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From information to knowledge: Finding and using community data

From information to knowledge: Finding and using community data

Bill Reimer Bill Reimer Research DirectorResearch Director

Research Project on the New Rural EconomyResearch Project on the New Rural Economy ((www.nre.concordia.cawww.nre.concordia.ca)) Ray D. Bollman Ray D. Bollman EditorEditor

Statistics Canada’s “Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletins”Statistics Canada’s “Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletins”www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/21-006-XIE/free.htmwww.statcan.ca/english/freepub/21-006-XIE/free.htm

National Rural Conference WorkshopNational Rural Conference Workshop

Red Deer, Alberta, October 21 – 23, 2004Red Deer, Alberta, October 21 – 23, 2004

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(our) Objectives(our) Objectives

• Identify key rural issuesIdentify key rural issues

• Identify examples of community decisionsIdentify examples of community decisions

•Getting the informationGetting the information Identify appropriate informationIdentify appropriate information Find this informationFind this information Analyze the informationAnalyze the information Develop knowledge for local strategiesDevelop knowledge for local strategies

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Information to KnowledgeInformation to Knowledge

•Information has meaning only in the Information has meaning only in the context of an issue, challenge, context of an issue, challenge, vision, or questionvision, or question

•Information has value only if it Information has value only if it increases the value of a decisionincreases the value of a decision (or if it prevents a “bad” decision !)(or if it prevents a “bad” decision !)

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3 Big Issues:3 Big Issues:

•Think GlobalThink Global

•The Power of Social NetworksThe Power of Social Networks

•Demographic ChangeDemographic Change

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Information to KnowledgeInformation to Knowledge1.1. What is the issue?What is the issue?2.2. What are the questions?What are the questions?3.3. What information will answer the What information will answer the

questions?questions?4.4. Where can it be found?Where can it be found?5.5. What does the information show?What does the information show?6.6. What strategies does it suggest?What strategies does it suggest?

Topic 1: Think Global

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Think Global: IssuesThink Global: Issues•Primary industries shedding labourPrimary industries shedding labour

•Manufacturing or tradable servicesManufacturing or tradable services

•Knowledge-intensive growingKnowledge-intensive growing

•Transaction costs fallingTransaction costs falling

•Youth leave, families returnYouth leave, families return

•Concentration increasedConcentration increased

•Immigration continuesImmigration continues

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Think Global: QuestionsThink Global: Questions

•What are local assets?What are local assets?

•How is our community connected?How is our community connected?

•How will it be connected?How will it be connected?

•What opportunities are created?What opportunities are created?

•What shall we deal with first?What shall we deal with first?

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Think Global: InformationThink Global: Information

•Local AssetsLocal Assets

•TradeTrade

•TravelTravel

•CommunicationCommunication

•Global trendsGlobal trends

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Think Global: SourcesThink Global: Sources•Statistics Canada’s “Community Profiles”Statistics Canada’s “Community Profiles”

•Local development agency community profilesLocal development agency community profiles

•Chambers of CommerceChambers of Commerce

•High school reunion committeesHigh school reunion committees

•Number and characteristics of families Number and characteristics of families welcomed by the “Welcome Wagon” last monthwelcomed by the “Welcome Wagon” last month

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Population pyramid for Tweed (village), compared to Ontario, 2001

-40-30-20-10010203040

Males Females

0-4

5-14

15-19

20-24

25-44

45-54

55-64

65-74

75-84

85+

Ontario Ontario Tweed Tweed

Source: Statistics Canada, Community Profiles (http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/PlaceSearchForm1.cfm)

Percent in each age class

10 20 30 40

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Population by age classPopulation by age class•Observations for Tweed (Relative to Ontario)

pre-schoolers (age 0-4) slightly smaller share of pop.

(5 to 44) all significantly smaller share seniors (65 and over) are larger share of the

population

• Implications for Tweed (Relative to Ontario) health and recreation services / opportunities for

seniors are more important than services for youth

size and contribution of youth and young adults to the workforce is much smaller.

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In Tweed, a higher share of employment is the retail trade and in the health and educational sectors, 2001

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Tweed Ontario

Pe

rce

nt

dis

trib

uti

on

of

ex

pe

rie

nc

ed

wo

rkfo

rce

,

20

01

   Other services 

   Businessservices 

   Health andeducation 

   Finance and realestate 

   Wholesale andretail trade 

   Manufacturingand constructionindustries 

   Agriculture andother resource-based industries 

Source: Statistics Canada, Community Profiles (http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/PlaceSearchForm1.cfm)

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Workforce by industrial sectorWorkforce by industrial sector• Observations for Tweed (Relative to Ontario)

lower in manufacturing (an exportable sector) lower in business services (a potential exportable sector) higher in retail services higher in health and education

• Implications for Tweed (Relative to Ontario) exportable sectors of manufacturing and business

services are relatively small Tweed’s employment in retail sales, health and education

depends on demographic strength in neighbouring communities

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% of Sales by Market Area% of Sales by Market Area

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

local provincial national international

Market Area - 2000

%

TweedOntario

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A “Community Profile” can show:A “Community Profile” can show:

•Expected trends in age groupsExpected trends in age groups

•General education / skills assetsGeneral education / skills assets

•Employment in potential Employment in potential downsizing sectors and downsizing sectors and employment in potential upsizing employment in potential upsizing sectorssectors

•Ethnic / immigrant mix that may be Ethnic / immigrant mix that may be a community asseta community asset

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Think Global: StrategiesThink Global: Strategies

•Use multiple sourcesUse multiple sources

•Use imaginationUse imagination

•Make comparisonsMake comparisons

•Look for changesLook for changes

•Gather intelligenceGather intelligence

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Social Networks: IssuesSocial Networks: Issues•Knowledge-intensive growingKnowledge-intensive growing•Transaction costs fallingTransaction costs falling•Youth leave, families returnYouth leave, families return•Services more centralizedServices more centralized•We are all agingWe are all aging•Rural perceived as safeRural perceived as safe•Immigration continuesImmigration continues

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Social Networks: QuestionsSocial Networks: Questions

•What networks exist?What networks exist?

•How are they used?How are they used?

•How might they be used?How might they be used?

•Which are worth building?Which are worth building?

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Social Networks: InformationSocial Networks: Information

•Business networksBusiness networks

•Public sector networksPublic sector networks

•Volunteer networksVolunteer networks

•Family and friendship networksFamily and friendship networks

•Who do they link?: bonding, Who do they link?: bonding, bridging, linkingbridging, linking

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Family and friends are criticalFamily and friends are critical

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal

% u

sed

by H

H

Bonding Bridging

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Services: TweedServices: TweedServicesServices NRE Sites (%)NRE Sites (%) TweedTweed

CanadaCanada OntarioOntario In SiteIn Site < 30 min< 30 min

DoctorsDoctors 3636 00 **

NursesNurses 3636 2525 **

DentistsDentists 2727 2525 **

OptometristsOptometrists 1818 00 **

VONVON 1414 00 **Social WorkersSocial Workers 2323 2525 **Public Health Public Health NurseNurse

3232 00 **

Speech TherapistSpeech Therapist 3232 00 **

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Social Networks: AnalysisSocial Networks: Analysis

•Build from strengthBuild from strength

•Build on common interestsBuild on common interests

•Networks of networksNetworks of networks

•The power of weak tiesThe power of weak ties

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ResourcesResources

•www.ruralnovascotia.cawww.ruralnovascotia.ca Rural Tackle Box: links to Identifying Problems, Rural Tackle Box: links to Identifying Problems,

Raising Awareness, Data sources, Using Raising Awareness, Data sources, Using Research, Other ToolboxesResearch, Other Toolboxes

•www.statcan.cawww.statcan.ca -> -> “Community Profiles” “Community Profiles”

•www.brandonu.ca/organizations/RDIwww.brandonu.ca/organizations/RDI

•http://www.mta.ca/rstp/pubmain.html http://www.mta.ca/rstp/pubmain.html

•www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html

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SummarySummary• Good information leads to good decisionsGood information leads to good decisions• First, focus on the decision(s) to be madeFirst, focus on the decision(s) to be made• Then, search for information from multiple sourcesThen, search for information from multiple sources

Governments, non-government agencies, the WEB, Governments, non-government agencies, the WEB, popular media, librariespopular media, libraries

Local knowledge Local knowledge Local assets . . . Local skills . . . Knowledge of residents . . . Use Local assets . . . Local skills . . . Knowledge of residents . . . Use

the networks of residents to gain more information . . . the networks of residents to gain more information . . . Knowledge of potential metro markets . . . Use local social glue to Knowledge of potential metro markets . . . Use local social glue to assemble the information in order to make a decision that will assemble the information in order to make a decision that will move the community in the direction that it wants to go . . .move the community in the direction that it wants to go . . .

• Knowledge needs Imagination plus InformationKnowledge needs Imagination plus Information• Imagination is best stimulated in groupsImagination is best stimulated in groups

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From information to knowledge: Finding and using community data

From information to knowledge: Finding and using community data

The Canadian Rural Revitalization FoundationThe Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundationwww.crrf.cawww.crrf.ca

Statistics CanadaStatistics Canadawww.statcan.cawww.statcan.ca