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What exactly is an economic development specialist, and what is it that they do on a daily basis? Those in this position can have an effect on entire societies and communities, and are therefore, quite integral to future purposing of an area. To learn more, read on as we cover the basics of this important, future-shaping vocation.
General Job Outline
Let’s get straight to the basic outline of this position. The economic development specialist is also commonly known and referred to as a community development specialist. Usually employed by the government, this person essentially plans and helps to create future, positive growth and development in an otherwise needing community. The community may already exist and need help developing, or it may itself be in the planning stages with developmental plans also being applied. In short, this is all done by way of advanced knowledge in community sciences as well as plenty of data gathering and analysis.
Specific Duties and Concerns
For more detailed information about how this professional helps communities to develop and grow, here is a glimpse at some of the specific duties often required of those working the position.
– Research local and greater economic issues, detriments and growth-spurring agents.
– Create technical reports based on the above information.
– Create forecasts of economic issues, locally and otherwise.
– Propose recommendations, plans, and policies to oversee development.
– Propose such plans with a focus on tax, population, business, or other gains in the future community.
– Provide occasional expert services when any matters must be determined by a court.
– Oversee implementation of development plans in an active community or one under new construction.
– Supervise subordinates and assistants in all of these mentioned areas.
Concentrations
Depending on the individual project or even the employer, the community development specialist will also work with a certain concentration in mind. These concentrations can be singular in approach or even a combination. Generally, they are as follows.
Infrastructural Approach – In this approach, infrastructure is the main concern. Infrastructure means buildings, roads, utilities, and other physical, structural elements to a community.
Non-Infrastructural Approach – The opposite of an infrastructural concentration in a project is that of a non-infrastructural approach. Here, the specialist may find themselves more concerned with incomes, revenues, community aesthetics, traveler attraction policies, and more. These concepts focus on things outside of actual physical structures.
Combination Approach – In other projects, the specialist will combine infrastructural and non-infrastructural concerns into one, singular approach to community advancement. This is possibly the most common of approaches used in this position.
Sample Job Listing
To gain a little more perspective on this important position, it can really be helpful to look to a sample job listing for it. We can do so here by looking to a job description of the position per the Michigan Civil Service Commission. Here, characteristics of this position include:
– act as a third-level specialist or assistant to bureau chief
– identify and coordinate foreign markets to the local one
– develop program strategies
– develop goals and plan their implementation
– research all economic elements relative to development project
When communities need help with development, it’s the development specialist that takes the reigns. This is the case with pre-existing developments as well as those in the works. In the end, today’s economic development specialist is the important professional that essentially molds the future a given area.
