ONE Kitsap
PROPOSED FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
About this document: This “summary draft” is National Community Development Services’ attempt to capture key strategic, programmatic, and organizational direction provided by stakeholders during our confidential interview process in 2022 and from the “input” sessions we facilitated during January 2023. Importantly, this initial One Kitsap summary reflects what those stakeholders want from Kitsap County’s lead economic development organization as a regional economic strategy for the community and what they will support with additional financial resources.
What is One Kitsap?
- A five-year strategic economic development initiative
- Public/Private Partnership
- Intentional
- Aligned with Kitsap’s economic development needs and opportunities
- Key characteristics:
- Results-oriented
- Long-term thinking with near-term and ongoing execution
- Accountable to public and private stakeholders
- Goals rooted in economic vitality, prosperity and sustainability: Jobs, Incomes and GDP
- Collaborative with relevant agencies, organizations, institutions, and comprehensive plans
Why do we need it and why now?
- Economic growth that does not jeopardize Kitsap’s beauty, quality of place, and quality of life will require intentionality, leadership, and capacity.
- KEDA has been evolving and transitioning since the pandemic with new leadership, staff, programs and increased capabilities. As a result, now is the time to invest in KEDA as an entity that will be the “go to, one voice, one place” where stakeholders come together to plan, direct, and execute Kitsap’s economic future.
- Platform for Kitsap to be more “self-determining” vs. defined by Greater Seattle, the State of Washington, and the Federal Government
- Intense competition for jobs, investment, companies and talent in the Puget Sound region, Pacific Northwest, and U.S.
Who?
- Led by a re-focused, re-energized KEDA
- Targeted economic development orientation based on studies, analyses and plans
- More private sector influence and direction
- Focus and resources directed by strategic plan
- Investor-led and directed
- Partners & collaborators
- Private employers
- County, municipalities, neighboring counties
- Tribal Nations
- Education (Olympic College campuses, university partners, K-12 system/districts, trade schools)
- Port of Bremerton and Other Industrial Parks
- Real estate: Developers, builders, associations
- Chambers of Commerce
- Community nonprofits
Additional Notes about One Kitsap:
- Funded and delivered as a five-year initiative, but also intended to establish capacity for KEDA to deliver solutions, impact, and value for many years in the future. The first few years will focus on building new organizational capacity.
- Stakeholders, investors, and community leaders will be deployed through ad hoc and committee tasks as needed to supplement KEDA staff capacity and advance the collective agenda effectively.
- KEDA staff will be encouraged to pursue appropriate professional development opportunities.
- Implementation of One Kitsap requires investments in research capabilities and data acquisition & analysis. Research will include identification of best practices in other communities that can be emulated in Kitsap.
Five-Year Goals & Outcomes:
- Increase overall industrial and commercial inventory (+350,000 square feet in buildings)
- Decrease vacancy rate at major employers by 25% from 2022 highs
- Increase in Kitsap County GDP by 3%
Want to get involved?
Contact KEDA Executive Director Joe Morrison 360.377.9599
2023-2027 Strategic Priorities
New Business Development
|
Performance |
---|---|
1. Assess Kitsap’s potential for new business (industrial, commercial)
|
Due 2nd Q 2024 |
2. Develop land use plans and sites/buildings strategy
|
Due 4th Q 2024 |
3. Focused marketing/business attraction efforts
|
Due 2nd Q 2025 |
4. Seek opportunities that may arise out of the WAV-C program | Ongoing |
Business Retention & Expansion
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. PTAC (Procurement and Technical Assistance Center)
|
Ongoing |
2. Business visitation program
|
Due 4th Q 2023 |
3. SWAT Team
|
Ongoing |
4. Continue to maintain and disseminate data and information about Kitsap’s economy (existing info from State of WA + any additional data to assist Kitsap companies) | Ongoing |
Workforce & Talent
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Develop a program for local employers to access the Navy’s transitioning personnel & spouses |
Begin 2023, |
2. Create/maintain inventory of targeted top 10 unfilled jobs: occupations, skills, pay |
|
3. Connect ALL education & training providers to key employers to address gaps:
|
|
4. Continue to maintain and disseminate data and information about Kitsap’s economy (existing info from State of WA + any additional data to assist Kitsap companies) |
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Define and measure Kitsap’s current entrepreneurial ecosystem |
Ongoing |
2. Document assets and impediments for new business creation |
|
3. Continue opportunities for Kitsap’s entrepreneurs to grow, network and collaborate |
|
4. Identify and encourage maritime and IT professionals who commute or work from home for non-Kitsap companies to consider start-ups / spin-off |
Advocacy
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Committee to identify governmental impediments to economic development: permitting, zoning, regulatory, etc. |
Beginning 2024, meet 2x |
2. KEDA will advocate – where appropriate and with significant investor support – for a more business-friendly environment | Ongoing |
3. Elevate Kitsap’s profile and influence in the Puget Sound region and Olympia | |
4. Champion and facilitate housing and transportation solutions that advance the workforce agenda |
WAV-C
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Identify financial path forward for WAV-C.
|
Completed Q3 2024 |
2. Onboard 100+ members | Ongoing |
3. Have two demonstration projects underway |
Research & Analysis
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Continue to publish Kitsap Top Employers, Economic Indicators, and Monitor Cost of Living matters in Partnership with Western Washington University | Ongoing |
2. Launch a comprehensive gap study on the needs of Kitsap and the adequacy of professional services on the peninsula | 2025 |
3. Grow capacity at managing and warehousing local economic data (exs: migration/growth study; centralized data on housing and permitting at jurisdictions) | 2026 |
Communications
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Maintain and build upon existing core event schedule (community business briefings, large scale events like economic forecast, fall forum) | Ongoing 2025 |
2. Market Kitsap as business-friendly, innovative, with a strong quality of life and convenience and connectivity to Greater Seattle |
Organizational Capacity
Key Tactics & Objectives |
Performance |
---|---|
1. Professional Staff & Staff Development | Ongoing 2025 |
2. Facilities, Technology & Administrative Costs | |
3. Investor Relations | |
4. Working Committees & Task Forces |