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Local Economic Development

Approx. 27 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course explores local economic development and its potential to drive economic growth and alleviate poverty in communities. You will learn about the role of government, private sector, and civil society in promoting local economic development.

Key Learning Points

Understand the key concepts and theories of local economic development
Learn about the different approaches and strategies for promoting local economic development
Explore case studies of successful local economic development initiatives around the world

Learning Outcomes

Understand the key concepts and theories of local economic development
Develop strategies and approaches for promoting local economic development
Apply knowledge to real-world case studies of successful local economic development initiatives

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of economics
Familiarity with government policies and regulations

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Assignments
Quizzes

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Introduction to Economic Development
Sustainable Economic Development

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Description

Welcome to this MOOC on Local Economic Development (LED). Local economic development refers to the processes by which local governments, businesses, and civil society groups get together to raise income sustainably and improve their lives in a well-defined area. It’s about creating jobs, securing livelihoods, improving infrastructure and managing local resources.

What do I learn? We will be dealing with questions such as the following. Why does economic development take place in some areas of the world and not in others? Why doesn’t it happen in your place? What prevents people from having the lives they want to live right there? Could your region make more of the opportunities of globalization and new technologies? Did the promises of decentralization in your country fail to deliver better public services and more responsive governments? If these are the questions you are asking yourself, this is the right course for you. It explores the where, who and how of economic development. Please have a look at our list of contents for the coming 8 weeks: 1. What is LED? What drives it? 2. How does globalization shape LED? 3. How does decentralisation affect LED? 4. How does competitiveness affect innovation? 5. What are entrepreneurship and its dimensions? 6. Why are value chains and clusters so important? 7. What are some LED strategies? 8. Your project How will I learn? In each week you will be able to access the content of the videos, suggested readings and additional videos for selective deepening. You will also find assignments that you have to complete if you want to earn a certificate for this MOOC. We will first introduce our “toolkit”, a series of theories and concepts that will help you read the situation in your locality. We will explore the main factors affecting local economic development, such as globalization, decentralisation, and competitiveness. We will discuss key components, like entrepreneurship and innovation and look into the organization of local economies into clusters, value chains and learning regions. We will conclude by deepening on some specific constructs that make local economies grow to benefit their communities. You will also contribute your ideas in the discussion forums, where you will learn from other participants around the world. What makes this course special? There is plenty of information in Internet on local economic development, which is mostly prepared by international donors or multilateral organisations. So what does this course do differently? First of all, the course is offered by academics that have significant published research on local economic development. This course gathers a wealth of academic knowledge that often fights the assumptions on what things are supposed to be like. Second, the instructors of this course have participated in dozens of capacity building projects in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Putting learning at the centre, they worked with communities, local governments, international donors and business associations. They often found a significant distance between theory and practice in local economic development, and this has been the basis of learning. Third, the course is acutely aware that each region is different and does not attempt to offer a one-size-fits-all recipe. It singles out key factors that drive local economic development and enables participants to do their own learning process, defining local problems and appropriate solutions. The aim of the course is that participants come up with their own ideas on how to promote local economic development. How will I get a certificate? If you want a certificate for participating in this MOOC, you will need to complete a small assignment each week and participate in the discussion forums. In the end of the MOOC, you will put these contributions together in one final document, your Capstone Project. I hope you find this course exciting and that you get to share our passion for promoting local economic development. Your instructors Dr. Georgina M. Gómez, ISS Prof. Emeritus AHJ (Bert) Helmsing, ISS Dr. Jan Fransen, IHS

Outline

Introduction to Local Economic Development
Defining Local Economic Development (LED)
Overview of the four drivers in the LED context
Several suggested readings on LED

Globalisation
Globalisation and Trade
Globalisation and Restructuring
History and dynamics of globalization (Video Links)
The relationship between globalization and LED in developed and developing countries

Decentralization & Local Responses
Trends on Decentralization and Local Government - Part One
Trends on Decentralization and Local Government - Part Two
Local economic development in the Developing World: The Experience of South Africa
LED strategy by the municipality of Lepelle-Nkumpi in the North of South Africa (Optional)

Competitiveness
Changing perspectives on Competitiveness
Innovation
Frugal Innovation
Current ideas on regional development and cluster-based economic development (Video)
Fugal innovation: Centre of Frugal Innovation in Africa (Video)

Entrepreneurship
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship Rationalities
Business Graduation
Women Entrepreneurs
Our research on survival and growth oriented entrepreneurship

VALUE CHAINS AND CLUSTERS
Clusters
Value Chains Introduction
Learning Regions
Case Study: The Craft Industry of Yogyakarta
Case Study: Beekeeping in Uganda
Case Study: Asparagus Farming in Peru
Assignment: Use a method to analyse an LED strategy
Clusters and cluster policy: European Cluster Observatory (Video)
Case reports: Indian Cluster Observatory (Video)
Flower cluster: The Netherlands (Video)
Literature review on clusters

VALUE CHAINS AND CLUSTERS: Lesson Choices
The Craft Industry of Yogyakarta Quiz
Beekeeping in Uganda Quiz
Asparagus Farming in Peru Quiz

LED Strategies
Local Economic Development Strategies
Negotiated Inclusion in Global Value Chains
Social and Solidarity Economy
Commons
Play the Fish Game
Bottom-up organization of the economy (Video)
Technology and the sharing technology: African Perspective

Project Week

Summary of User Reviews

Discover the essentials of local economic development with this Coursera course. Students praise the practical knowledge and engaging lectures from experienced instructors. One of the key aspects that many users thought was good is the focus on real-world case studies and examples.

Pros from User Reviews

Practical knowledge
Engaging lectures
Real-world case studies and examples
Experienced instructors
Detailed course materials

Cons from User Reviews

Course content can be repetitive at times
Course assignments can be time-consuming
Some users found the course to be too basic
Certain topics could be covered in more depth
Discussion forums can be slow to load or unresponsive

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