CCEDNet has just released its newsest publication, Building a Federal Policy Framework and Program in Support of Community Economic Development. The report was written by Kirsten Bernas and Brendan Reimer of the CCEDNet-Manitoba office as part of the Linking, Learning, Leveraging paper series.

The report addresses the ongoing challenge for CED organizations in Canada to maximize their long-term community benefit when multi-year funding for core organizational costs remains out of reach. To remedy this problem, the report reccomends that the Canadian government develop and implement a federal CED Policy Framework and Neighbourhood Revitalization Program (NRP) modelled after the Government of Manitoba's CED Policy Framework and Neighbourhoods Alive! program.

• A CED Policy Framework would equip government officials with a policy tool to ensure more effective responses to the complex economic, social, and environmental needs of local communities, particularly those that are vulnerable.
• A federal NRP would commit multi-year core and project-based funding to organizations that employ the CED model in designated urban communities across Canada.

The report provides an overview and analysis of the Province of Manitoba’s CED Policy Framework and Neighbourhoods Alive! program. The report concludes by recommending, based on the Manitoba experience, how a CED Policy Framework and accompanying Neighbourhood Revitalization Program might be developed and implemented at the federal government level.

[ Download the full report (pdf) ]