"The BVI is a great tool & process. We need to have more people working with CIEL's tools to further Community and Economic Development in Canada."
- Hélène Deslauriers
Director General, Réseau des SADC in Quebec (Alliance of 63 SADCs)
Canadian Representative on the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) Forum on Partnerships
“Process was dynamic & engaged the community”
- Rami Rothkop
Harrop Procter Community Forest Co-op, BC
Alberta Loves CIEL's Business Vitality Initiative (BVI) - Survey
The Government of Alberta recently released an independent evaluation of a 2008-09 BVI Pilot in four rural Alberta communities (Peace River, Vulcan, Castor and Hinton), surveying more than 100 BVI participants. The BVI helps communities assess business friendliness on 100 dimensions, gets the communities focused and jumpstarts them to action (ASSESS - FOCUS - ACT). Some of the initiatives moving forward from the pilot communities include: a downtown revitalization project, an incubator, a 'Shop Local' initiative, a downtown streetlight replacement project, renewed marketing efforts and a volunteer recruitment program (Beyond the 'Same Ten People').
Among the survey results:
* 91% felt participation was worthwhile;
* 93% would recommend the BVI to other communities;
* 91% felt that the priority actions developed were valuable, and 90% thought they were reasonable and attainable;
* 94% have a better understanding of the opportunities for improvement in their community; and
* Three of four communities successfully chose priority actions and formed working groups at their Focus and Action session. Of those, 75% agreed that the community has taken steps to advance at least one priority action.
The survey was conducted by Malatest & Associates.
Contact CIEL for more info or a copy of the evaluation.
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CIEL is seeking a joint sponsor for a Community Entrepreneurship Award Program; if you are interested, please contact the CIEL office.
