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Community Resource and Economic Development (CRED) Program

Plan Goal

Increase the capacity of county agents and community leaders to achieved sustained community economic development.

Situation Statement

New Mexico’s non-metropolitan counties lag behind the state on key economic development measures, including population, employment, and per-capita income. In 2006, roughly 45% of New Mexico’s residents lived in non-metropolitan counties across the state, down from 52% in 2001. In 2005, unemployment in New Mexico’s non-metropolitan counties was 6.1% compared to 5.1% and 5.3% for the metropolitan counties and the state, respectively; and non-metropolitan county per capita income was $22,831 compared to $29,455 for metropolitan counties and $27,889 for the state. New Mexico’s non-metropolitan counties and rural communities face many challenges including out-migration, deteriorating infrastructure, limited services and declining economic activity.

Target Audience and Actions

The community resource and economic development (CRED) program will seek to address these challenges by providing the target audience-- extension agents, local officials and community leaders-- with education programs, professional development training, resource networks, and research-based knowledge and information to grow and empower communities, develop entrepreneurs, retain and expand existing businesses, build and promote leaders and enhance human and social capital.

Short-Term Objectives

2008-2009

1. Establish working relationships with county agents, local officials, and community leaders.

2. Establish working relationships with resource providers, economic development professionals, and leaders of programs, organizations/agencies, public and private, at the local, state, and federal levels.

3. (On-going) Conduct agent and community leader training in community resource and economic development strategies and practices, including but not limited to:
a. community organizing, visioning, and strategic planning
b. resource networking and partnerships
c. business and industry recruitment, expansion, retention and expansion, and new business start-ups/entrepreneurship
d. human capital, social capital and leadership development

4. Conduct county economic development assessments and asset inventories in half of New Mexico’s 33 counties.

5. Design and implement community economic development strategic plans for half of New Mexico’s 33 counties.

6. Develop a CES-CRED newsletter.

7. Establish a CES-CRED website featuring county economic development resources and activities including “best practices” in New Mexico and other states.

8. Work with county agents to establish a county CRED web page to provide community and area residents with timely access to information regarding, local and regional economic trends and activity, opportunities, resources and a CRED calendar of events.

9. (On-going) Provide county agents, community and business leaders training in the use of basic analytical tools and techniques for measuring trends and identifying economic development and business opportunities, including but not limited to:
a. demographic analysis
b. economic base analysis
c. economic and fiscal impact analysis
d. environmental impact analysis
e. business and industry analysis
f. industry cluster analysis
g. shift-share analysis
h. community economic development needs assessment techniques
i. business retention and expansion assessment techniques
j. trade area capture technique
k. potential sales technique
l. location quotient technique
m. employment and income multipliers

10. (On-going) Conduct research on community economic development issues and disseminate the results to county agents, community leaders and public through presentations, workshops, newsletters, articles, and extension publications.

11. (On-going) Respond to ad hoc requests from county agents, community leaders, NMSU-CES colleagues, partners and the public for community economic development information and analysis.

12. (On-going) Actively seek outside funds for community economic development applied research, training, education and demonstration activities.

Medium-Term Objectives

2010-2011

1. Conduct community and county economic development assessments and asset inventories in the remaining half of New Mexico’s 33 counties.

2. Design and implement community economic development strategic plans for the remaining half of New Mexico’s 33 counties.

3. Produce and distribute (hardcopy and electronically) a resource directory of community economic development resources including local, state, and federal programs and organizations/agencies, public and private.

4. (On-going) Conduct agent and community leader training in community resource and economic development strategies and practices, including but not limited to:
a. community organizing, visioning, and strategic planning
b. resource networking and partnerships
c. business and industry recruitment, expansion, retention and expansion, and new business start-ups/entrepreneurship
d. human capital, social capital and leadership development

5. (On-going) Provide county agents, community and business leaders training in the use of basic analytical tools and techniques for measuring trends and identifying economic development and business opportunities, including but not limited to:
a. demographic analysis
b. economic base analysis
c. economic and fiscal impact analysis
d. environmental impact analysis
e. business and industry analysis
f. industry cluster analysis
g. shift-share analysis
h. community economic development needs assessment techniques
i. business retention and expansion assessment techniques
j. trade area capture technique
k. potential sales technique
l. location quotient technique
m. employment and income multipliers

6. (On-going) Conduct research on community economic development issues and disseminate the results to county agents, community leaders and public through presentations, workshops, newsletters, articles, and extension publications.

7. (On-going) Respond to ad hoc requests from county agents, community leaders, NMSU-CES colleagues, partners and the public for community economic development information and analysis.

8. (On-going) Actively seek outside funds for community economic development applied research, training, education and demonstration activities.

Long-Term Objectives

2012 and Beyond

1. (On-going) Conduct agent and community leader training in community resource and economic development strategies and practices, including but not limited to:
a. community organizing, visioning, and strategic planning
b. resource networking and partnerships
c. business and industry recruitment, expansion, retention and expansion, and new business start-ups/entrepreneurship
d. human capital, social capital and leadership development

2. (On-going) Provide county agents, community and business leaders training in the use of basic analytical tools and techniques for measuring trends and identifying economic development and business opportunities, including but not limited to:
a. demographic analysis
b. economic base analysis
c. economic and fiscal impact analysis
d. environmental impact analysis
e. business and industry analysis
f. industry cluster analysis
g. shift-share analysis
h. community economic development needs assessment techniques
i. business retention and expansion assessment techniques
j. trade area capture technique
k. potential sales technique
l. location quotient technique
m. employment and income multipliers

3. (On-going) Conduct research on community economic development issues and disseminate the results to county agents, community leaders and public through presentations, workshops, newsletters, articles, and extension publications.

4. Establish an annual CES Community Economic Development Conference to highlight county economic development challenges, accomplishments and ‘best practices.”

5. (On-going) Respond to ad hoc requests from county agents, community leaders, NMSU-CES colleagues, partners and the public for community economic development information and analysis.

6. (On-going) Actively seek outside funds for community economic development applied research, training, education and demonstration activities.

Evaluation Plan

1. Use pre/post tests to measure knowledge gained in training sessions. (At time of event)

2. Use questionnaires and interviews to measure the benefits of economic development strategies, practices and techniques adopted. (Annually)

3. Use questionnaires and interviews to measure the accessibility, appropriateness, level of use, and benefits received from established economic development resource providers. (Annually)

4. Use questionnaires and interviews to measure the value of research activity on community economic development topics and issues. (Annually)

5. Use questionnaires and interviews to measure the effectiveness of different media utilized (presentations, workshops, newsletters, articles, and extension publications) for disseminating information and research results. (Annually)

6. Use questionnaires and interviews to measure satisfaction with ad hoc services provided. (Annually)

7. Use questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to identify future community economic development education, training and research activity. (Annually)

8. Use continuous observation to monitor and adjust education, training, and research activity to achieve their objectives.