Disruptive economic events such as falling home prices, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and large corporate downsizings tend to create unique fiscal policy challenges for state and local economies.  As is the case in many communities, particularly within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, a variety of local economic development problems stem from the tax base not adjusting as rapidly as service demands.

The resulting pressure tends to turn into frustration when individual local public and private sector entities try to implement economic development best practices while also seeking to control costs.  The cost of researching best practices, developing non-tax revenue ideas, establishing strategic sourcing goals, identifying and expanding supplier choices, promoting and advancing educational, training and networking opportunities, participating in early stage technology-based opportunities, promoting supplier diversity, facilitating efficient inter-organizational communications, and managing similar operational data from disparate sources are all factors that make it even more difficult for one entity to financially and operationally sustain these strategic efforts. 

To assist members to implement non-tax revenue-generating best practices, the DelACCESS Consortium assists core members to apply for grants from Federal, State and Foundation sources.  

To assist members to identify and implement cost control best practices, the DelACCESS Consortium performs collaborative projects on behalf of two or more members in a way that improves their operational effectiveness.   Whenever possible, the collaborative projects also include economic development best practice strategies.  The collaborative projects typically focus on three key operational areas: sourcing, technology and supplier development.

In the area of sourcing, members receive cost control support through comprehensive spend analyses, use of cooperative purchasing agreements and Strategic Sourcing Forums.  From an economic development perspective, market impact assessments of potential purchasing decisions are also performed.

In the technology area, members receive cost control support that includes use of the consortium’s bid advertising system, and online portals that provide public access to their bid opportunities by department or industry category.  

Click here to access the DelACCESS Consortium By-laws.