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The Practice of Community Development Webinar Series

The Practice of Community Development Webinar Series. Small Town Strategies for Regional Work Bo Beaulieu Southern Rural Development Center – Mississippi State University. Webinar Overview. Defining what we mean by region Types of regions Why a regional approach

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The Practice of Community Development Webinar Series

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  1. The Practice of Community DevelopmentWebinar Series Small Town Strategies for Regional Work Bo Beaulieu Southern Rural Development Center – Mississippi State University

  2. Webinar Overview • Defining what we mean by region • Types of regions • Why a regional approach • Features of successful regions • Components of the SET (Stronger Economies Together) Program • Examples of SET regional efforts • SET metrics • What’s ahead with SET: Phase IV • Q & A

  3. DEFINING A REGION:Different Approaches

  4. What is a Region? • Geographical area of similar characteristics: • Similar within • Different from other places • Place with a unique identity and meaning

  5. Types of Regions • Functional • Economic • Political • Administrative • Data • “Issue” Each of these regions is valid. Which one you use simply depends on what you are attempting to do.

  6. Why a Regional Approach?

  7. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack “I have reached the conclusion that we must overhaul our approach to economic development in rural America. The framework of the new effort recognizes that the rural economy of tomorrow will be a regional economy. No one community will prosper in isolation.”

  8. Do you agree with Secretary Vilsack? Why or why not?

  9. Why a Regional Approach? Promotes the Three Cs: • Conversation • Connection • Capacity Source: Council on Competitiveness (2010)

  10. KEY FEATURES OF SUCCESSFULREGIONS

  11. Features of Successful Regions • Leaders that recognize new realities of economic development • Commitment to collaboration • Global view • Understanding of current strengths and weaknesses • Flexibility and adaptability

  12. Features of Successful Regions • Capacity to respond; the structure to support activities • Comprehensive view of development • Mechanism for continuously searching for opportunities • Way to document impact

  13. Rating Your Region: Taking Stock

  14. An Introduction to SET

  15. Purpose of SET Help rural communities/counties work together as a regional team in developing and implementing an economic development blueprint that builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of their region. When Launched? Summer 2010

  16. States Currently Part of SET

  17. SET Regions: A Bottom-Up Approach Regions defined by applicants

  18. Reaching Rural Places: Current SET Counties n = 233

  19. Counties Involved in SET: Facing Key Challenges Percent n = 233 Note: Based on the ERS 2004 County Typology Codes

  20. What SET Provides Regional Teams Technical Assistance Training Peer-to-Peer Networking Data & Analysis

  21. SET Core Training Modules

  22. Bringing Information to the Table • Current county and/or community economic development plans • Demographic profile • Analysis of economic clusters

  23. The North Carolina Eastern Triangle

  24. Review the NCET Data • Study the handout • Identify information that you found most interesting • What impact might such data have on the economic development planning by a regional team?

  25. Clusters in Your Region • What is the nature of the clusters that you are most familiar with in your region (that is, the region you most closely identify with)? • Stars • Emerging • Maturing • Transitioning • What clusters do you think are most dominant in rural areas of the U.S. right now?

  26. Selecting Clusters: A Locally-Driven Process

  27. Interpreting Data on Clusters Change in Percentage of Jobs in Industry over Time Moving Up or Down

  28. Understanding Changes Relative Concentration of Industry in the Region Compared to the Nation Moving Left or Right

  29. Percent Change in Jobs over Time Location Quotient: Measure of Concentration of Industry

  30. The Leaky Bucket Goods or Services Purchased outside of the Region $ The Regional Economy

  31. Plugging the Leaks

  32. Looking at Regional Expenditures

  33. Strengthening Clusters throughImport Substitution Seek to Identify: • Industries that support the cluster • Goods and services being purchased from outside the region • Capacity for supplying these inputs regionally • Resources needed to help promote the capacity of local firms to supply inputs needed by the cluster(s)

  34. C.A.R.E for the Cluster Source: Barta, et al (2010) CARE Model

  35. Examples of SET Regional Efforts

  36. Western Nevada Development District • 9 counties • Combination of metro and nonmetro counties • Received $45,000 grant from the Nevada Governor’s Office to help pursue the SET effort • SET forced leaders to think beyond the “usual suspects” by adding new interest groups • Helped ease the tension between urban and rural • Business and Financial Services, Energy/Mining, Arts/Recreation/Entertainment, and Agriculture selected as key clusters

  37. Lower Rio Grande ValleyRegional Small Cities Coalition (Texas) • 4 counties in a highly impoverished region of TX • Regional group that was only one year old or less • Brought city managers and others from smaller towns and rural areas together • Felt they had more in common with one another than with the larger metro areas • Focus is on basic regional needs – such as housing, transportation, education, workforce development.

  38. Raton Basin Regional Economic Development District • Borders New Mexico and Colorado • 3 counties (10,137 square miles) • New regional team; new connections made among members • SET was a catalyst to shift away from declining coal industry towards a focus on agriculture and tourism • SET increased their grant activities (i.e., Job Accelerator Grant application) • “We used to be locally focused, but because of SET, we now understand how we all benefit from a regional approach”

  39. Highlighting Some of theSET Metrics

  40. SET is Helping to . . . • Promote broad-based engagement • Build trust/social capital • Produce regional plans • Strengthen working relationships with RD, Extension, EDA, and others • Leverage resources

  41. Expanding Engagement Membership: Increased from 464 to 1,679 members in the 39 regions (+ 362%)

  42. Produce a Regional Plan . . . the most remarkable thing about the regional partnership is that a group of individuals have, out of their own initiative and drive, created a vision -- and from that vision have developed a plan that will support economic development in this region for years and generations to come. SET Regional Team Member

  43. GOAL of the SET Program:Develop and Implement a High Quality Plan • Evidence-Based • Practical Team’s Regional Plan • Broadly Supported Aligned with Vision & Goals • Focused on Regional Economic Development

  44. Strengthen Working Relationships:RD and Extension Service Low High

  45. Leveraging Resources • Phase I and II: $5,642,387 • Phase III: $355,518 • Total Amount of Funds Captured to Date: $ 5,997,905

  46. What’s Ahead for SET?New Regions to be Selected in2013 • Expand SET to about 12 new regions in 2013 • Proposals are due March 1 • Want more information regarding Phase IV? Go to: http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/phase4.html • Build stronger ties with federal agencies that share a commitment to regional innovation • EDA • Partnership for Sustainable Communities

  47. Time for More Questions !

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