Qualitative Assessment – Fall 2025 Session 3

Third in a series of six sessions on cluster identification and prioritization. Content produced by Excel Regional Solutions for the Center for Cluster Development. This session discusses the primary qualitative approaches to identifying clusters, including community and industry engagement and historical assessment.

Agenda

  • Hard-to-measure sectors
  • Community, stakeholder, & industry engagement
  • Regional history
  • Funder expectations

Recording & Slides

The video has a password to protect the privacy of participant discussion. Contact info [at] excelregions.com if you believe you should have access to the video.

Slides for the session can be downloaded here [pdf].

Feedback

Please provide your feedback on this session at: https://forms.gle/nj8Z8sx86EUmzU8q7

We will use this information to improve future offerings of the course and to adjust later sessions to netter meet this cohort’s needs.

For Next Session

  • ID 1-3 clusters that your region could prioritize
    • Ideally, put your identification skills to work to pick real ones
  • List up to 3 needs for each cluster (e.g., tech adoption, additional workers, supply chain costs)
    • Try to make these as detailed as possible, including scope of challenge

Background

  • Gonzalez Martinez, J.L. & Johnson, S. (2022). Communication Resource Guide for Inclusive Economic Development. New Growth Innovation Network.
  • Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness. (2024). CREC Policy Academy: A Learning Cohort Designed to Improve Regional Competitiveness by Enhancing State and Local Alignment Strategies. CREC.
  • Venn Collaborative & University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. (2024). “Conversation Guides.” C-CUBE.

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