Stronger Economies Together (SET) Strategies for Building New Economic Opportunities SET VI Applications Opening slide to have up when participants arrive.

Welcome and Introductions Placeholder for making introductions. Particularly if this is a new regional group, time is needed to establish who is in the room and the county and sector (i.e. education, industry, government) that each person represents.

Support Structure for SET SET Regions State Resource Team This simple graphic shows how regional teams will be supported to do their work. Most directly, State Resource Teams will provide coaching and guidance. The State Resource Team, in turn, is supported by the National Team consisting of USDA Rural Development at the federal level, the Southern Rural Development Center that is coordinating the work, and the Purdue Center for Regional Development that is providing leadership to the team and is also providing data analysis. SET National Team

SET: Participation Over Time This map shows previous SET states (solid blue) and SET VI states (stripes). There are 10 SET VI states, three of which are new to the SET family.

Purpose of SET Help rural counties work together as a regional team in developing and implementing A High Quality Regional Economic Development Plan that builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of their region. This purpose statement is used throughout the SET process. Emphasis is given to the development of a High Quality Economic Development Plan.

What SET Provides Regional Teams Hands on step- by-step process for building or enhancing regional plans Detailed demographic & socio-economic information Data and analysis on current and emerging industry clusters Coaching implementation of the plan Access to individuals with special expertise More in-depth cluster analysis Data & Analysis Technical Assistance Coaching What regional teams receive as a result of SET is divided into these four segments.

SET Process Overview Implementing Success TX-Lower Rio Grande Valley Launching SET through Civic Engagement Examining Economic Data Exploring In-Depth Regional Advantages & Opportunities Defining Assets and Barriers Establishing the Plan Implementing Success The SET process is streamlined to walk the region through a dynamic process in a short time. Beginning with a Civic Engagement Forum, SET seeks input from a larger sector of the region than may be engaged throughout the “nuts and bolts” of the planning process. Based on the input from that session, the planning team then begins exploring economic data for the region including an in-depth analysis of industry clusters and leakages that might help the group select relevant strategies for strengthening the region’s economy. Assets and challenges related to the various potential directions are examined in order to select final goals with related strategies, action steps, and measures to establish the completed plan. Once the plan is written, the real work of implementation begins. With continued guidance for the State Resource Team, the region begins making meaningful progress on its SET plan. TX-Lower Rio Grande Valley

Specific Eligibility & Priority Points

Aligning with the Purpose of SET Regions best suited for SET are: Newly formed regions Regions that need to be reenergized Regions needing to update plans (such as CEDS) Where SET Is Not a good fit: Regions that have recently completed regional economic plans Regions that are already functioning at a high level SET is not for everyone. It is a specific process for a specific purpose. In general, SET is designed to help regions with planning. Thus, those that have recently completed regional planning processes will likely find SET to be redundant, and thus not a good fit. The slide gives some examples of where SET IS and IS NOT a good fit.

Understanding the Rural Definition 51% or more of the region's population is classified as rural OR 75% of the region's land area is located in rural areas of that region. Applicant regions must meet the definition of rural using one of these two yardsticks. Additional resources are available on the web link. http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/apply http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/apply

Priority Points: High Poverty 20%+ Priority points are given to regions that include one or more counties experiencing high poverty (counties where 20% or more of their population are in poverty.) Explanations and data are available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/apply http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/atlas-of-rural-and-small-town-america/go-to-the-atlas.aspx

Priority Points: Persistent Poverty Priority points are given for regions that include one or more counties experiencing persistent poverty: High poverty that has persisted three or more decades (generations). Explanations and data are available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/apply http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/atlas-of-rural-and-small-town-america/go-to-the-atlas.aspx

The Site Visit Purposes: Ensure that regions understand SET Select sites that are most likely to benefit Clarify expectations for the regions Help coaches prepare for working with the regions Top finalists regions will participate in a site visit by the state resource team. The purposes of these visits are to: Ensure that partners understand the purpose and process of SET Select sites that are most likely to benefit from SET Clarify expectations for the regions Help coaches prepare for working with the regions that are selected (better understanding of background)

Timeline ADD YOUR DATE, Regional Applications Due April 28, State Recommendations Submitted Early June, Regions Announced SET Planning Phase: 6-7 months SET Launching Phase: 6-7 months State Resource Teams – Add the date you want applications to be turned in to you. Other dates and times reflect the rest of the process.

Your Turn: Question and Answers

Who to Contact? http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/ Insert Your Team Contact Info Be sure to insert your team members that will be available for questions. http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/