Economic Crisis Response Program

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Economic Crisis Response Program
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Context

• Province of Canada, 500,000 people
• 280 municipalities
• No constitutional authority
• Revenue is limited
• 74 have one or fewer staff
• Approximately 50 will have contested elections
• Financial transfers for operations decreasing
• National and provincial subsidies to capital
  infrastructure increasing or stable

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Context

• Natural resource extraction
• Fisheries in decline, centralizing
• Oil and gas growing, already centralized
• Newsprint and forestry in decline
• Emerging sectors based in capital region
• Significant number of single industry communities
  or sector dependent communities

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Context

• Municipalities NL as enabler
• Ten years of training and information on
  municipal role in economic development
• Focus on understanding economic development
  processes and municipal role in same
• Workshops, study tours, conferences
• Generalist approach
• Linking traditional municipal activities and
  services to economic development

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Rationale for ECRP

• Specific need for
• Single industry towns
• Towns in crisis
• Vulnerable communities
• Council is first point of contact for
• Media
• Residents
• Support agencies
• Higher orders of government
• Yet ill-equipped to manage the situation

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Function of ECRP

• Target audience
• Vulnerable communities
• Responding to crisis
• Preparing for possible crisis
• Manage the situation instead of it managing them
• Workshop, reference, guide
• Local, regional, sectoral opportunities

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Format of ECRP

• Understanding the situation
• Three phases of transition
• Characteristics of single industry towns
• Patterns of decline
• Factors influencing successful transition
• Best practices in transition management

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Format of ECRP

• Tools for management
• Leadership
• Team building
• Using champions
• Developing a communications plan
• Managing news media
• Communicating with the community

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Format of ECRP

• Tools for economic development
• Strategic planning
• PEST Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Integrated work plans
• Consultants
• Proposal writing
• Opportunity management
• Community profiles

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Format of ECRP

• Lessons learned
• Case studies
• Key contact lists
• Government agencies
• Non-government agencies
• Research and training

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Format of ECRP

• Each section has
• Explanation and background
• Group discussion questions
• Exercises
• Handouts
• Checklists
• References
• PowerPoint slides
• Samples and templates

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Delivery of ECRP

• CD provided to all municipalities
• 500 binders distributed
• Website
• Workshop
• Reference
• Facilitator's guide
• Five workshops to date
• 20 planned for 2010
• Interest from other agencies

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Economic Crisis Response Program