Are they Surgeons? or are they Plumbers? Assessing the Role of Private Sector Consultants in Place Branding and Other Place-Based Economic Development Strategies

Abstract

This study takes an in-depth look at the roles and utility of consultants in local economic development, focusing on whether there is ultimately a need for this outsourcing of policymaking. Through a series of in-depth interviews with municipal officials and consultants from Ontario, focus is specifically on place branding, a subfield of place-based local economic development. The findings indicate that while the consultants and local officials view themselves as vital in the policy development process, the use of consultants for most communities is actually problematic, as they generally lack the in-depth local knowledge needed for successful place branding.