Challenges to implementing a sustainable strategic evaluation framework of industrial parks: Mexican case

Industrial parks are essential in driving regional development, but how and how much do they benefit their regions? These questions motivated us to develop and implement a framework to evaluate the outputs of industrial parks (I.P.). Previous research developed the integrative framework Sustainable Strategic Evaluation Framework (SSEF) based on Managerial and Contextual Governance components. Relevant indicators for sustainability make part of the framework and can be adapted to match the availability of specific/local data. In this article, we report on implementing the Contextual Governance component of the SSEF to explain the dependency influence of contextual governance characteristics upon sustainability indicators for the regional impact of I.P. By analyzing the challenges during the implementation phase of the qualitative research, we bring new knowledge that can contribute to further developing sustainable strategic evaluation frameworks of I.P. We selected the case study approach to implement the SSEF, which includes an in-depth analysis. The industrial park Guanajuato Puerto Interior (GPI) in Mexico was chosen as sustainability principles have been embedded in this I.P. since its creation. The findings of this first SSEF implementation show that the Contextual Governance component was evaluated as RED restrictive in the criteria of Flexibility and Intensity of two governance dimensions: (i) Levels & scales and; (ii) Problem perspectives & goal ambitions. The other criteria were evaluated as YELLOW moderative, and only in the criteria of Extent related to the governance dimensions Levels& scales and Strategies and instruments was a GREEN enabling evaluation. The challenges identified during the SSEF implementation were directly associated with having a clear definition of the contextual governance factors and processes that simultaneously allow the identification of data to monitor the sustainability performance of the I.P.