The Department of Commerce created the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (the EDPNC) in 2014 to serve as North Carolina’s sales and marketing arm. The EDPNC is one variation of a public-private partnership, which involves a government entity contracting with a non-government entity to provide a public good or service. The Program Evaluation Division (PED) found that the EDPNC’s ability to allocate resources to vital activities is limited by restricted state appropriations and by private fundraising totals that are lower than those of comparable organizations in other states. Further, the EDPNC and the Department of Commerce lack effective coordination. Other issues noted by PED include the tourism division having minimal synergy with the rest of the EDPNC and the EDPNC operating without a strategic plan. To address these findings, the General Assembly should direct the EDPNC to increase private funding to $2 million per year and provide a matching incentive; charge the EDPNC and the Department of Commerce with engaging a facilitator; create a legislative commission to consider the best way to organize and manage the tourism division; and modify existing state law to specify that the EDPNC Board of Directors is responsible for creating an organizational strategic plan.
Mandatory Evaluation Components