Institute Helps Look for Ways to Improve Georgia's Competitiveness
When Gov. Deal launched the Georgia Competitiveness Initiative, an effort to discover ways of making the state a more attractive place for economic development, his office asked the Vinson Institute to contribute with survey research and meetings facilitation.
The Institute is working closely with the state's Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to get input from business owners and leaders, state and local government officials, development authorities, local chambers of commerce, and the public about how the state can better attract investment and enable job creation. An online survey designed by the Institute has compiled responses from individuals about challenges and recommendations for business growth in Georgia.
Institute faculty are also facilitating public meetings in each of the regions defined by the state's 12 regional commissions. By using instant-response technologies, the facilitators are able to record the groups' feedback. One goal is to determine how the meeting attendees prioritize the six focal points identified by the Initiative—business climate, education and workforce development, innovation, infrastructure, international opportunity and growth, and government efficiency and effectiveness.
The Competitiveness Initiative will use information gathered through the survey and at the meetings for a final report giving recommendations for improving the economic development climate in Georgia.
