cs6 p17 williams evidence-based prog planning for rural econ dev
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EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM PLANNING FOR RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Toby Williams, Senior Project Manager, Community Futures Alberta
Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation Rural Research Workshop “From Policy to Research and Back Again” May 5, 2011 Ottawa, Ontario
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Rural economic development funding programs in Alberta
$200 million since 2005Rural Alberta’s Development Fund - $100 millionCommunity Adjustment Fund - $100 millionRural Community Adaptation Program - $15 million
RCED - Rural Community Economic Development program - $2.1 millionRDI - Rural Diversification Initiative -$3.2 million
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What is Community Futures (CF)?
Rural economic development organizationsServices and loans to businesses
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Comparing Eligibility Requirements for RCED and RDI
69 projects fundedSmaller projects20% matching funds requiredBroad economic development (including planning studies)
19 projects fundedLarger projects: min. size $100,00040% matching funds required (10% from private sector)Focused on rural diversification
RCED (2005-2008) RDI (2008 – 2012)
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Examples of Projects
Grande Prairie Region Computer GamingCentral Alberta Regional Innovation NetworkSouth East Alberta Technology StrategyMotorcycle Tourism Cluster in the Peace CountryLocal Food Expansion in the Capital Region
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Comparing RCED and RDI: Selected Results
RCED RDI
Projects funded 69 19
Average size of projects $60,385 $338,507
Average contribution per project $30,256 (50%) $168,735 (50%)
% CF participation (as a project lead or partner)
89% (25/28 CFs) 57% (16/28 CFs)
Collaboration and partnership Avg. 8 partners Avg. 9.6 partners
% projects that completed activities and met timelines
70% met or exceeded objectives
N/A yet
Sustainability (longer term viability) 93% still alive after 2 years
N/A yet
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Research Questions
What makes a rural economic development project successful and how do you measure success?
What factors affect the ability of CF organizations (and by extension, other rural orgs) to start and successfully complete projects?
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Research Methods
Case study design – 2 cases (RCED and RDI)Analysis of internal documentsSurveysInterviews
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1st Research Question: What makes an economic development project successful?
PartnersCollaborationCapacity buildingImpact on businessSustainability
Project goal achievementImpact on businessPartnersCollaborationCapacity buildingSustainability
Rural respondents said: Program administrators actually measured:
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Conclusions: Measuring Success
In addition to goal achievement and economic impacts, funders and program administrators should measure and value long-term community outcomes like:ability and inclination to collaborateincrease in skills and knowledge and ability to sustain a project over the longer term
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2nd Research Question: What factors affect success?
90% of CFs started at least 1 project and about 70% of RCED projects met or exceeded their objectives.
We suspected 3 factors that influenced ability to start and successfully complete a project:
Participation in capacity buildingSize of communitiesHuman resources
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Capacity Building
Capacity building included coaching, information and training
Not all CFs participated equally in capacity building
Hypothesis: participation in capacity building activities will increase likelihood of starting and successfully completing a project because participants have better skills and knowledge
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Capacity Building: Statistical Results
A strong, positive correlation between capacity building and ability to start a project (p 0.581 sig 0.001)
A moderately positive correlation (p 0.384 sig 0.043) between participation in capacity building and the percentage of projects that were successfully completed
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Capacity Building: Results
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Capacity Building Matters
To the extent that program administrators want to maximize access and success in economic development funding programs, they should ensure access to training, information and coaching
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Size of Communities
The number of larger communities (i.e. + 2,000 people) varies by CF regionHypothesis: CFs in a region with a greater number of larger communities will be more likely to start and successfully complete a project because they have more ideas, help, partners, and resources.
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Size of Communities: Statistical Results
A strong, positive correlation between # of larger communities in a CF region and ability to start a project (p 0.493 sig 0.008)
A moderately positive correlation between # of larger communities and the ability to successfully complete a project (p 0.404 sig 0.033)
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Size of Communities: Results
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Size of Communities Matters
Very rural communities/regions will have more difficulty accessing economic development funding programs and will be less likely to successfully complete a project
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Human Resources
Not all CF offices have a dedicated CED Coordinator
Hypothesis: CFs who have a dedicated CED Coordinator will be more likely to start and to successfully complete a project because they have a person to pull together partners and resources to start a project and make sure the project gets done
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Human Resources: Results for RCED
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Human Resources: Results for RDI
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Human Resources Matter
Rural regions with a project coordinator (e.g. CED Coordinator) will be more likely to start and successfully complete economic development projects than regions without one.
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Conclusions: Factors that impact success
To the extent that funders and program administrators want to maximize access and success:Ensure opportunities for capacity buildingEnsure access to a project coordinator For very rural regions, ensure additional support and ensure program guidelines aren’t prohibitive
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Conclusions: continued
These conclusions may seem self-evident but …RCED and RDI were the only programs in Alberta to provide capacity buildingSome programs say they are targeted at small communities but their eligibility guidelines are almost impossible to achieve for small communities Many programs are evaluated based only on short-term economic impacts (or not evaluated at all)
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Designing Future Economic Development Funding Programs
This research provides statistical weight and rationale for:
Including a capacity building component in programsNot inadvertently excluding very rural communitiesEnsuring access to a project coordinator Including longer-term measures of success in program planning and evaluation such as inclination to collaborate, increase in skills and knowledge, and ability to sustain a project.