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Local Economic Development

Jan Fransen, Georgina Gomez, Peter Knorringa, Salomey Gyamfi Afrifa, and Bert Helmsing

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.

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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

Enroll now

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Local Economic Development
This week introduces the “local” in economic development and explains why LED is a particular way of pursuing development. Video 1 reflects on why LED takes place in some areas and not in others. Video 2 identifies the main drivers of local economic development. The videos have been prepared by ISS Emeritus Professor Bert Helmsing.
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Globalisation
In this week, you will appreciate the pressures and opportunities posed by globalization on the local level. Globalization is conceived as a phenomenon in two tiers. At one level, infinite flows of information, culture, trade, financial flows, and migrants seem to move in all directions around the planet. At another level, globalization is a much more identifiable phenomenon that occurs within closed networks of cities and regions, in which specific actors exchange goods, services, investments and knowledge. As a result, some regions are included and others are excluded. Video 1 addresses the first tier of globalization and defines it as the combination of four flows: trade, financial flows, migration of workers, and their integration in global value chains. This video is prepared by ISS Professor Irene van Staveren, and is part of the MOOC on Pluralistic Economics. You will get a feel of that MOOC too, which we recommend for those that want to deepen their knowledge on economics. Video 2 explores the second level of globalization and maps global networks of cities and regions. It discusses how being included or excluded in these networks affects local economic development. We called this video The Ties that Bind Us. It is offered by South African IHS Professor Ronald Wall.
Decentralization & Local Responses
In week 1 we identified four drivers that constrain and push local economic development and in week 2 we looked into globalization as one of them. In this week, Bert Helmsing will look into another driver, namely decentralization. The first video defines decentralization as the transfer of responsibilities and resources from central government to local government and also to actors, like private firms and citizens. The second video delves into the ways in which decentralization has changed local governance and how local governments in some countries have assumed responsibilities over local economic development.
Competitiveness
In this fourth week, the course elaborates on competitiveness, the third driver that affects local economic development. It discusses the factors that make firms competitive and the role of geography in promoting competitiveness. In the first video Bert Helmsing defines competitiveness and explains how the concept has changed over time, leading to a greater recognition of the importance of space in shaping the competitiveness of firms. The second video discusses innovation, which goes hand in hand with competitiveness. It defines innovation, why it is important, and how to promote innovation in a local economy. The video is prepared by IHS Professor Jan Fransen, specialist on innovation and clusters. The third video introduces the relatively new concept of frugal innovation within the innovation family. Frugal innovations are simple, smart and affordable products, services and systems with low user complexity, high functionality, and high user value for relatively low-income people. The video features ISS Professor Peter Knorringa, director of the Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa.
Entrepreneurship
In week 5 the course looks into entrepreneurship as a key resource in local economic development. It pays attention mainly at small and medium entrepreneurs, which are normally 90% of the businesses in any region and those in the informal economy, which are 60% to 90% of the local economy in developing countries. This week is prepared by Argentine ISS Professor Georgina Gómez. The first video discusses the meaning of entrepreneurship and why it takes different expressions in developed and developing economies. The second video distinguishes survival from growth oriented entrepreneurs not as two types of entrepreneurs but as different ways of thinking about business. The third video analyses policies to support entrepreneurs and reviews research that shows that it is almost impossible to shift from survival to growth oriented entrepreneurship. The main idea is that if we understand the different types of businesses, we can design policies that more effectively support each type and with more realistic expectations. The fourth video focuses on women entrepreneurship as a first approach to support women in business. About 80% of microentrepreneurs in developing countries are women that raise income to support their families.
VALUE CHAINS AND CLUSTERS
Businesses sometimes come together in the local economy and configure agglomerations in which suppliers, workers, competitors, and clients play a role. In the same territory we often find supporting organisations like banks, consultancies, and governmental agencies. The first video, by IHS Professor Jan Fransen, introduces the concept of clusters and presents them as islands of creativity. It also lists some ideas to support the formation of clusters. The second video, by ISS Professor Peter Knorringa, expands the concept of clusters to stable networks where firms buy and sell products globally. We call these arrangements global value chains. The terms and conditions under which local entrepreneurs integrate global value chains are determined by how the value chain is organised and by whom. The third video, by IHS professor Jan Fransen introduces a third concept in the family learning regions, which expands on the other two and brings in elements from innovation (week 3). The video discusses the concept of a learning region as a precondition for local economic development.
VALUE CHAINS AND CLUSTERS: Lesson Choices
LED Strategies
The MOOC started by defining local economic development as local actors using local resources to enhance wellbeing in a territory. This week, with videos by ISS professor G. Gómez, poses the dilemma between development from below and development from above and covers some alternatives of LED strategies. The first video gives you an overview of strategies to support LED and of the governance challenges involved in the interrelationships between actors in markets (businesses), state (governmental agencies) and communities (households and various civil society organisations). The second video presents a case of negotiated inclusion in which a farmers’ association in Nicaragua reorganized an agricultural cluster to integrate in the coffee global value chain. The third video discusses the informal economy and how the concept has lately evolved into our understanding of collective action and the social and solidarity economy. The fourth video presents a special case of the social economy in which governance systems and natural resources form social ecological systems. These have been known lately as the organization of the commons.
Project Week

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Taught by academics that have significant published research on local economic development
Examines the where, who, and how of economic development
Develops key factors that drive local economic development
Presented by instructors that have participated in dozens of capacity building projects in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa
Courses offered by academics that have significant published research on local economic development
Explores the main factors affecting local economic development, such as globalization, decentralization, and competitiveness

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Reviews summary

High-rated local economic development

According to students, this course on local economic development is well-received with a high overall rating. Learners say the course is informative, engaging, and practical, featuring thoughtful coursework and knowledgeable instructors. Students who are new to the topic of local economic development have found this course to be a good starting point and a helpful introduction to the field.
Experts in local economic development teach the course.
"Excellent tutoring from the teachers, Good information delivery and provided useful reading materials"
"The course is insightful and relevant for promoting Local Economic Development.Am very motivated and interested to keep learning.Moreover,the course is taught by renowned experts."
The assignments are engaging and practical.
"Knowledge, case stories, excercises. Wonderful design of the course."
"The information presented is a diversified knowledge, in such a way that you will have sufficient knowledge to carry out analysis of situations for development in aspects of low growth evidenced in your region or city."
Instructors present clear and engaging explanations.
"was ver informative and the instructirs made it very understandable with the reading materials and videos"
"The course is insightful and relevant for promoting Local Economic Development.Am very motivated and interested to keep learning.Moreover,the course is taught by renowned experts."
The course content is rich in information.
"it was insightful and i learnt alot which i believe will go a long way to help me"
"A program lecturer with qualified lecturer and more information we get"
The course provides practical skills in local economic development.
"I found it very much practical and implementable with specific strategy. I appreciate the instructors and the LED team to devise such skill course for professionals around the world."
"The course is insightful and relevant for promoting Local Economic Development.Am very motivated and interested to keep learning.Moreover,the course is taught by renowned experts."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Local Economic Development with these activities:
Review Local Economic Development Concepts
Cover the key drivers and definitions of LED to prepare for the course.
Show steps
  • Read the course overview and introduction
  • Take notes on important terms and concepts
  • Discuss with peers or a mentor to clarify any doubts
Explore Globalization's Impact on LED
Gain insights into the opportunities and challenges posed by globalization for local businesses and economies.
Browse courses on Globalization
Show steps
  • Watch the videos on globalization and its effects
  • Read additional articles or research papers on the topic
  • Attend webinars or workshops on globalization and LED
Analyze Case Studies on LED Initiatives
Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by examining real-world examples of LED strategies.
Browse courses on Case Studies
Show steps
  • Read and analyze case studies provided in the course
  • Identify key factors, challenges, and successes in the cases
  • Discuss findings with peers or a mentor
One other activity
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all four activities
Contribute to an Open-Source LED Toolkit
Expand your knowledge and contribute to the broader LED community by sharing your expertise.
Browse courses on Open Source
Show steps
  • Identify an open-source project focused on LED
  • Contribute code, documentation, or other resources to the project
  • Engage with the community and provide support to other users

Career center

Learners who complete Local Economic Development will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Regional Economist
This course will help you better understand the opportunities and challenges that local economies face in a globalized world. As a Regional Economist, you will be responsible for analyzing economic data and trends, developing strategies to promote economic growth, and advising policymakers on economic issues. Understanding the role of globalization, decentralization, and competitiveness in local economic development will greatly benefit you in this career. The course will also help you better understand the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in a local economy.
See salaries and explore the career path for Regional Economist
Urban and Regional Planner
In this role, you will be responsible for planning and managing the development of cities and regions to support both economic growth and improved quality of life. This course will help you better understand the different factors that affect the economic development of cities and regions, including globalization, decentralization, and competitiveness. You will also learn about different strategies for promoting economic development, such as supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, developing clusters, and attracting investment.
See salaries and explore the career path for Urban and Regional Planner
Economic Development Analyst
This role involves analyzing economic data and trends to identify opportunities for growth. You will also assist in developing and implementing economic development strategies by providing research and analysis to stakeholders. This course will help you better understand the economic development process and the role of local governments in fostering economic growth.
See salaries and explore the career path for Economic Development Analyst
Community Development Manager
You will work with community members and organizations to identify and address economic and social issues in a community. This course will help you better understand the factors that affect economic development in a community and how to develop strategies for promoting community development. You will also learn about the importance of collaboration and partnerships in community development.
See salaries and explore the career path for Community Development Manager
Business Development Manager
As a Business Development Manager, you will help businesses develop and implement strategies for growth. You will need to understand the local economy and the factors that affect business growth. This course will help you better understand the local economic development process and how to identify opportunities for growth. You will also learn about different strategies for supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in a local economy.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager
Economic Policy Analyst
You will need to understand economic data and trends, as well as the policies that affect economic growth. This course will expand your understanding of the local economic development process and the role of government in fostering economic growth.
See salaries and explore the career path for Economic Policy Analyst
Public relations manager
You will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with the media and the public by promoting understanding and support for an organization's policies and programs. This course will help you better understand the factors that affect economic development in a community and how to communicate about economic development issues effectively.
See salaries and explore the career path for Public relations manager
Nonprofit Manager
You will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit organization. This course will help you better understand the role of nonprofit organizations in community development and how to develop strategies for supporting economic development in a community.
See salaries and explore the career path for Nonprofit Manager
Social Worker
You will help people in need, including those facing economic hardship. This course will help you better understand the factors that can lead to economic hardship and how to develop strategies for helping people overcome these challenges.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Worker
Teacher
You will help students learn about economics and the factors that affect economic growth. This course will help you better understand the local economic development process and how to teach about economic development in a way that is engaging and accessible to students.
See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher
Journalist
You will be responsible for reporting on economic issues and trends. This course will help you better understand the local economic development process and how to report on economic issues in a way that is clear and informative for the public.
See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist
Researcher
You will be responsible for conducting research on economic issues and trends. This course will help you better understand the local economic development process and how to conduct research on economic issues in a way that is rigorous and informative.
See salaries and explore the career path for Researcher
Consultant
You will provide advice to businesses and organizations on economic development issues. This course will help you better understand the local economic development process and how to develop and implement strategies for promoting economic development.
See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant
Investment Banker
This course may help you better understand the role of investment banks in economic development, as well as the different types of investment banking products and services.
See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker
Financial Analyst
This course may help you better understand the role of financial analysts in economic development, as well as the different types of financial analysis techniques.
See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Reading list

We've selected eight books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Local Economic Development.
Cover image
Local Governance, Economic Development and...
Save
Provides a collection of case studies on local economic development.
Local Governance, Economic Development and...
Kindle Edition
$$$
Cover image
Human Behavior Theory for Social Work Practice
Save
This encyclopedia provides a comprehensive overview of management.
Human Behavior Theory for Social Work Practice
Paperback
Check
Human Behavior Theory for Social Work Practice
Kindle Edition
Check
Elements of Economics of Industry Being the First...
Save
This classic work by Alfred Marshall provides a theoretical framework for understanding the role of geography in economic development. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the spatial dimension of economic development.
Elements of economics of industry: being the first...
Paperback
$$
Elements of economics of industry, being the first...
Leather Bound
$$$
Cover image
Local Economic Development
Save
Examines the impact of globalization on local economic development.
Local Economic Development: Analysis, Practices,...
Kindle Edition
$$$$
Cover image
Architectures of Knowledge
Save
Explores the relationship between economic geography and industrial innovation, with a focus on the role of clusters, networks, and knowledge spillovers.
Architectures of Knowledge
Paperback
Check
Architectures of Knowledge
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
The Innovator's Dilemma, with a New Foreword
Save
Examines the challenges that established firms face when disruptive new technologies emerge.
The Innovator's Dilemma, with a New Foreword: When...
Hardcover
$$
The Innovator's Dilemma, with a New Foreword: When...
Audio CD
$$
The Innovator's Dilemma, with a New Foreword: When...
Kindle Edition
$$
Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...
Save
Provides a practical guide to lean startup, a methodology for building and iterating products quickly and cheaply.
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...
Hardcover
$$
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use...
Kindle Edition
$$
Cover image
The Rise of the Creative Class
Save
Argues that the creative class is the driving force behind economic growth and development.
The Rise of the Creative Class
Paperback
Check
The Rise of the Creative Class
Kindle Edition
Check

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Course image
Level
Introductory
Via
Coursera
Institution
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Instructors
Jan Fransen
Georgina Gomez
Peter Knorringa
Salomey Gyamfi Afrifa
Bert Helmsing
Language
English
Transcripts
Español Français Português Deutsch Italiano 中文 العربية 한국어 日本語 हिंदी Nederlands Svenska Pусский Türkçe Polski Ελληνικά українська мова magyar nyelv Bahasa Indonesia ไทย қазақша اُردُو, فارسی বাংলা پښتو آذربایجان دیلی Türkmençe
Good to know
Taught by academics that have significant published research on local economic development
Examines the where, who, and how of economic development
Develops key factors that drive local economic development
Presented by instructors that have participated in dozens of capacity building projects in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa
Courses offered by academics that have significant published research on local economic development
Explores the main factors affecting local economic development, such as globalization, decentralization, and competitiveness
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