Yes, there were definitions thrown around from the OECD, World Bank, UNDP, NZ Treasury, World Economic Forum, International Economic Development Council, Royal Society of the Arts and the Inclusive Growth Commission in the UK.
Paraphrasing the IEDC "Inclusive growth is a concept that advances equitable opportunities… with benefits incurred by every section of society. This concept goes beyond traditional economic growth models to include health, human capital, environmental quality, social protection, and food security."
Grand words, yes, but there is definitely a shift towards making our economy work for us.
How we get there and how we work are vital though. Bit by bit, project by project, community by community, region by region. A strong theme around regionalism, localism and subsidiary emerged and, aligned to this, focusing not just on sections of society but on places.
Keynote speaker Ben Lucas from Metro Dynamics UK summed it up this way.
"There needs to be more emphasis on the quality and distribution of growth, investment in people not just physical infrastructure and a 'devolution of economic and social functions to places'."
This is challenging for NZ with one of the most centralised systems of government in the OECD but cannot be ignored.
Economic development underpins progress. The dignity of work, incomes, fairness and equity go hand in hand. Rises in personal and national incomes correlate with human flourishing, but the reverse is also true. As my grandmother used to say "money isn't everything, unless you haven't got any".
Economic development professionals, working as they do at the local level have a deep understanding of what it takes to bring people and organisations together to build prosperous communities.
It is a hard gig chipping away at pressing local issues with as many views on success as people in the community. But that's the job. Doing this work requires a special set of skills.
As one prize-winner at the EDNZ awards night said, "we need to facilitate, initiate and liberate economic development projects. Doing this may require catalysing the idea, coalescing resources, convening working groups and collaborating with others. As Traci Houpapa, chair of FOMA said we need to be "pragmatists not Pollyannas" in these endeavours. But, when it comes together, its gold.
Every now and then we need to celebrate the gold. The people who work in ED are simply working for and on behalf of their families, communities, regions and country. Many great examples of best practice received awards at the conference including two for Northland; Extension 350 and Hawaiki.
Many more go unheralded every day. But, as my dad used to say "every now and then we need to get off the work train and smell the roses". Well done team.
Key announcements at the conference were:
* Minister Tabuteau announced $950,000 from the PGF to EDNZ supporting professional development for economic development professionals
* Traci Houpapa announced an MOU with Northland Inc as a first step towards a stronger relationship with EDNZ
* IEDC confirms its commitment to supporting international best practice and further research on Inclusive growth
* EDNZ re-focuses on its commitment to the profession through membership and constitutional changes.
■ Dr David Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer of Northland's Economic Development Agency, Northland Inc, and Chair of Economic Development NZ.
