EDAC Member Report - May 2014

Membership Services Update May 2014

Overview• EDAC has undertaken a number of initiatives in recent

months to better serve our growing membership. This presentation deck will highlight some of these new programs and accomplishments. Specifically, we are proud to share news about three projects:

1. the outcomes of our Ec.D. campaign

2. our new edac.ca website progress

3. a report about EDAC’s “Day on the Hill”

• We will continue to pursue new initiatives in response to your feedback, and will report back regularly on our progress.

1. The Ec.D. Campaign

The Ec.D. Campaign

• In the Fall of 2013, EDAC re-vamped its Ec.D. outreach efforts with a targeted campaign featuring testimonials from real members who recently obtained their Ec.D. - edac.ca/memberpromo

• In addition to concise information about the Ec.D. requirements, process and accreditation, the campaign featured a quiz that allowed EDAC members to see how many points they have already obtained towards their Ec.D. - edac.ca/memberpromoquiz

The Ec.D. Campaign

Ec.D. outcomes / next steps• Traffic to Ec.D.-specific pages within the website rose by

nearly 40% as a result of the campaign.

• In the 2-week period preceding the campaign, the EDAC office received 10 inquiries regarding the Ec.D. In the 2-week period following the campaign, 50+ inquiries came into the EDAC office, in addition to 22 respondents online who indicated they wanted to be contacted directly to begin the Ec.D. process.

• EDAC is developing an updated and enhanced study guide to complement this surge of interest in accreditation, and exploring offering more professional development seminars and courses in Canadian cities and online.

2. The new edac.ca

The new edac.ca• After months of planning and development, our website is

live. Some highlights of the new site:

• Better organization, less clicks - we examined the most popular content and put it front and centre. Our clean design and streamlined navigation makes it easier to find the things you are looking for - like the latest career listings or upcoming seminars.

• New member features - In May, we will be releasing a new member dashboard and enhanced access to resources and member services. We're currently asking our members for input on this new aspect of the website.

• Easy to use on all your devices - from your smartphone to your desktop, you can access all the features of the new EDAC website anytime, anywhere.

The new website

edac.ca outcomes / next steps• The website saw an increase in traffic of 34% since its launch.

Referrals from social media increased by 26% compared to the same period last year. 40% of visitors to edac.ca are new visitors - i.e. potential members and partners.

• In May 2014, the new member dashboard will be revealed and all EDAC members will receive login credentials to access these new features.

• Features include an enhanced online registration and payment process, a feed of recent news, careers, RFPs/member assistance queries, and rebuilt member directory with customizable member profiles.

Member Dashboard Survey Outcomes (104 respondents)

!1. Are you a current EDAC member?

1%

99%

Yes No

2. The amount of communication I receive from EDAC about the topics below is:

0

30

60

90

120

Too little communicationJust the right amount of communicationToo much communication

Association & administrative updates (e.g. upcoming seminars, important renewal dates etc.)

Current topics in economic development (BR&E, funding, government, marketing and promotion etc.)

Member assistance and knowledge sharing requests (requests to share/exchanges of RFPs, best practices, plans etc.)

3. Social media for information vs. promotion

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

TwitterLinkedInFacebookFlickrGoogle+Instagramfoursquare

Which do you use to FIND INFORMATION to support your economic development work?

What do you use to PROMOTE your community /organization?

4. Following EDAC social accounts?

67%

33%

Twitter LinkedIn

5. As a member what components of a proposed 'member dashboard' would be important to you?

#1 Latest news: An updates/announcements section 87.3%

#2 Access to a member directory with contact information 79.4%

#3 View the most recent careers that have been posted at a glance 65.7%

#4 A professional development journal where you can record your courses and seminars for Ec.D. and recertification purposes. (tied) 64.7%

#4 The ability to renew my membership online (tied) 64.7%

#5 The most recent member assistance/knowledge-sharing requests at a glance 63.7%

3. EDAC Day on the Hill 2014Report to the Membership

EDAC Day on the Hill Report April 1-2, 2014 | edac.ca

Background• In 2012, EDAC’s Board of Directors identified advocacy as a

strategic priority for the Economic Developers Association of Canada. (http://edac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EDAC-Strategic-Vision-of-Success-2012-Final.pdf)

• EDAC saw an opportunity to strengthen our profession through organized advocacy efforts with the federal government.

• Following a baseline external federal perception audit, the first EDAC Day on the Hill took place in early April 2014.

• This report will highlight the outcomes and next steps resulting from our meetings during this event.


MissionEDAC’s mission is to enhance the professional competence of Economic Development officers and ensure placement of qualified people in the field of Economic Development; to advance Economic Development as a distinct, recognized, and self-governing profession; and to contribute to Canada's economic well-being.

Our inaugural Day on the Hill was rooted in - and touched on all aspects - of the above mission statement.


Why go to the Hill?• EDAC is a national network of professionals engaged in

activity of vital importance to the federal government.

• The work done by EDAC members is felt directly by constituents.

• EDAC members can be useful partners in informing economic development strategies at all levels of government.


The event• An Opening Reception was co-hosted by EDAC and MP

Rodney Weston (Saint John) to kick of the advocacy initiative.

• 13 EDAC delegates attended 32 meetings with Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior departmental officials and political staff in key offices during the event.

• A MOU signing event in partnership with the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO).


Meetings• Éric Dagenais, Director General, Small Business,

Industry Canada • MP David McGuinty (on behalf of Mr. Trudeau) • Philip Ekins, Policy Advisor for Minister of State

(Science and Tech, and Federal Econ Dev Initiative for Northern ON)

• Greg Rickford (MP Kenora ON) • Brock Carlton, Chief Executive Officer at the

Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) • Deborah Levy, Chief of Staff to Minister of State for

Small Business and Tourism • Maxime Bernier (MP Beauce) • James Maunder, Chief of Staff to the Minister of

Industry • MP Judy Sgro!• NDP MP Dennis Bevington (Western Arctic) Critic

for Canadian Northern Ec Dev Agency • John Connell, VP, Gov't Relations, BDC • Adam Chambers, Director of Policy for the Minister

of Finance • Rossano Bernardi, Chief of Staff to Minister of

Finance, Jim Flaherty

• James Nicholson, Director of Policy, Minister of Industry

• Karen Ellis, President of the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario

• David Hartman, Exec Dir, Greater China Division, DFAIT and Martin Charron, Dep Dir(Commercial), DFAIT

• Mark Hopkins, Dir of Ops, Econ and Regional Dev Policy

• Alfred MacLeod, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Planning and Communications Branch

• MP Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands) Lib Critic for Science and Tech

• Richard Botham, Assistant Deputy Minister, Econ Dev and Corporate Finance

• Ana Curic, Chief of Staff to Minister of Employment and Social Development, Jason Kenney and Gerrit Nieuwoudt, Director of Policy


The Meetings cont’d• Corinne Pohlmann, Senior VP of National Affairs,

and Monique Moreau, Director, National Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)

• Susie Miller, Director General, Sector Development and Analysis Directorate, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

• Sandra LaFortune, Director General, Policy and Planning

• Francesco Del Bianco, Director General, Strategic Services and Advocacy, Western Economic Diversification

• MP Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul's ON) - Liberal Party Critic for Aboriginal Affairs

• MP Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury ON) NDP Critic for Small Business and Tourism

• MP Linda Duncan (Edmonton Strathcona) NDP Critic for Western Economic Diversification

EDAC Delegation!!• Serge Côté, President • John Watson, First Vice-President • Greg Borduas, Second Vice-President • David Emerson, Treasurer • Kevin Rose, Secretary • Penny Gardiner, CEO • Trudy Parsons, EDCO representative, April 2 EDAC

on the Hill meetings • Gerry Gabinet, EDAC Board Member • Kasia Chojecki, EDAC Board Member • Joel Lemoine, EDAC Board Member • Jay Amer, EDAC Board Member • Michael Pealow, EDAC Board Member • Mike Thususka, EDAC Board Member !


Main points shared in meetings:• History of EDAC - 1000+ members, offering the nationally

recognized standard of proficiency for economic development - the Ec.D., EDAC also shares best practices, provides resources, and hosts an annual professional development and networking conference.

• The economic development profession - what we do, the training we receive, the challenges we face, the support we are seeking from government in our ec dev work.

• Discussion of how we might work together to achieve our mutual goals around economic development in Canada.


OutcomesMajor themes of meeting discussions:

• Interest in economic developers as a channel for getting information about programs and priorities to those at a community level

• Interest in attending and, in some cases, presenting/panel participation at upcoming EDAC national conferences

• Identified a desire for increased and more frequent communication between EDAC and the federal government


• EDAC will follow up with important connections made during the event to secure additional meetings, finalize conference participation and to initiate additional MOUs and shared programs resulting from our talks in Ottawa.

• EDAC will continue to provide a national voice for our members in an advocacy role, and will continue to encourage members to work closely with government to provide useful insights on priorities and emerging initiatives.

• EDAC will continue to seek significant opportunities for constructive engagement and collaboration with government and other partners.

Looking Ahead

Contact

We are pleased to share these updates with our members, and we welcome your feedback about the Ec.D., the new website, EDAC on the Hill or any general feedback. For more information, please contact:

Penny Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer Economic Developers Association of Canada

905.689.8771 [email protected]

edac.ca

EDAC Member Report - May 2014

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