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This file, “TEN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS: DESIGNING STATE PROGRAMS THAT WORK IN RURAL COMMUNITIES,” is a 1995 guidebook from the Public Sector Development Foundation. It focuses on how states can enhance local capacity for community and economic development in rural areas by using ten essential ingredients for program design, delivery, and development. The document highlights common barriers to rural development, such as lack of awareness, technical capability, and effective marketing, and argues that while specifically targeted rural programs aren’t always necessary, states can achieve better results by focusing on these “ingredients. “The ten essential ingredients are:
- Designing State Programs for Success: Emphasizes understanding user needs, aligning goals with desired results, and clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
- Assuring State Program Funding and Sustainability: Focuses on securing adequate and sustainable funding through market research, realistic budgeting, and effective financial management.
- Promoting Effective Program Delivery and Client Access: Stresses strong client participation, appropriate delivery structures (centralized vs. decentralized), and client-friendly philosophies.
- Determining Appropriate Eligibility Criteria: Discusses crafting clear and definitive criteria that account for rural-specific challenges and target specific needs.
- Program Marketing: Highlights the importance of marketing strategies that reflect user needs, communicate benefits, and address training requirements for marketing representatives.
- Enhancing States’ Capability to Educate and Train Client Users: Covers strategies like needs assessments, strategic planning assistance, leadership development, and training in program benefits and local management.
- Helping Users Leverage and Use Program Resources: Focuses on improving communication among organizations, involving all constituencies, and promoting effective communication.
- Helping Client Users Meet Their Marketing Needs: Emphasizes market research, capturing community identity, and recognizing fiscal and operational constraints.
- Enhancing States’ Communication with Client Users: Stresses building credibility, fostering commitment, and maintaining confidentiality through strong communication.
- Promoting Cooperation, Partnerships and Linkages Between Service Providers: Explains how collaboration among service providers enhances local capacity building and resolves territorial disputes.
The guidebook includes case studies from various states like South Dakota, California, New York, Washington, Montana, West Virginia, Idaho, Tennessee, and Wisconsin to illustrate the successful application of these principles. It also argues that rural communities do not necessarily require programs distinct from urban ones, but rather that states need to design and promote results-oriented programs effectively.
