2016

Our regional competitiveness depends on broadening opportunities for a more diverse and inclusive workforce

This report describes the linkages between competitiveness and a more inclusive and diverse workforce. The report includes statistics on the employment disparities in the region, implications of reducing the disparities as well as a starting point for leaders to unlock the competitive advantage of our region's diverse talent base.

2015

Workforce Alignment: Closing the Gap

This report describes a solution to address talent mismatch by shaping individual decisions. The paper is a result of a diagnostic effort that studied the needs of 600+ workforce stakeholders, a set of solutions that were piloted across 25 institutions and evaluated by a third party in Minnesota. The learnings and recommendations are currently being scaled up across Minnesota.

2015

MSP Regional Indicators Dashboard

Working with a number of partners, Itasca create the MSP Regional Indicators Dashboard, a set of shared, objective metrics to track the Greater MSP region’s overall success on critical measures. This dashboard will give the region a clearer view of our current competitive position as well as trend information to illuminate what the future may hold. It will provide accountability for making progress on these critical metrics, and ultimately, lead to better coordination and collaboration across shared regional priorities. Having such a dashboard is a global best practice, and we take pride in participating in a data-driven conversation about our region's competitiveness.

2013

"Doing Well by Doing Good: A Guide for Leaders" McKinsey Quarterly

2013

Regional Transit System: Return on Investment Assessment

This report addresses 3 questions: 

1) A built-out regional transit system would require substantial investment.  What would be the return on that investment? 

2) Investments can be made more or less quickly. Would accelerating build out change the return on investment? 

3) Many communities with developing transit systems experience more growth near transit stations.  Would such expectations for growth change the return on investment? 

The report finds a positive ROI, with a return of $6.6 – $10.1 billion (internal rate of return 7.8-14.8%), and that accelerating development and concentrating development around stations are two ways to increase that return, up to $16.5 billion.

2012

Higher Education: Partnerships for Prosperity

This report synthesizes the findings of the Higher Education Taskforce and its Advisory Group, and lays out four priorities for creating a world-class higher education system in Minnesota:  

1) Align academic offerings with workforce needs  

2) Foster an ecosystem of research and innovation  

3) Form new collaborations across higher education to optimize system-wide intellectual assets and efficiency  

4) Graduate more students.

2010

Charting a New Course: Restoring Job Growth in the Minneapolis St-Paul Region

For three decades, the Minneapolis-St. Paul region’s diversified, vibrant economy outpaced the nation in growing employment, personal income, and GDP per capita. Starting well before the 2008 downturn, however, the region fell behind the nation in terms of job growth. This report identifies strategies and policies the region could use to create, retain and attract high-quality jobs. The taskforce studied the Minneapolis-St Paul region’s environment, assets, and capabilities and benchmarked them against high-performing regions in the US and around the globe. The report proposes three strategic priorities:  

1) Address the cost of doing business  

2) Develop a vision, strategy and approach for regional economic development  

3) Enhance entrepreneurship and innovation

2008

Minnesota’s Future: World Class Schools for World Class Jobs

The Itasca Project joined with the Minnesota Business Partnership to examine the best practices of world-class education systems, benchmark Minnesota against those systems, and identify initiatives that the business community could support to elevate Minnesota's school system to world-class.

2006

The Economics of Early Childhood Care and Education in Minnesota

This report examines the market for early childhood care and development, identified four factors that limit the overall success of the system (weak buyers, weak suppliers, lack of good information and minimal standards & accountability) and identified strategies to address each, such as educating parents both to be more effective care providers themselves, and to hold providers to higher standards.

2005

Mind the Gap

This report, created in partnership with the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, tracks plainly the disparities that exist in the region. It also argues that not only is reducing such disparities the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do to protect the continued economic success of the region.