# Presentation: 244586

## Rural Policy Coordination at the State Level

- National Rural Development Partnership
- Oklahoma City – August 30, 2004

## The place-based question:What can mylegislature do to help our rural citizens survive and thrive?

## SectorsTo

**Place-Based Analysis**

## Sectors ...

- Education
- Health
- Economic development
- Human services
- Agriculture, mining, fisheries & forestry
- Criminal justice

- Arts, culture and tourism
- Transportation
- Financial institutions
- Utilities & infrastructure
- Natural resources

## The $100 Million Dollar Question

## State Rural Studies1986-2004

- North Carolina:  1986, 1991, 2000
- Texas:  1989, 2000
- Florida, Georgia, Illinois:  2000
- Virginia:  2001
- Kentucky 2003
- Kansas:  2004

## State Laws and OrdersCreating Rural Centers

- Illinois:  1986, 2000
- Pennsylvania:  1987
- Georgia:  1990?
- Louisiana: 1990, 2004
- Arkansas:  1991
- Florida:  1999

- Minnesota:  1999
- Texas:  2001
- Oregon:  2004
- Virginia:  2004
- Utah:  2004

## Rural Center Duties

***Coordinate*** activities, services and resources of state/other agencies
***Monitor*** legislation, initiatives and programs for rural impacts
- Assist policy makers to ***develop***** *****rural policy****** ***
- Conduct or coordinate ***research***

## Rural Center Duties (cont’d)

***Clearinghouse**** *for information, data and resources
***Report**** on rural conditions and trends** *
- Provide ***technical assistance****** ***
*Administer ****grants**** *related to above duties

## Other Partners & Contributors

- State and local officials / associations
- State and federal agencies
- COG’s (RPC’s / EDD’s)
- Land Grants / Coop Extension
- Higher education
- RDC’s and RC&D’s
- Rural-based industries / associations

## Research

- Policy

- Coordination

- Data &
- Information

- Agriculture

- Economic
- Develop’t

- Governor

- Legislature

- RDC

- Local Officials

- Broadband

- Healthcare

- Education

- Business

- Leadership

- Agencies

## State Rural Centers 

**Texas:**  Large, executive agency, with comprehensive functionality
**North Carolina:**  Large, private non-profit with state support, comprehensive functionality
**Pennsylvania:**  Small legislative agency, research and information
**Georgia:**  Division of DCA, coordinated with RDC, TAC, CVIOG at UGA, and One Georgia
**Arkansas:**  Small executive agency, limited functionality

## State Rural Centers (cont’d)

**Illinois:**  Lt. Governor’s staff (sometimes) supported by research institute at Western Illinois University
**Maryland:**  Small executive agency combined with RDC
**Louisiana:**  Division of Governor’s office; university research center (new)
**Oregon:**  Division of Governor’s office (under construction)

## State Rural Centers (cont’d)

**Virginia**:  State-created non-profit (under construction)
**Utah:**  Office in Dept. of Community and Economic Development, Legis. Cmte., Govs. Advisory Board, and Coordinating Cmte.
**Minnesota:  **Small research & policy center

## The North Carolina Model

- Rural Center

- Education

- Philanthropics

- Legislature

- NGO’s

- Business

- State Agencies

- Local Officials

## North Carolina Rural CenterPrograms

- Research & Policy Development
- Capital Access & Micro-enterprise Lending
- Leadership Development
- Water & Sewer Infrastructure
- Faith-based Programs
- Minority CDC Grants
- Information Center (data, news, conferences)
- On location:
- e-NC Authority – Internet Access
- Agricultural Advancement Consortium
- Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship

## North Carolina Rural CenterComprehensive Economic Development “Building Blocks”

- Business development
- Workforce development
- Physical Capital
- Social/civic capital

## North Carolina Rural Center

- Strong leadership
- Broad programming
- Heavy R&D emphasis
- Strong community orientation
- Strong collaboration on projects
- Excellent political/partner relations
- Stakeholder aggregation
- Supportive community – education, ngos, philanthropics

## The Minnesota Model

- Statewide
- Philanthropics

- Research Center

- State
- Agency

- Rural
- Partners

- Community &
- Regional
- Foundations

- Higher Education

## The Minnesota Model

- Lots of organizations
- Autonomous to Semi-Autonomous
- Dispersed programming
- Heavy philanthropic influence
- State government in backseat
- Common approaches and philosophy

## McKnight&the M.I.F.’s(Minnesota Initiative Funds)

## MN Initiative Foundations

- Norwest
- Northland
- West Central
- Initiative
- Southwest MN
- Southern MN Inititative

## MIF Development

- Economic “relief”
- Business development
- Community development
- Regional analysis, planning & action

## The RED Group

- 30+ Organizations
- All sectors represented
- Sign-off on principles
- Align efforts on 6 regional demonstration projects

## The Minnesota Model

- Regional alignment
- Build on existing assets
- Local leadership
- Integrated education and training responsive to business needs

- Primacy of private sector in eco. dev.
- Government to create affordable infra-structure responsive to business needs
- Measurement & evaluation to enhance learning & adaptation

## RED Projects

**West Central**:  to build capacity of the health care industry by helping health care workers develop new skills and move to higher-skilled positions while maintaining attachment to current employers
**Southern MN**:  to build a bio-industry marketplace comprised of small pharmaceutical companies, industrial bio-technology firms and agricultural and food bio-sciences businesses

## RED Projects cont’d

**Southwest Minnesota**: to develop a renewable energy cluster
**Northwest**:  to build a knowledge cluster around manufacturing and applied engineering centered on wood products, value-added technology and recreational vehicles

## The RED Group

*“... **links powerful public and private resources to the same engine and puts them on the same track, heading in the same direction.”*
*“**We’re making it up as we go.”*
*“**It’s asset-based, it’s regional, it’s cooperative.  We’ve never done that before.  I say ‘let’s go with it.’”*

## Bobby GierischSenior FellowRural Policy Research Institutegierisch@sbcglobal.net512-452-2351

## Where else within a single lift span has mankind built so mightily?1889

- 	Strong men and women came upon a raw land
- With vision. . .They spanned rivers and prairies and mountains
- With determination. . .they created schools, churches, farms, and factories
- They lifted great building to the skies
- They drilled deep wells into rich earth
- With thankfulness to their God
- They are still pioneering
- 	still achieving
- 	still exploring future frontiers