework, analyzing local and regional economic and demographic conditions, and designing a community survey
Chapter 3: Community Engagement and Consensus Building
Approaches for gathering community input, engaging key stakeholders, and using what you collect to develop a shared vision and broad economic development goals
Chapter 4: Strategic Planning and Prioritization
Identifying potential strategies to achieve your goals, prioritizing them, and aligning strategies with existing plans and policies
Chapter 5: Developing an Action Plan
Designing and prioritizing tangible projects, assessing resources and capacity, and exploring strategic partnerships and regional opportunities
Chapter 6: Finalizing the Community Economic Development Plan
Presenting the draft plan for feedback, establishing processes for ongoing review and updates, and adopting the plan to embark on plan implementation