Making it Count: Metrics for High Performing EDOs

Economic development organizations (EDOs) understand how important it is to measure performance. Yet only two-thirds do so regularly. And even when they do, the vast majority focus on four variables - job creation, capital investment, changes in tax base, and personal income - that are more reflective of the origins of the economic development profession than the myriad activities that EDOs engage in now. While these metrics will continue to be used in the near future, EDOs need to adopt new metrics that are better aligned with their current work. This research project offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use "menu" of economic development metrics that EDOs can choose from based on their mission, functions and resources along with a guidebook on EDO performance measurement.

IEDC Member download:
» Complete report 
» Part I: Guidebook 
» Part II: Menu 
» Part III: Case Studies 
» Part IV: Metrics Research and Analysis

Non Member:

» Purchase in the bookstore

The Economic Development Research Partners Program is an exclusive membership level of IEDC, which supports practice-oriented research.