Pandemic Recovery Plan
Regional COVID Pandemic Recovery & Economic Resiliency Plan
The WPPDC Pandemic Recovery and Resiliency Planning process began in December of 2020 and ran through late 2021. The goal of the first phase of the project was to understand existing conditions pertaining to the state of the WPPDC’s regional economy within the context of the pandemic. This baseline understanding guided the project team’s engagement with regional leadership and businesses, which informed the final Resiliency and Recovery Plan and its strategies.
Click here to view the West Piedmont Pandemic Recovery & Resiliency Plan.
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Public Input Opportunities
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Planning Process
Phase 1: Assessment & Regional Business Profile
During Phase I of the Pandemic Recovery and Resiliency Plan (PRRP) development process, the project team will work with regional leadership to set expectations and success metrics, review relevant plans and reports, and initiate a regional data scan to establish a baseline understanding of the regional economy and local impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A WPPDC PRRP specific website will be developed and launched during this phase to provide details and updates on the planning process and act as a vehicle to receive public feedback. A data fact pack will also be completed analyzing existing economic conditions and trends.
Phase 2: Analysis & Opportunity Discovery
Phase II of the PRRP planning process will build on data collected from Phase I and focus on engagement with local businesses and the WPPDC community. The project team will facilitate workshops, focus groups, interviews, surveys, and public meetings to understand the challenges regional businesses and residents are facing due to the Pandemic. These engagements will also aim to identify potential growth opportunities for regional businesses and new economic development initiatives. Development of a regional brand strategy will also begin in Phase II and a variety of branding concepts will be presented at the completion of this phase.
Phase 3: Recovery & Recovery And Resiliency
Regional recovery and resiliency strategies and branding elements will be finalized in Phase III. A set of strategies will be developed with a focus on regional business stabilization and growth opportunities. A regional business cluster strategy will be recommended based on the findings from previous phases. Broader regional resiliency strategies will also be identified that are linked to the WPPDC Region’s ability to compete and succeed within state and national economies. Resiliency will reinforce those community elements that support local residents and businesses and their ability to prosper and enhance their quality of life opportunities. The regional branding plan will also be completed during this phase.