How does CIEM compare to other economic development strategies?
Although the CIEM is unique in its implementation, it is not in its design. The design of the CIEM is an adaptation of the classic input-output model used to analyze national economies. It is also similar to the Community Accounting Matrix (CAM) and the Needs, Capacities, & Assets Model (NCAM). Like other models, CIEM provides a database complementary to several analysis procedures becoming popular in economic development such as sector analysis, network market development, and flexible manufacturing networks. The community-based implementation technique provides CIEM significant advantages over other models: • CIEM is more comprehensive. Unlike traditional economic development strategies that focus on individual firms, CIEM focuses on the entire community and it describes the interrelationships between sectors. This information is critical for policy-making strategies. • CIEM involves community members. Data gathering from the beginning depends on a fairly large core group of communit
