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Home & Family: Welfare Reform

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Community Resource Development (CRD) provides programs and assistance which enhance the decision making ability of local leaders and hence, the quality of life which they affect within their communities. Within its resource capability, the strength of CRD programming is a practical approach of working closely with community leaders to assess problems and needs and ultimately helps them to find appropriate and effective models to address specific local issues.

Small and rural economies will need to make significant adjustments to ensure economic opportunities are available for people moving into the work force. Local governments will be better prepared to meet this challenge if they engage in a strategic planning process that includes economic and community development. Today, the potential for job creation is greatest in the small business sector. Of the new jobs created between now and the year 2000, between 80 to 90 percent are anticipated to come from newly created businesses or expanding small businesses.

PROGRAMS THAT WORK

Community Resource Development utilizes the network of county Extension offices, as well as strong partnerships with state agencies and associations, as a linkage to communities. It serves as an important vehicle in extending needed information from university, state, and federal, as well as Extension, resources. The well-being of communities can be advanced by support in the following areas:

An increasingly important function of community development specialists is to Facilitate Strategic Planning efforts of local government and area residents. A strategic process outlines a long-range plan for promoting community involvement and economic development, and provides direction for implementation of the plan. Common features of a successful approach include formulating a vision for the future, developing a sense of teamwork, analyzing economic needs and options, writing a formal strategic plan of action, identifying resources, and implementing the plan in a framework of continuous improvement.

With the long-term viability of rural communities inextricably bound to their capacity to sustain themselves economically, assistance is provided to communities interested in analyzing various aspects of their economic condition or individual businesses. Some areas of Economic Analysis include:

• Sales Leakage Studies: determining where residents make purchases, estimating a community's resulting loss of revenue when purchases are made outside the community, and identifying potential local markets.
• Business Feasibility and Cost Analyses: determining the capital investment and operating costs a new or expanding business can expect to incur.
• Market Considerations: analyzing issues such as those related to transportation, volume and competition, as they affect a particular business.
• Referring: inquiries for assistance to other resource organizations that may provide more targeted services.

In a cooperative effort with other state level agencies and local organizations, community development specialists work with county Extension staffs to help further rural Tourism as an economic development strategy.

Working with local leaders to evaluate Community Services and Facilities, such as solid waste management, health services, child care and rural fire protection, helps communities to manage and plan for change. Assistance is provided in assessing the current cost of local services, identifying alternatives and their associated capital and operating costs, understanding regulations affecting delivery systems, and making recommendations based on research findings.

CONTACT:

• Dr. Joe Schmidt, CRD Leader/Specialist joes@ext.msstate.edu
• Dr. Al Myles, CRD Specialist albertm@ext.msstate.edu
• Kim Steil, CRD Program Assistant kims@ext.msstate.edu

Box 9651 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Phone: (662) 325-3144 Fax: (662) 325-8407