The prime function of a national investment promotion agency is to develop and implement an effective investment promotion strategy. In order to do that, the agency requires a clear and comprehensive understanding of both the national and international policy contexts and how these affect the country’s potential to attract the desired quality and quantity of foreign direct investment, as set by policy. It also requires the identification of key sectors to target for inward investment.

This guide outlines the 10 key components of an effective investment promotion strategy:

1.  vision and mission statement
2.  strategic objectives
3.  benchmarking and image-building
4.  sector and market strategies
5.  marketing and promotion
6.  product development: activities to improve the local investment climate
7.  budgets and resource allocation
8.  organization of resources: organizational diagram showing each department with functions and staff members and their responsibilities
9.  key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring and evaluation
10.  action plan: short-, medium-, and long-term actions required to meet each target and goal, outlining investment promotion tools and budgets