Cook County Bureau of Economic Development —Mission and Vision
For Cook County to thrive, all of its communities need to be economically strong. Yet suburban poverty has grown in recent years, both locally and nationally. With approximately half of the county’s population, suburban Cook County plays a critical role in Chicago’s regional economy.
The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development serves Cook County by promoting equitable economic growth and community development in the county’s suburban communities, and by leveraging public, private, and philanthropic resources to support the growth of the entire Chicago metro region.
In 2018, the County developed a Policy Roadmap that served to frame its priorities through a racial equity lens and established a commitment to pursuing inclusive economic and community growth. Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and new Bureau Chief of Economic Development Xochitl Flores have sought to advance the objectives of the Policy Roadmap, by reassessing the Bureau’s mission and strategies and by identifying priority projects. Given our organization’s expertise in strategic thinking, working with government institutions, and engaging multiple stakeholders, the Bureau turned to Civic Consulting Alliance to provide the external perspective and capacity needed to shape their critical initiatives.
Between October 2019 and January 2020, Civic Consulting Alliance facilitated a series of interactive workshops with the senior leadership team at the Bureau and supported two Bureau-wide meetings to shape their approach to the project. Specifically, we helped develop the Bureau’s strategic plan through:
Interviews with staff and recognized leaders in the field;
An extensive review of best practices and the Bureau’s current work; and
Analysis of the Bureau’s distribution of federal grants and tax incentives.
Our team then worked with the County to identify key initiatives and resources needed to achieve this strategy, and helped create a plan to guide implementation.
As a result of this effort, the Bureau was equipped with:
A strategic framework to guide and communicate about its work;
A meeting structure to support collaboration with key partner agencies; and
Metrics to track progress towards policy goals.
Ultimately, this project enabled the Bureau to sharpen its strategic priorities in order to promote equitable economic growth and community development for suburban Cook County. Moreover, it helped provide a strong foundation for the Bureau’s approach to the COVID-19 crisis. When the pandemic began, the Bureau was well poised to launch a robust suite of programs to respond to the growing needs of residents and businesses.
“Civic Consulting Alliance provided the structure and the extra capacity my team needed to gather diverse input, to think through decisions, and to develop an actionable strategic plan.”
OUTPUTS
Tools—including a strategic framework, a structure for collaboration with partner agencies, and metrics to track progress—to guide the Bureau of Economic Development’s work
OUTCOMES
Bureau of Economic Development better equipped to improve the economic vitality of suburban Cook County and, in turn, of the region overall
Bureau’s funding allocation decisions are now based on a data-driven understanding of impact
Greater integration of an equity lens in the Bureau’s programs and operations
