The Economic Centre of Hants County (The Centre) is a self-sustaining, community driven and developed centre, established to effectively and efficiently deliver programs, services, and products to the population of Hants County.
The objective of The Centre is to service and support the economic development of Hants County through partnership and co-location of private and public sector employers and community service providers. Ultimately this centre could boost the labour market and develop a solid economic base of both workers and employers.
The implications of this Centre will peremptorily affect both the economy and community.
Clearly economic development will result from all community partners working in concert to deliver a solid employer base and a readied labour force to meet local employer needs. The spinoffs of a shared mandate of economic development will include adding a sense of pride within the community, relieving the numbers dependent on social safety nets, and building a healthy tax base to support future development. Success will be driven by the co-operative partnering of a variety of community players with similar mandates of success within our challenging economic climate.
The Centre will deliver quality service to all target groups by offering:

• a one-stop link for customers to the services currently being delivered from a variety of locations in the area.
• elimination of duplication of services by government agencies and associates.
• a resource and support system for employers and their labour force.

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by Linda MacDonald, November 7, 1999

Nova Scotia: Beginning the CED Process with a Unique Service Delivery Model

 

The greater Windsor area, a small rural community in Nova Scotia, is building the capacity of its community and experiencing CED through a holistic approach to development. The Enterprise Centre of Hants County (ECHCo), a unique service structure, integrates social and economic goals with underlying principles of partnership and CED, and is to be credited for community leadership in the education and mobilization of the community as it relates to CED.

In July, 1996 a concept was brought forward to the community (by HRDC) that community economic development would result if community service partners worked in concert in the true spirit and philosophy of partnership, with a total commitment to quality service as requested and required by the citizens of the community. It was proposed that the spinoffs of a shared mandate of economic development would integrate social and economic goals, firstly by adding a sense of pride within the community, and, in the end, relieve the numbers dependent on social safety nets and increase the overall health of the community.

The objective of the proposed centre was to service and support the economic development of Hants County through partnership, co-location and community mobilization. Key to the success would be to recognize the importance of partnership, understand the philosophy of partnership, and display partnership in action. It was believed that the implications of this centre with a shared underlying CED philosophy, would peremptorily affect both the economy and the community. The goal was to have the centre become, over the long term, self sustaining, community driven and community developed.

Originally proposed as the "Economic Centre of Hants County" in 1996, the Enterprise Centre of Hants County, known to the community as ECHCo, became a reality in August of 1998. What makes ECHCo different from other centers? Firstly, ECHCo was not proposed as simply a collocation. In this scenario the questions to be answered are simple; "How much space do you require?", "How much money do you have?" and "Is this fiscally a good decision for our organization?" Although in final planning these issues came forward, ECHCo partners came to the table to discuss CED philosophy, the community, and citizens' expectations, meanwhile trying to set aside employer loyalties, employer pressures, and the realities of the day. The challenge was to examine this proposed project objectively with the needs of the community at the forefront. The time that was invested at the beginning of the process was built on CED philosophy and Citizen Centered Service Delivery- , quality service, citizen needs and a holistic approach to the community set ECHCo apart from others. A critical step was getting to know each other, and in the case of ECHCo, the questions asked included "What are the benefits to others of partnering with my organization?" "What are the benefits to my organization of partnering with these other organizations?". Potential partners spent time sharing who they were, who their clients were, and trying to identify how they could service citizens better, together. Simply, the proposal's strength demonstrated that the sum of the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts. ECHCo itself would be a beginning to extending the capacity of the community and mobilizing the service providers to think and act firstly for clients, not for organizations.

This year, and one year later, partners in the centre are in the midst of strategic planning for the future; examining the meaning and workings of partnership, sharing expectations, discussing CED philosophy, and finalizing their mission.

Looking back over the past year, this CED infrastructure has been the catalyst and home to a variety of CED initiatives, many in the beginning stages of mobilization toward CED. ECHCo is currently home to a new community group known as the Hants West Community Economic Development Association, (WHCEDA), committed through their mission to "create, promote, lead and encourage a proud, self-sufficient Community for existing and future residents and businesses, by embracing our heritage, maximizing our existing assets, and creating opportunities".' Their goal is to make the area a better place to live and grow through responsible economic and social development" In addition, a group in the community has been mobilized to take over what was originally an ECHCo initiative, and have applied for a Community Economic Development Investment Fund; their goal to keep local investment within the community. Already they have a project on the table that will not only reflect the needs of the community, but benefits the community through job creation, improved lifestyle and economic growth. In addition, ECHCo is the location of a community art gallery currently displaying works of community seniors, in honor of the International Year of Older Persons. The Centre is presently partnering on a  youth initiative, to assist youth in the community to open their own businesses and contribute to the economy and to their own futures within their community. This is part of a Youth Strategy that is growing to become a holistic CED strategy, looking at the overall health (economic and social) of community and youth.

Future challenges include identifying how citizens contribute to the future of the Centre; how partners maintain a "partnership" philosophy without feeling threatened; how to "not forget" the philosophy of the foundation of ECHCo; and finally, how to maintain a philosophy of citizen-centered service delivery and invest, defend and sell the big picture (CED) to senior management, boards, and government officials. Unfortunately, not everyone can support partnership, the big picture and long term investment. Those who do not, will either learn to understand the philosophy from others; or make it difficult for others to continue.

Finally, the support of community leaders and supportive public policy, as it relates to the importance of CED, is vital to community based development and the continued success of centers like ECHCo. Only through long term thinking; and surrendering power to communities, will community economic development become a reality. The Enterprise Centre of Hants County is an example of how local leaders, thinking outside their boxes, prioritizing the mobilization of the community, and seeing their service from the community's perspective can make a difference.