Home : Reports and Publications : Audit & Evaluation : Evaluation Study of the CEDO and CEDIP Programs – September 2004
3.0 Evaluation Findings (cont'd)
3.2 Community Economic Development Opportunity Program
As mentioned earlier, the CEDO program (Community Economic Development Opportunity) constitutes a funding vehicle for services and projects identified as priorities in the WCBSN members strategic plan, as it related to community economic development. The program supports projects conducted by CFDCs, WEI and FEDOs for WD. Currently, the program is managed at the regional level and each region has adopted a specific delivery approach. This evaluation study assessed the relevance, success and program delivery of the CEDO program. Views on possible improvements on delivery were also gathered.
3.2.1 Relevance
Key Informant Interviews
Respondents were asked to what degree there was a need for the CEDO program. Overall, respondents distinguished the need for support for community economic development initiatives and the need for the CEDO program specifically.
- In terms of community economic development initiatives in general, the majority of respondents confirmed the need for such efforts. One stakeholder said that there is a need for projects that bring various community stakeholders together to plan and assess community-level economic development issues, something business loans alone do not address. Unfortunately, such collective efforts require funds to support them (“people do not volunteer very long for these things”).
- The majority also confirmed the relevance of the WCBSN members’ role in CED activities. The WCBSN organizations are aware of local needs and have excellent Network linkages to play a leading role in community-level CED projects.
As for the need for the CEDO program in its current form, opinions were mixed among those who responded to the question (less than ten respondents). About half of respondents said that there is need. A national WD respondent explained that it is part of WDs mandate and that the WCBSN members need additional funding to conduct CED projects that go beyond business loans and services to entrepreneurs. They also mentioned that additional funding was needed.
However, half of the other respondents were either hesitant or felt that the program was not needed, at least in its current form. These respondents felt that CED projects could be conducted within existing funding (WCBSN member operating budgets). A respondent said that it could be use only for exceptional projects, selected case by case. One region (Alberta) provides a pre-set amount to all CFDCs, in addition to some project funding.
3.2.2 Results
Key Informant Interview Findings
According to interview results, the BC region has put high priority on this program and has supported many CEDO projects in the region, especially in the area of rural development. CED activities are supported in that region by many funding vehicles, including SDNP, WDP, the CF program and CEDO. A WD respondent from that region said that hundreds of CEDO projects are supported every year. Examples of successful projects include the following:
- An Internet site that reviews film locations to attract film producers to areas throughout B.C.
- A project to support disabled entrepreneurs in the area of Website development.
- The Business Vitality Index Project, that measured the “business readiness” of communities and identified gaps and opportunities.
- The tourism/agriculture cluster development project in the Fraser Valley. This project facilitated the development of joint tourism/agriculture projects and achieved concrete, immediate results.
A project in Saskatchewan was also given as an example of a successful CEDO project. The project consisted of undertaking a feasibility study to convert condemned grain elevators. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool had announced the closure of 184 grain elevators throughout the province. The closures were to affect 15 communities within the service area of the CFDC. An assessment was conducted to determine the condition of the elevators and possible usage. Crop cleaning/storage and feed milling were identified as possible alternative usages and prime investment opportunities. As a result of the project, 11 elevators were eventually purchased, which resulted in $9,718,000 in new investment and an initial 43 new jobs. The communities involved also invested an additional $88,000 for feasibility studies and business plans.
Other examples were noted in Alberta. In one area, funds were used to work with communities that were directly affected by mine closures. CEDO was used to devise diversification strategies. These were developed by getting together community stakeholders and representatives from the three levels of government to discuss options, alternatives and actions. As a result, various initiatives were developed in the areas of tourism, housing and food/agriculture. Other projects consisted of developing plans and assessing the feasibility of various projects, such as recreational facility development projects. In all cases, the respondent specified that such CEDO activities are complex and take time. Results are usually long-term.
Survey Findings
A number of findings were gathered through the survey of WCBSN members. The survey provides an overall view of program use, as well as indications on the impact/success of CEDO projects.
Total |
WD Region |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB |
BC |
MB |
SK
|
||
Total |
96 |
29 |
35 |
17 |
16 |
Yes |
87.9% |
80.0% |
95.2% |
100% |
73.3% |
No |
6.8% |
8.0% |
.0% |
.0% |
26.7% |
Don't know |
5.3% |
12.0% |
4.8% |
.0% |
.0% |
Exhibit 3.6 provides an overall description of program use by region of the last two years preceding the survey. As indicated, results suggest that the program usage is highest in Manitoba and BC (although many respondents in Alberta were unsure whether their organizations received funds from CEDO or not). The number of members being higher in BC, the actual number is highest in that region.
Total |
WD Region |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB |
BC |
MB |
SK | ||
Total |
86 |
23 |
33 |
17 |
13 |
Conduct a study |
11.3% |
5.0% |
10.0% |
18.2% |
16.7% |
Develop a plan or strategy |
35.4% |
40.0% |
45.0% |
18.2% |
25.0% |
Develop a physical infrastructure |
8.8% |
5.0% |
10.0% |
18.2% |
.0% |
Business training, counselling, or information |
22.1% |
25.0% |
15.0% |
36.4% |
16.7% |
Other (please specify) |
19.7% |
15.0% |
20.0% |
9.1% |
41.7% |
Don't know |
2.7% |
10.0% |
.0% |
.0% |
.0% |
The findings shown in the exhibit above describe the projects funded under CEDO. As shown, about one-third of the projects consist of developing plans or strategies. Many other projects (22 percent) consisted of activities related to training, counseling or providing information. Among the other projects reported, the survey reported:
- A trade show;
- Work on a strategy for leadership development as well as a strategy for the tourism sector;
- Community profiling for content upload to a provincial website (sakbiz.ca);
- Development of software and internet mail to serve clients;
- Etc.
In terms of regional distribution, findings suggest that plans and strategies account for a higher percentage in BC and Alberta, while that Manitoba WCBSN members appear to coordinate more training, counseling or information related activities. In Saskatchewan, an exceptionally high number of projects did not fit in the survey categories and were classified as “other” types of projects.
The level of funding provided |
 |
|||||||
| Less than 10K | 10k-15k | 20k-30k | 35k or more | |||||
In Exhibit 3.8 above, survey findings related to the leverage effect of projects are presented. As shown, 43 percent of projects leveraged more than $35,000 from other sources (each). Only 21 percent leveraged less than $10,000.
Help the community attract new institutions |
 |
|||||
Help the community obtain funding from another government program |
||||||
Help the community develop new businesses |
||||||
Help the community develop HR capacity in economic development |
||||||
Help expand existing businesses |
||||||
Help the community improve planning |
||||||
| Little Extent | Moderate | Great extent | ||||
The above exhibit provides results relating to the impacts of the CEDO projects. According to results:
- The majority of projects help expand businesses (60 percent of projects) and/or improve community planning (68 percent) “to a great extent”.
- As well, 90 percent of respondents said that their projects helped the community develop HR community in economic development from a moderate to a great extent.
- Impacts on the attraction of new institutions and obtaining funding from other government sources was slightly lower (65 percent said that these were achieved from a moderate to a great extent).