Who decides the Memphis Fast Forward agenda?
The Memphis Fast Forward agenda has been created by recommendations from hundreds of local and national experts in education, economic development, public safety and government efficiency. These experts have based their recommendations on proven research and taken into consideration the input of over 3,000 local individuals, businesses and community organizations. The final agenda was endorsed by the MFF Steering Committee, consisting of top local government and business leaders who have agreed to take a leadership role in fundraising for the Plans. For a full list of Steering Committee members, click here [PDF, 26K].
How much will it cost?
The total cost of implementing all four Plans is not fully known at this time for two major reasons. First, there are some strategies for which the business Plans are not yet fully developed, and so budgets for them have not been detailed. Funding will not be raised for these items until the business Plans have been created by the lead agency responsible for the strategy. Second, there are state policies to be implemented as part of the Plans—such as Pre-K expansion, BEP 2.0 full funding and anti-crime legislation—which require the Tennessee state government to assign a ‘fiscal note’ once the bills have been written and annual costs have been assessed. As we advance the legislation in 2008, we will provide information on this website about the fiscal notes. Additionally, as we have more detailed budget and business Plan information on certain strategies, we will provide that information on this website as well.
Who pays for it?
A mixture of public and private funds has been raised and will continue to be sought. To date, foundations, corporations, individual citizens, state, local and federal governments have all contributed to various aspects of the four Plans.
How will progress and success be measured?
Ultimately, success will be measured by progress achieved against the goals for economic growth detailed in the Memphis Fast Forward Scorecard.
Additionally, each Plan has goals and metrics associated with it, and in most cases also includes detailed metrics for each individual strategy within the respective Plan. Progress will be monitored through a structured Oversight and Accountability process. Overall progress will be regularly monitored by the Memphis Fast Forward Steering Committee and reported to the public through this website and other vehicles.How can I help?
There are many ways you can help. For opportunities to volunteer your time and expertise to support many of the Plan strategies, click here. You can also share information from this website with others so that they can become supporters—you’ll find “share” buttons on every page.