How RECONS works

RECONS incorporates a mapping function that allows users to see the economic impact region for 1500 different impact models. It also provides information about the demographic and economic characteristics of these areas.   This added information provides a greater understanding for assessing the economic impact estimates as well as the economic significance of USACE activities. RECONS allows users to produce word document and spreadsheet reports of the results of different analyses, including a comprehensive assortment of tables.  

Users can concurrently estimate impacts on the three levels of geography in RECONS: local or regional, state or multi-state, and national. The size and configuration of economic impacts areas for different projects was determined during the model development stage based on project location and the type of work activity.  These economic impact areas can be re-visited over time and adjusted if the nature of local economies changes.

IMPLAN is well suited to assess direct economic impacts, but a primary purpose of RECONS is to additionally enable users to estimate forward linkages or stemming-from effects of the USACE business line activities (additional economic activities associated with Navigation, Recreation, etc.). RECONS includes special modules for examining important stemming-from effects of USACE business lines, whereas estimating stemming-from effects using IMPLAN software is complicated and time consuming.   For example, the primary inputs for calculating stemming-from effects of USACE-provided recreational facilities are number of visits and spending profiles associated with each visitor segment.  It is necessary to estimate the total spending (i.e., amount and distribution of restaurants, gasoline, lodging, etc) associated with these visits. Spending varies significantly by the type of trips (e.g., overnight, day).  RECONS automatically estimates the amount and type of spending associated with number of visits that are associated with IMPLAN sectors.