Preemptive Economic Development: A Model Economic Diversification Planning Process for Areas with High Concentrations of Military Employment

摘要

The economic diversification model describes a planning process which might be used by virtually any community interested in assessing its economic development assets and liabilities and then moving on to the business of diversifying its economy to reduce dependence on a single, large employer such as the military. The magnitude of the potential problem is described in terms of the number of employees of military or large industrial establishments and how they fit into the region's overall employment picture. Regional comparative advantages and opportunities, as well as disadvantages or barriers, are systematically identified and described using a Delphi-type process which draws together the observations and insights of both professional developers and local decision-makers. A method of objective analysis (the Location Quotient Approach) is utilized to identify potential target industries from the population of industries already present in the study region. The business of institutionalizing the proposed diversification strategy to assure its implementation is considered.