Fall-Winter 2005-2006
Released on June 24th, 2006, Joy's report: Researching Healthy and Sustainable Development in Nova Scotia contains valuable information that is useful for groups and individuals interested in the healthy and sustainable development in Nova Scotia.
Summer 2005 - Policy Change Research Project Proposal
Healthy and Sustainable Community Development
in Nova Scotia
The Issue in Context
The issue of funding for community-based organizations was raised as part of the RCIP Rural Policy Forum in 2004. The funding issue was redefined as social investment in communities. In December 2004, Nova Scotia's provincial government adopted a new community development policy that defines the roles of the provincial government in supporting an integrated approach to social, economic, environmental and cultural development in communities. The issue of how provincial departments can change their funding policies (within current programs and expenditures) to support the work of community groups will be addressed when each department uses a “community development lens” to examine its policies and practices. The current proposal for a policy change project on Healthy and Sustainable Community Development in Nova Scotia recognizes this new policy environment.
The Policy Strategy
Rather than being focussed on policy change, this proposal is oriented towards the implementation of the new policy on community development in Nova Scotia in ways that will support the health and sustainability of rural communities. Ongoing consultations with provincial policy makers indicate an interest in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the groups involved in local community development across the province.
The Research Proposal
The main purpose of this proposal is to expand on the exploratory research conducted by the RCIP Student Intern in 2004 “to identify community development associations (CDAs) across the province, explore their views of healthy and sustainable communities, better understand the role(s) of CDAs and the perceived challenges in this pursuit, and seek input for recommendations regarding the development of the proposed community development policy in Nova Scotia.”** Over 150 community development organizations were identified from public sources (the Registry of Joint Stocks, Regional Development Authorities, CCN and community partners).
In order to qualify as CDAs, groups with the words “community development” in their title, mission statement, organizational objectives or guiding principles were selected. Over 80 groups from the original list met these criteria. Of these, 13 representatives of CDAs were interviewed. The findings of this research were considered to be preliminary, due to the sample size. An additional component to this research at the provincial level is the potential role of CCN in a Community Development Network as proposed in the new policy.
This proposal has three components:
- Use the same survey in 2005 to reach as many of the 70+ organizations that were not surveyed in 2004.
- Compile a database of CDAs in Nova Scotia.
- Conduct a comparison of three provincial organizations or networks involved in rural development: Coastal Communities Network (Nova Scotia), Solidaire Rurale (Quebec), and the Ontario Rural Council.
Results
- An updated and more comprehensive report on grass-roots community development in Nova Scotia for use by policy makers, regional development authorities, community groups, and academic researchers.
- A database of information about community development organizations in Nova Scotia for use by policy makers, regional development authorities, community groups, and academic researchers.
- A comparative analysis of mission, activities, membership, and relationships with communities and governments for use by policy makers and Coastal Communities Network.
** Quote taken from: Weiss-Reid, J. (2004) Investigating Healthy and Sustainable Community Development in Nova Scotia (see below for link)
Click here for a MSWord version of the research proposal
Click here to contact Joy Elliott, Research Intern
Winter 2005
At the 2005 Rural Policy Forum in Tatamagouche, NS, participants in the "healthy and sustainable community development " workshop mentionned the small sample size from Joanne's 2004 research on Community Development Associations in Nova Scotia. This point, along with the re-stated need for
communities to be directors of their own destiny and the recent adoption of the Community Development Policy by the provincial government made the case for the 2005 RCIP intern project.
Fall 2004
Joanne's report was published (see bottom of page) and delivered to all Community Health Boards & District Health Authorities in Nova Scotia and various government departments at the Provincial and Federal level.
Summer Intern Project - 2004
Healthy and Sustainable Community Development
in Nova Scotia
Introduction
Many rural communities in Nova Scotia are suffering from low incomes, high unemployment, underemployment, poor quality of employment, out-migration of young people and low quality services. Current macro-economic policies and structural adjustment policies are not sufficient enough to deal with new and more intense rural problems. In Nova Scotian communities, the notion of development has typically been limited to economic growth and outputs.
In a recent report entitled “A Discussion Paper on Community Development”, the province of Nova Scotia expands the notion of development to include the concepts of health and sustainability. The broader definition is based on increases in quality of life factors that incorporate social, cultural and environmental health factors as well as economic health factors of communities.
Many rural communities in Nova Scotia are involved in a community development association (CDA) whose efforts often include increasing financial security, building leadership, capacity, assets and infrastructure. Currently, there is little knowledge about organizations engaged in healthy and sustainable community development in Nova Scotia. Furthermore, there is no documented collection of these efforts available to guide new thinking and policy development in the province.
In the interest of continued healthy and sustainable community development in rural Nova Scotia and the possible implementation of a new provincial community development policy, it is important to begin to collect and analyze these community development efforts. The findings from this study are relevant for government and rural communities within Nova Scotia and beyond. (Joanne's report is available at the bottom of this page)
Objectives
• Examined strategies for healthy and sustainable development that have been used elsewhere;
• Identified CDAs in Nova Scotia that are currently involved in healthy and sustainable community development
• Documented experiences of CDAs in rural Nova Scotia specifically in relation to:
• Healthy and sustainable community development
• Mutually beneficial relationships between organizations
• Mobilizing community assets
• Secure and long-term funding
• The role of government and other partners
• Made recommendations to help rural communities in NS overcome barriers to healthy and sustainable community
Methods
Based on the 18 counties in Nova Scotia, a specific review of documentation, by county, from public sources such as the Registry of Joint Stocks and Regional Development Authorities was conducted for organizations with the words “community development” in their title, mission statement, organizational objectives or guiding principles. Once a list of such organizations was composed for each county, 18 representatives from rural community development associations (one from each of the 18 counties in Nova Scotia) were selected to be interviewed during the research project. Follow-up face-to-face interviews were conducted with a number of the same 18 CDA representatives. The fae-to-face interview participants were chosen purposively to allow for expansion on key ideas or activities revealed in the telephone interviews.
Investigating Healthy and Sustainable Community Development in Nova Scotia - Summary Report - by Joanne Weiss Reid, October 2004
Investigating Healthy and Sustainable Community Development in Nova Scotia - by Joanne Weiss Reid, October 2004 Winter 2004 - RCIP Rural Policy Forum
Taken from the 2004 Rural Policy Forum Report (p. 54) At its monthly membership meetings, the Coastal Communities Network often hears from its members about the problems they experience as a result of the lack of core funding to carry on their work. Groups create excellent projects that build the vitality of their rural communities, and then the funding ends. All the energy and momentum is lost. And even if the project proves that it can successfully build the viability of rural communities, it dies because governments won't fund projects that have done before. It is a totally inefficient way to work, a waste of human and capital resources and leads directly to volunteer burnout. On top of this, the government is downloading more and more responsibilities on the backs of community volunteers without the resources to provide the needed services.
In the 2004 Rural Policy Forum Community Development workshop, participants discussed the current policy contexts for funding community development at the national, provincial and community levels and options for policy change. The report from the Forum summarizes the discussions and ideas that came from that workshop. What came out of that workshop also provided the inspiration for one of the 2004 RCIP Summer Intern projects. |
