Stakeholders Input Process
Critical to the success of Gwinnett County’s strategic planning
process is the inclusion of key constituencies in the development
of the core tenets and priorities of the Community and Economic
Development Plan. Reaching out to stakeholders will help identify
some of the key issues that need to be addressed in the plan. The
key pieces of the community input process are:
Community Leadership Meetings
Three meetings will be held for key local stakeholders.
- There will be an initial “kick-off” meeting where
a presentation on the process and initial project findings will
be made.
- A second meeting will highlight recommended target industry
sectors and include an initial discussion of the strategy itself.
- A third and final meeting will present the Community and Economic
Development Strategy and discuss certain needs for successful
implementation.
Each meeting will offer attendees the opportunity to provide input
on the work presented and Gwinnett County’s strategic planning
process.
Economic Development Partner Interviews
Market Street’s team will interview 8 to 10 representatives
of key economic development partners. The interviews will be approximately
one hour in length and will cover a series of questions relating
to the community’s jobs; health and environment; business
and industry; education and training; and transportation and other
infrastructure.
Community Leader Interviews
In addition to the Economic Development Partner Interviews, Market
Street’s team will interview approximately 8 to 10 community
leaders, selected by the Steering Committee. The interview format
will be similar to that for the Partner Interviews.
Focus Groups
Market Street will conduct 8 to 10 focus groups (15-20 participants
each) with various business sectors, constituencies, and populations
that, combined, represent the region as a whole. The focus group
categories and participants will also be selected with the direction
of the Steering Committee. The focus groups will last about two
hours each and will follow the same basic format of the individual
interviews, meaning the same questions and topics will be covered.
Online Survey
An online survey (see Home Page for link to survey) will allow
an unlimited number of Chamber members and individuals to participate
and is an effective way to get widespread community input. The
survey will help determine perceptions of Gwinnett County’s
strengths and weaknesses, community development issues, business
climate, quality of life, and capacity for quality growth.
|
