ABSTRACT
Exchange is the fundamental process by which information flows to government from those agents that are important to the economy. The design of government policies which seek to support economic agents through local and regional economic policy initiatives has to rely on that flow of information. Local and regional economic development is a multi-agent arena. The agents involved are diverse, fragmented, unequal in resources and power, and highly variable in objectives. Interrelated with an earlier opening of governmental policy discussions to outsiders is improving the quality of the receptors and users of information. The skills of many in government departments are not well tuned to economic needs, yet it is the align civil servants who have to design policy, understand the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, weigh the different representations and information they received, and make judgements on many aspects of the final drafting required.
