1. Performance Measurement for
Economic Development:
Ontario East Municipal Conference
Kingston, September 12-14 2012
Lillian Waldie-Lawson, Rural Programs Branch, OMAFRA
David Paul, City of Brockville Economic Development
Magdy ElDakiky, Regional Economic Development Branch, OMAFRA

2. Content:
• Let’s know about you first
• Performance Measurement
– What is it all about?
– Why should we care?
– Why focus on outcome?
– Commitment and leadership
• Performance Measurement in Economic Development
– Why is it different?
– Landscape in Ontario
– Performance Measurement Resources Project Highlight
• Economic Development of the City of Brockville
– Key Performance Measures
– Current status
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3. What best describes you?
A. I am an economic development coordinator/officer/manager or director
B. I am a municipal CAO or senior municipal staff
C. I am an elected official/council member
D. I work for a private firm/consultant in economic development
E. Other than the above
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4. How would you rate your knowledge of
performance measurement in economic
development?
A. I am very knowledgeable – I have led or directly participated in measuring the
performance of economic development programs
B. I have some knowledge – I have supported in measuring the performance of
economic development programs
C. I have little knowledge – I did some readings
D. I have no knowledge - What is performance measurement?
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5. Who provides leadership for performance
measurement in your organization?
A. Economic development officer/manager/director
B. Chief Administrative Officer
C. Staff
D. Councillor
E. No one
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6. Does your economic development strategy
have performance measures?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Do not know
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7. Do you feel that initiating performance
measurement would help you in your
overall economic development role, or
your role as elected official?
A. Extremely helpful
B. Somewhat helpful
C. Not very helpful
D. Not helpful at all
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8. Performance Measurement:
What’s it all about?
“The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to
reach.”
Benjamin Mays
“However beautiful the strategy,
you should occasionally look at the
result”.
Sir Winston Churchill
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9. The New Currency
• The ability to report on the “Outcomes” or the impact of our work is
being demanded across all organizations (what are we accomplishing
for the $ we spend and impacts its having…?)
• All levels of governments are increasingly being asked to report on
outcomes (what they achieve) rather than outputs (what they do).
• Outcomes are often what the general public are really interested in.
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10. Drummond Report
From the Drummond Report • “best public service would set
• “the system should be more clear objectives, use proper
flexible and work to reduce metrics to measure progress and
administrative costs by provide clear accountability”
measuring outcomes rather than
inputs” • “As data on outcomes are often
poor and inconsistent, it is unclear
• “strategy based on clear targets whether the programs are
and performance measures achieving any economic benefits
linked to outcomes” for Ontario”
• EDAC report identified the need
for performance measurement
resources to support economic
development.
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11. Why should we care about this thing
called Performance Measurement?
Its About……..
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12. Its about …..
• Mechanism for Accountability – Responds to “new
currency” of outcomes and results being demanded by Sometimes when
decision-makers. money is on the
• Provide evidence to decision makers and the public on the line…
impact (Outcomes) resources $, efforts (the work we do),
and the impact its having (results achieved) –
• Linking activities to outcomes
– What we invest ($ resources, people facilities etc)
– What we will do (activities) and what is done (outputs)
– Why we do it (vision) and what results will be achieved
(outcomes)
Provides the “Big Picture”
view of our EcDev strategy and
help us to understand the key
drivers that contribute to our
economic development outcomes
and using that information to
monitor manage our efforts and
adjust if necessary for overall
continuous improvement.
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13. Its About…..
Being Relevant ~
• Clearly demonstrates (tangible
evidence) of EcDev value:
– Measured not in terms of
what’s being done…but rather
what’s being achieved
• Fuels alignment and collaboration
across jurisdictions and regions
• Tangible evidence based on real
data, not anecdotes and
subjective judgments
• Providing tangible evidence of
our value or relevance to our
clients or risk being seen as
irrelevant!
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14. Now What?
• Performance measurement
isn't new to economic
development.
• So what do we need to do to
make this work? Here are some
of my observations…..
It’s about people and commit
to performance
measurement.
Leadership – at all levels.
Right information
Collaboration across
jurisdictions and regions and
sharing best practices
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15. 15

16. We have a Plan… Now What?
• We have an EcDev strategic plan –
now let’s focus on our strategies:
– What are the outcomes we are
trying to affect? How do we
measure if we achieved them
partially or completely?
– How to measure and report on
“how much we achieved” rather
than “how hard and efficient we
worked”?
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17. Landscape?
• Increasing pressure for communities to quickly respond/adapt to
economic pressures in a rapidly changing global economy
• Competition amongst actors for economic development ‘wins’ – while
communities often compete with each other, there is increasing
attention being given to regional and collaborative approaches. New
term Co-opetition is gradually evolving.
• Need for better alignment of and reporting on outcomes at
local/regional/provincial level.
• Increasing emphasis on accountability and results
• Very little resources to support economic development professionals
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18. Project Opportunities and Objectives :
Opportunities for a new EcDev Resources:
• OMAFRA economic development resources are well recognized and
successfully utilized. New resources on PM can be beneficial
• Rural policy report and discussions with EcDev professionals identified PM as
an area where our clients will benefit from
• EDAC Report highlighted the importance and provided some directions
• Few initiatives started outcome-based economic development strategies
Three main objectives for the proposed resources:
– Support effective and outcome-based Economic Development
– Consolidate common terms and definitions
– Create a common platform that will help align regional and local economic
development strategies
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19. PMS Phase I:
• Building the foundation bottom-up
– Local, national and international literature review
– Jurisdictional scan in Ontario
• Local (5 most recent EcDev Strategic Plans)
• Regional (3 most recent EcDev Strategic Plans)
– Web survey for economic development officers (35)
– One on one and phone interviews
– Focus groups with economic development officers (28)
– Draft resources (report and training material)
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20. Focus Groups:
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21. Are we measuring ? the right things?
Did your EcDev plan have measurement approaches?
Yes 50% No 50%
What was to be measured?
– Most were 'soft' statements (enhancements, increases, developments, etc
– Number of trade shows to be attended; number of industries we will
attempt to attract)
– How many businesses we will visit for corporate calling
– Percentage increase in small business consultations; percentage decrease
in vacancy rates in downtown etc
– Job Creation, increased assessment, population growth
– Increased jobs, population in downtown
– Contacts, participation, target dates
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22. How important we think it is?
How important we think it is? Do you feel that initiating and regularly
reviewing the results of a performance measurement process
would help you in:
A. your overall economic development role?
Extremely helpful 62%
Somewhat helpful 25%
Not very helpful 0%
Not helpful at all 13%
B. securing support from elected officials
Extremely helpful 50%
Somewhat helpful 25%
Not very helpful 13%
Not helpful at all 12%
C. more involvement from business community
Extremely helpful 50%
Somewhat helpful 25%
Not very helpful 13%
Not helpful at all 12% 22

23. Who measures?
Who is best able to measure?
Economic development staff 71%
Community/ volunteer groups 14%
Others 14%
• Other: Led by Council and CAO.
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24. Recommendations from EDOs:
“When dealing with data, approximately right is better than precisely wrong.” Carl G. Thor
– Keep it fairly simple, yet accurate, to
maintain
– Technology might be useful. How this could
potentially be integrated into databases or
systems for tracking
– Need to agree on the measures we are using,
develop a tracking system and develop a
reporting system
– A common approach would be welcome
– Suggestions on sources of information
– Don't do it. It is a slippery slope
– Keeping any metrics as few as possible
– Most ED departments do not have the
time/resources to measure (Funding needed)
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25. Phase II:
• Provincial Resources by the fourth quarter © 2012
• Pilot training with Economic Development Officers (Q3-Q4 2012)
• Communication and marketing strategy for the new Resources
– Clients’ best practices and testimonials
– Presentations in EcDev events
• Coordination and coordination for delivery and follow-up
• Group training delivery across the province early in 2013
• Resources are made available in different formats
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26. Resources:
• Guidebook for economic development practitioners
• One day training for economic development
practitioners
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27. Resources Focus:
• Develop Logic Model
– Linking activities to outputs and outcomes
• Identify Performance Measures
– Avoid the boil the ocean approach
• Develop Performance Framework
– Methodology, data source, custodians, frequency, etc.
– Local/Regional collaboration
– Attribution
• Build Capacity
– Building the culture
– Accountability
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28. Key Performance Measures
Economic Development - City of Brockville

29. KPI – Key Performance Measures
1. Customize your Plan to your Council, Committee or
Corporation
2. Be honest – Share the Glory – No Islands
3. Not just a Numbers Game – Quality and People factors
4. The Gestation Factor – Report Overtime

30. KPI – Key Performance Measures
5. Select SMART Metrics
Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-based
6. Don’t Measure Everything
7. Attention to your data source
8. Testimonials are Most Powerful – People Element

31. ~ Thank You ~
David Paul, Director of Economic Development
City of Brockville
PO Box 5000 1 King Street West
Brockville, ON CANADA
K6V 7A5
Tel: 613-342-8772 x 430

32. Would you be interested in attending or sending
someone from your organization to one day training
on performance measurement in economic
development?
A. Absolutely would be interested
B. Yes! If the training location is convenient
C. May be. It is not on the top of my list or priorities right now
D. No. I am not interested
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33. Would you be interested in participating in one day
training pilot on performance measurement in
economic development this November in Guelph?
A. Absolutely please sign me up. (contact Magdy after the session)
B. May be. It is not on the top of my list or priorities right now
C. No. I may consider the training after the pilot
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