Southern Oklahoma Development Association

PROJECT PURPOSE

Southern Oklahoma Center For Rural Leadership and Community Development

EVIDENCE

No. of participants, no. of new projects applied, no. of new projects awarded, dollar value of projects awarded, economic and social impact, cost/benefit of projects

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Of the 60 municipalities in the SODA service area, 57 (or 95%) are communities of under 7,000 in population. The uneven nature of economic recovery results in vastly different outcomes for people based on where they live. The common characteristics of rural communities and small towns?geographical remoteness, lack of economies of scale, gaps in physical infrastructure, lower levels of educational attainment, and lower wage levels and job opportunities?expand the gaps created by economic downturns and recoveries. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges of economic recovery even more for rural communities and small towns. For example, communities with access to stable, affordable broadband further increased economic recovery disparities. Additionally, job losses in the pandemic have been concentrated in service sectors such as leisure and hospitality, education and health services on which rural economies highly rely. Overcoming the disparities in economic recovery between metropolitan and rural requires a long-term commitment to strategic, locally-led, asset-based planning, policy-making and investing.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Process and impact evaluation. Process data will be collected annually from project participants through surveys and interviews to measure project quality and participant satisfaction. Impact data will be collected on an on-going basis and annually from participants through surveys and cost/benefit analysis to measure the project effectiveness.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma