Stronger Economies Together:
Crossing Boundaries
Successes, Challenges,
Solutions, & Lessons Learned
Bo Beaulieu -- Purdue Center for Regional Development
Rachel Welborn – Southern Rural Development Center
2013 Galaxy Conference – Pittsburgh, PA
Key Components of SET
The Team
Vision & Goals
Assets
Data
Analysis
A
Regional
Plan
SET: Working to Add Value to
Local Economic Development Activities
What is SET Trying to Do?
Help rural communities/counties
work together as a regional team in
developing and implementing
A High Quality
Regional Economic Development Plan
that builds on the
current and emerging
economic strengths
of their region.
Challenges & Solutions
•
Participation:
o Traditional players unwilling to let a broader array of
people be involved
o Getting both Rural Development and Extension at the
table
o Determining what regions can best benefit from SET
•
Solution:
o Specific module to address the importance of inclusion
moved to first session
o Joint state applications signed by Ext and RD
directors/administrators
o Revised regional application form and process
SET . . . Expanding Engagement
685 Initial Participants
(Phases I thru III)
2,098 Participants
(+306%)
1,7
Beginning of SET
By the End of SET
= 100
Challenges & Solutions
•
Training/Coaching Team:
o Finding people with content knowledge and good
facilitation skills
•
Solution:
o Improved modeling of appropriate skills in train-
the-trainer session
o National team providing coaching and conducting
site visits with select state training teams
o Special webinars as needed to shore up
knowledge gaps.
o Use of out-of-state expertise as needed
The Challenges/Concerns
•
Regionalism:
o Leaders who don’t fully
embrace regional strategies
•
Solution:
o Incorporated region-specific
data into the modules to help
raise understanding of value of
regionalism
A Recent SET Meeting in Colorado
“It was interesting to list the places where we
have commonalities and the places we have
vast differences. I think coming together on
things that benefit not just communities but the
entire region is going to be a great part of the
process.”
Christina Oxley, Executive Director
Craig, CO Chamber of Commerce
Comment about May 1, 2013 SET meeting
The Challenges/Concerns
•
Curricula:
o “Lecture-type” presentations
o Getting teams engaged quickly
o Need for more information on some topics
•
Solutions:
o Revised and reorganized the SET modules
o Infused more interaction into the process
o Supplemental modules produced on targeted topics
o Identified a deliverable pertinent to the region for each
session.
The Challenges/Concerns
•
Outcomes:
o Trouble getting regions to produce a solid
regional economic development plan
o Difficulty securing the data needed to document
impacts
•
Solutions:
o Linked module activities directly to development
of a regional plan
o Developed guidelines for writing a high quality
regional plan
o Launched a peer-review process for assessing
regional plans
o Created seed funding ($5000) to incentivize teams
to develop/implement a high quality plan
States Currently Part of SET
Phase IV
Lessons Learned
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Select new or recently formed regional teams
Connect each module to high quality plan
Clearly articulate what is expected of teams
Provide relevant regional data
Ensure that at least one coach is well-versed in
economic cluster analysis
Identify coaches with strong subject matter
knowledge and facilitation skills
Position SET as a planning process
Overall Successes
•
•
•
•
•
•
SET now in 28 states and nearly 60
regions
SET modules are now more effective
(4th iteration)
USDA RD and Extension Service
working relationship is solidified
Impacts of SET being systematically
tracked
Approximately $6.2 million captured
by SET regions to date (3:1 ratio)
New and lasting relationships being
built
Contact Information
Bo Beaulieu, PhD
Purdue Center for Regional Development
ljb@purdue.edu
765-494-7273
Rachel Welborn
Southern Rural Development Center
rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu
662-325-5885
http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/