Cs6 p17 williams evidence-based prog planning for rural econ dev

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

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

What is Community Futures (CF)?

Rural economic development organizationsServices and loans to businesses

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)

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

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

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?

Research Methods

Case study design – 2 cases (RCED and RDI)Analysis of internal documentsSurveysInterviews

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:

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

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

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

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

Capacity Building: Results

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

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.

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)

Size of Communities: Results

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

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

Human Resources: Results for RCED

Human Resources: Results for RDI

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.

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

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)

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.

Thank You!

Questions?

Contact Toby Williams at [email protected] or call 403-851-9995 ext 224.