A Municipal Guide to Community Resource …

1 A Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource InventoryDevelopmentIdentifying Community Assets and ResourcesCreated for Saskatchewan municipalitiesDeveloped bytheMunicipal Capacity development partnership between:Executive SummaryDeveloping a Community Resource Inventory (CRI)is an exercise for individualcommunities and intermunicipal groups to engage in as a component of strategiccommunity planning . The process ofdeveloping a Community Resource inventoryassistsmunicipalities in identifying and highlighting the unique and significant characteristics oftheir communities and the surrounding Community Resource Inventory,when developed in conjunction with an intermunicipal working group, compliments acommunity action plan by outlining current resources and future needs. The purpose ofthe Municipal Capacity development Program (MCDP) sMunicipal Guide toCommunityResource Inventory Developmentis to highlight the benefits ofdeveloping a CRIas wellas provide a comprehensive Resource .

2 The Guide highlights the process ofcreating a CRIas it relates to individual Community and regional planning in Saskatchewan and bridgesadditional MCDP resources, offering examples, ideas, and survey Guide provides simple, easy-to-follow steps explaining: Whata Community Resource Inventoryis, including the process and itscomponents; Its practical applications and relationship to your Community s vision and goals,both present and future; How to prepare your Community for asset mapping, including budgeting andresearch methods; and Specific asset inventories with helpful resources, survey templates and worksheetsfor enhanced OverviewThe process ofdeveloping a Community Resource Inventoryis outlined in this simple,user-friendly modality, providing information for municipalities to engage in the assetmapping process from planning to completion. It includes the following information: Introduction toa Community Resource Inventoryas a CommunityDevelopment Tool Preparing to Conducta Community Resource Inventory Highlighting Particular Asset Inventories ApplyingtheCommunity Resource Inventory User Resources, Worksheets and Survey TemplatesIntroduction toa Community Resource Inventoryas a Community development ToolThe Guide introducesa Community Resource Inventoryand its practical applications,includingeconomic development , grants and funding, Community self-reliance andMunicipal Capacity development Program Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory development (April 2011)3quality of life, partnerships, accounting, and Community and sustainability planning .

3 Itdiscusses the benefits, providing a big picture perspective, and connecting the processofdeveloping a CRIwith regional planning and resources within the toConduct a Community Resource InventoryEstablishing the initial steps in preparing to conduct a communityresource inventory;this Guide outlines five considerations on the road to readiness. These include: Defining the desired outcome(s) of thecommunity Resource inventoryexercise; Determining the focus using a needs-based or Resource -based approach; Budget preparation as key to the success of the process; Emphasizing public transparency and the importance of engaging thecommunity as a whole; and Deciding whichresourceinventories complement the Community s overall ParticularResourceInventoriesThe Guide outlines fiveresourceinventories including statistics, humanresources, localinstitutions, physical infrastructure and land assets, and culturalresources.

4 TheStatistical Inventoryincludes social, economic, and geographical data. Usually thisinformation has already been compiled by government agencies, universities, ororganizations and is publicly accessible. Taking aHumanResourceInventoryinvolvesgathering information of the experience, skills, and involvement of Community residentsin a focused survey or a comprehensive individual survey. ALocal Institution Inventorycompiles information pertaining to economic, educational, political and religiousorganizations. ThePhysical Infrastructure and Land Assets Inventoryfocuses on naturalresources and manmade structures such astransportation systems, utilities andcommunity facilities, housing, and land availability and resources. TheCultural Inventoryaccounts for Community heritage, sports, art and history, representing the uniquecharacter of the Applicationsof theCommunity Resource InventoryCommunities can apply the completedCRIfor future growth and development as a toolfor strategic or Community planning , recognizing needs for new organizations, programsand projects, or as a promotional tool to draw new residents, tourism, and Resources, Worksheets & Survey TemplatesThe Guide s appendices provide additional supporting documents such as a budgetingworksheet, survey templates, and other useful resources.

5 Throughout the Guide , tips onpotential sources of information such as government agencies, non-governmentalorganizations, and other publicly accessible information are Capacity development Program Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory development (April 2011)4 ConclusionA Community Resource Inventoryis one aspect of capacity building and communitysustainability and one step on the road to establishing an official Community Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory Developmentprovides the user aneasy, step-by-step process to successfully create and apply a CommunityResourceInventoryfor future development . Inherent in the Guide are the underlying tenets of:1)Identifying a Community s current resources and considering present andfuture needs;2)Engaging Community members in cooperative efforts to strengthen currentresources and build strongersocial, geographic and economic networks;3)Applying thecommunity Resource inventoryexercise for strategic planningand further growth and development ;4)Recognizingcommunity Resource inventory developmentwithin the largerpicture of capacity building hope that the full-length document serves as a useful Resource for engagingSaskatchewan communities in thecommunity Resource inventoryprocess, contributingto individual and regional strategic planning Capacity development Program Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory development (April 2011)5 Table of ContentsExecutive Community Resource Inventory?

6 Applications of the CommunityResource Community Resource Inventory: The Big to Your Your Your your Institution Infrastructure and Land Asset and Community Use and and Heritage It All YourResources: FutureCommunity Resource the Municipal Capacity development A:CommunityResource InventoryProject planning B:Project Budget planning D:Local Institution documentwas created for the purpose of educating andassisting Saskatchewan intermunicipal working groups. Itisnotintended for profit. Do not use without Capacity development Program Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory development (April 2011)6 IntroductionWhat isa Community Resource Inventory?ACommunityResource Inventoryis similar to a retail store doing inventory, is ameaningfulrecord of all of theresourcesin your everything from the numbers and types of availableworkers in your area, to infrastructure and its assessment, tothe uniqueskillsofyourcommunitymembers.

7 Every Community has a deep well of resources just waiting to bediscovered, and sometimes these resources are this information involves taking stock of EVERYTHING that your municipalityor Community has to offer using primary and secondary information maincategories ofresourcesthat you should identify are: The skills, potential and function of every individual and/or group of individuals; Demographics; Local Institutions; Informal Organizations; Physical Infrastructure; Cultural and Heritage resources; and Land the CommunityResource InventoryAlthough communityresource inventory developmentcan take on a number of forms,inevery case itsbenefits are virtually knowing what you have, it isdifficult to plan for the future and as such communities and municipalities that maptheirresourcesare better equipped to attract investment, improve the quality of lifeofresidents,and to understand the potential and opportunities of the area.

8 Some of themost commonly identified benefits ofa Community Resource inventoryinclude: Economic development -With this information you have the ability toinfluence investorsby providing them with the information they need togauge the suitability of your Community to meet their business Capacity development Program Municipal Guide toCommunity Resource Inventory development (April 2011)7 Funding-Being able to show that you are using theavailableresources inyour area in an efficientwaymakes you a better candidatefor also able to lower yourlevel of risk in the eyes of potential funders if youcan demonstratethat you haveexaminedyour optionsto complete a projectand that you are willing to use what resources you haveavailableinconjunctionwith a grant or outside funding. Self-relianceand improved quality of life-With a clearunderstanding of all ofthe human and financial resources that you have at your disposal, you arebetter able to use them more creatively and more efficiently.

9 You willnoticethat yourneedfor outside assistance is reduced as you identify theuntappedand underutilizedresourceswithin your own Community . Partnerships-The information that you gather assists you in building onalready existing partnerships, can lead to the development of newpartnerships and can be used to leverage resources by connectingindividuals, institutions, and organizations through the identification ofcommon goals and interests. Accounting-Under the CICA, PSAB Sect. PS 3150 requires municipalities toreport asset information of their financial statements by 2009. Municipalitiesare faced with the institution of PSAB section PS 3150-Reporting Model andCapital Municipal Asset Information System (MAIS) has beendeveloped by both the Municipal sector and Provincial Government toprovide information necessary to determine and negotiate with the FederalGovernment for appropriate long-term infrastructure funding.

10 planning -Not only is a compilation of communityresourcesessentialforsustainabl e planning but through the exercise of compiling yourresourceinventory, you are beginning the planning you gather andanalyze information about your Community , you begin to notice gaps inservices, under utilized areas etc. that you can leverage to develop your many of the benefits ofdeveloping a Community Resource inventoryare notimmediate, it is an important foundation for growth and development of Community Resource Inventoryis a Community -based initiative and assuch there is no one defined process that must be followed in gathering, recording andutilizing this information. Whichever process your municipality chooses to follow inundertaking this initiative, once completed your communitywill have a database ofinformation with which it is much easier to sell your municipality, region and communityto visitors, potential investors, and even current residents.