1.
Metrics for Success in Rural
Economic Development
Melissa Levy, Community Roots
October 17, 2022
NADO Annual Training Conference

2.
Who is here?

3.
Objectives
Be exposed to a unique process that
will assist you in focusing action.
Learn and apply a measurement
vocabulary
View an indicator analysis.
Learn how to create meaningful
measures.
Learn about measuring multiple
forms of wealth.

4.
Why Measure?
Fuels continuous learning through reflection
Creates new information and new patterns of
information flow
Captures results of risk and experimentation
Supports constructive self-organizing behavior
Can lead to new and unprecedented
conversations, particularly with information
gatekeepers

5.
Process
Overview

6.
Vocabulary: Goal
A goal is a condition that
you wish to achieve. A goal
is not an action. Achieving a
goal requires a change in the
way your organization or
your community looks, feels,
and acts.
A well-chosen goal
should reflect what
you really want, not
what you think
someone else, like a
funder, wants to hear.

7.
Engaging Stakeholders
Those whose cooperation
is essential to reaching
your goal.
Those who can prevent
you from reaching your
goal.
Those who will be
affected as you make
progress toward your
goal.

8.
Vocabulary: Indicator
An indicator is something that
must be changed, or a
condition that must be
achieved, in order to claim that
progress is being made toward
a goal.
– What needs to change?
– In what direction?

9.
What Makes a Good Indicator?
If the goal is:
Everyone in our community
can find rewarding work.
• Useful indicator: The
number and diversity of
work opportunities in our
community are
increasing.
• Less useful: Number of
jobs in our community.

10.
Goal
Think about an existing goal
of your organization or a new
goal you want to work on.
Stakeholders
What stakeholders would you
want to have at the table to
explore this goal?
Indicator
Write an indicator for the
goal. From your perspective,
what needs to change to get
that goal to happen?
More of something
Less of something
Presence of something that
did not exist.
Absence of something that
did exist.
EXERCISE:
Goals/Stakeholders/Indicator

11.
Indicator Analysis
GOAL:
There are viable
agricultural
enterprises in Our
Town.

12.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in
our community.
#2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural
enterprises in Our Town
are available and
affordable.
#3: Better
understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and
Town committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and
residents share the
identify of Our Town as
an agriculture
community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable)
attractive as a place to
farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from
University to Our Town’s
vision and agriculture
strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our
Town remains the same
or increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary
agricultural
services/enterprises

13.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in
our community.
#2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural
enterprises in Our Town
are available and
affordable.
#3: Better
understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and
Town committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and
residents share the
identify of Our Town as
an agriculture
community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable)
attractive as a place to
farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from
University to Our Town’s
vision and agriculture
strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our
Town remains the same
or increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary
agricultural
services/enterprises
What does it
mean?

14.
#3: Better understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and Town
committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our
Town as an agriculture
community.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in our
community. #2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural enterprises
in Our Town are available
and affordable.
#3: Better understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and Town
committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our
Town as an agriculture
community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable) attractive
as a place to farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from University
to Our Town’s vision and
agriculture strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our Town
remains the same or
increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary agricultural
services/enterprises
Key Leverage Indicators
KLI #1
KLI #2

15.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in our
community. #2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural enterprises
in Our Town are available
and affordable.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our
Town as an agriculture
community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable) attractive
as a place to farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from University
to Our Town’s vision and
agriculture strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our Town
remains the same or
increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary agricultural
services/enterprises
Key Leverage Indicator #1
#3: Better understanding
of agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and Town
committees and
commissions.

16.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in our
community. #2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural enterprises
in Our Town are available
and affordable.
#3: Better understanding of
agricultural issues by municipal
employees, elected officials,
and Town committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our Town as
an agriculture community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable) attractive
as a place to farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from University
to Our Town’s vision and
agriculture strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our Town
remains the same or
increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary agricultural
services/enterprises
Key Leverage Indicator #2
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our Town as
an agriculture community.

17.
#3: Better understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and Town
committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our
Town as an agriculture
community.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in our
community. #2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural enterprises
in Our Town are available
and affordable.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable) attractive
as a place to farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from University
to Our Town’s vision and
agriculture strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our Town
remains the same or
increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary agricultural
services/enterprises
Key Results Indicator
#7: The number of
functional farms in Our
Town remains the same
or increases.

18.
#1: More ag-related
enterprises are present,
visible and growing in our
community. #2: The land resources
necessary to attract, and
keep, agricultural enterprises
in Our Town are available
and affordable.
#3: Better understanding of
agricultural issues by
municipal employees,
elected officials, and Town
committees and
commissions.
#4: Producers and residents
share the identify of Our
Town as an agriculture
community.
#5: Our Town is a
realistically (viable) attractive
as a place to farm.
#6: High-level of
commitment from University
to Our Town’s vision and
agriculture strategy.
#7: The number of
functional farms in
Our Town remains
the same or
increases.
#8: Tax equality for all
agricultural enterprises
#9: Prioritize existing
farmland or farmland
preservation
#10: More coordinated
supportive services and
complementary agricultural
services/enterprises
Key Results Indicator

19.
Measure
A measure provides a way
to actually count or value
the status of an indicator.
For example, things may
be measured in terms of
“number of,” “percent of,”
“quality of,” “frequency
of,” or “rating of.”

20.
Steps to Developing a
Measure
1
Define the
terms in your
indicator so that
everyone knows
what they
mean.
2
Determine the
baseline. This is
the first time
you measure it.
3
Determine the
unit. What are
you measuring?
People,
percentages,
miles, etc.
4
Ensure a strong
connection
between the
measure,
indicator and
goal.

21.
Choosing Sample Measures
1. What has to happen for
it to “count” as progress
toward the goal?
2. What are the behavioral
changes that indicate
progress?
3. What is the baseline that
meet the definitions?

22.
MEASURING WEALTH USING A
WEALTHWORKS APPROACH

23.
What is WealthWorks?
WealthWorks is an approach to
economic development that is
rooted in place and embodies
sustainability principles.

24.
Multiple Forms of
Wealth
Improved Livelihoods
for Everyone
Local Ownership
WealthWorks: Doing Economic
Development Differently
Demand-driven community and economic development

25.
What Makes a Community Great?
What are the positive assets in your community?
What would land your community on a “Top 10
Places to Live” list?
These are the assets you have to build upon.

26.
How is wealth usually defined?
• Wealth is not just money
• Wealth is the reservoir of all assets
that can contribute to the well-being
of people, places or economies.

27.
Eight Forms of Community Capital

28.
Wealth Matrix
Type Intervention Indicator Measure Baseline Method Partners
Individual
Social
Intellectual
Natural
Built
Financial
Political
Cultural
Local
ownership
Livelihoods

29.
Using the wealth matrix and the goal you developed
earlier, identify 2-3 forms of capital on which to
focus your measurement.
EXERCISE: Wealth Matrix

30.
Economic Development -
Wealth Measures
•Jobs created/retained
Change in behavior due to new skills
Increased engagement
Individual
•$ of investment
•# enterprises created/expanded
Financial
•New or improved infrastructure.
Built
•# of orgs and networks engaged in supporting policy change.
•# of policies/programs supporting strategies.
Political

31.
Economic Development –
Wealth Measures
•# of partners implementing new ideas.
Intellectual
•# and strength of partnerships
•# of partners representing people who may not have
participated in or led past economic development efforts
Social
•Acreage of conserved land
•Natural resources protected or restored
Natural
•Stories related to culture and evolving regional identity
•# of successions/new entrants in locally owned businesses in
sectors important to regional identity.
Cultural

32.
Using the Results of
Measurement Rule #1: If you don’t know how
you are going to use information,
don’t collect it. Consider using
information to influence
decision-makers, educate
stakeholders, improve
interventions.
Rule #2: Collect information that
will be most relevant and useful
in achieving your goal. The more
closely your measures are tied to
your interventions, the more
useful they will be. Don’t try to
measure too much.

33.
For More Information
Melissa Levy
Community Roots
802.318.1720
melissa@community-roots.com
www.community-roots.com