The central objective of the study is to provide policy recommendations to central governments and regional and local development agencies on how best to attract, retain and embed IDI in targeted regions and localities and on how to respond to closures when they occur. Two countries are participating in this project so far.  Work is completed in Switzerland and is underway in Lviv, Ukraine, for completion in Spring 2005.

The detailed aims are to:  

• Identify the principal trends and issues that affect the design and implementation of regional and local IDI policies in OECD Member countries and assess the policy implications.
• Describe and compare the policies and programmes in place in different Member countries and in different regional and local conditions and identify innovations and policy gaps.
• Identify and disseminate innovations, model initiatives and best practices.
• Make recommendations on how to adapt innovations and model initiatives to local conditions in the case study areas.
• Make policy recommendations on how to develop policy in the OECD as a whole, including assessment of when it is appropriate to use particular inward investment policy tools. 

Drawing on the results of all the core study and case study tasks, a synthesis report will be prepared making cross-country comparisons and overall recommendations for policy in OECD countries.

The study will provide policy-makers with information and recommendations on what policies to adopt in order to attract quality inward investment, how to develop secured projects in the local area and maximise retention and local spin-offs and how to put in place strategies to respond to closures where they occur.  The evidence and recommendations will be based on assessment of the implications of recent trends through examination of policy documents and evaluations, on expert reports and seminars on best practices, on comparison of the similarities and differences between provision in different countries and regions and on detailed case studies in participant country and regions.

For more information on how to participate, please contact Jonathan.Potter@oecd.org