A generation later, many versions of the well-tested BR&E process thrive across the nation. Many of them have migrated into local, county, and state economic development offices and become less reliant on local volunteers and more on paid staff (e.g., San Antonio, Texas).
“Here in Minnesota, the future involves Extension partnering with other entities to learn together about BR&E techniques,” says Darger.
“For example, a partnership is emerging with the Grow Minnesota! program, which works with local chambers statewide to conduct about 1,000 business visits annually. Grow Minnesota’s strength is individual follow-up assistance to businesses. Extension’s strength is giving the community a comprehensive look at issues facing businesses writ large. With complementary yet different approaches, both entities seek to inform and improve economic development practice and policy.”
Cooperative Extension and BREI “have trained a lot of local economic development professionals over the past 20 years,” says Greg Davis, assistant director of Ohio State Extension’s community development program.
“In one sense, what we think of as the traditional BR&E represents an entry-level program when it comes to economic research these days. The level of sophistication at the local level has evolved to the point where many communities now feel comfortable doing it on their own.
“Our goal now is to find communities that don’t have the resources to do their own BR&E work.” And increasingly, “We’re engaging at a higher level with communities, doing more narrowly focused, need-based projects--for example help understanding and manipulating complex data, or using geospatial tools and mapping.”
Davis says he has plans in the works to host a conference that brings together folks who’ve worked on BR&E programs both within and outside of Ohio since 1986, to discuss how their models have evolved. “We’ll look briefly to the past, discuss what’s happening now, and look to the future,” he says.