Alaska Regional Development Organizations - ARDORs

ARDOR's HUB

ARDOR Program Overview

The ARDOR Program's mission has remained consistent throughout the years: to encourage the formation of regional development organizations to prepare and implement regional development strategies. Current legislation has extended the ARDOR Program through 2031 (Alaska House Bill 192). Through regional development strategies, local knowledge, and coordinated implementation, ARDORs champion economic development planning for Alaska’s regions and communities.

About the ARDORs

As partners of the State of Alaska and leaders of regional economic development efforts, ARDORs serve as conduits to a network of economic development programs and support services for their regions, communities, and businesses. Although ARDORs have much in common and implement similar scopes of work, the form and function of each ARDOR is customized to the region. Decisions are made by elected or appointed boards of directors that reflect the economic diversity and character of the region.

ARDOR Work Plans

ARDORs develop customized work plans that contain goals, objectives, and strategies for addressing regional economic development needs including:

1. Facilitating development of a healthy regional economy that results in sustainable business growth, new business investment, and economic diversification
2. Identifying and working to eliminate regional economic development barriers.
3. Developing and implementing a comprehensive economic development strategy.
4. Coordinating regional planning efforts that result in new employment and business opportunities.
5. Working to enable multiple communities to collaborate and pool limited resources.
6. Strengthening partnerships with public, private, and non-government organizations.
7. Providing technical assistance to encourage business startup, retention, and expansion.

Economic Development Strategies

As provided by Alaska Administrative Code (3 AAC 57.090), ARDORs are required to develop and implement regional economic development strategies or similar economic development plans. These strategies or plans are commonly referred to as comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS) that satisfy the following requirements:

• Fact-gathering, to assure the region understands the current development situation.
• Identification of potential resources that serve as assets for economic development initiatives.
• Establishment of goals and objectives to guide direction of economic development activities.
• Production of a strategy for regional and local economic development that includes a work plan detailing the methods, resources, responsibilities, and schedules for implementing the strategy.
• Development of a set of regional and local economic profiles for every community within the region.
• For more information about individual ARDORs, including their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy documents, visit the ARDORs HUB page on DCRA's Community Database Online.

Useful Links

• ARDOR Economic Development Strategies
• ARDOR Program Annual Reports
• Alaska State Statutes and Administrative Code

Revised 04/11/2024