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NCLB Implementation Guide

Phase - 2: Neighbourhood Selection

Overview
Critical components of this selection process are the assessment of neighbourhood assets and needs, overall community involvement and identification and commitment of community resources essential to the implementation of the No Community Left Behind strategy.

Vision
After the Steering Committee has been determined, the designated neighbourhood(s) are selected to implement the No Community Left Behind strategy. Although some communities may already have a predefined area to target for the NCLB initiative, a selection process is important to ensure the area meets the established criteria and can be supported through implementation of the NCLB strategy. The City and University of Ottawa’s neighbourhood study will play a key role in the selection of neighbourhoods for initial intervention.

Selection is also one of the early steps in determining whether community members are interested in and supportive of the No Community Left Behind process. The NCLB process demands community involvement and ownership from its inception, in opposition to strategies that rely on external resources for one-time problem solving. Readiness of the community and the ability of organizations, such as the CHRCs, to mobilize community members to participate at different levels of the NCLB process can determine the success of this local strategy.

One way to think about the selection process is a participatory endeavor to uncover:

Status of the potential neighbourhood compared to others on the basis of University of Ottawa’s neighbourhood study;

Elements in the neighbourhood that can be addressed;

Challenges that might affect the success of the NCLB strategy, and

The depth of community leadership needed to move the strategy forward.

This process involves looking at all possible elements. An area defined as neighbourhood from other projects’ point of view may not be appropriately meeting the needs of the No Community Left Behind strategy. It might be necessary to look at the surroundings neighbourhoods and their mutual influence.

An Initial Planning Committee uncovers all resources that can be leveraged or stakeholders who have a particular expertise that are not widely known. The Planning Committee may be broadened to include additional resource professionals along with community members. However, a manageable size is advisable. The number of individuals is dependent on the amount of work and experience of the committee members.

The committee does not discuss budgets or funding at this point in the process. It concentrates on the tasks of assessing the need and evaluating the feasibility of the neighbourhood/s in question. On completion, the committee has information to make informed and appropriate choices in the selection of a neighbourhood. Although the selection of a specific neighbourhood is probably not as dramatic, it helps determine how the overall strategy is implemented and whether it is successful.

Implementation Process

Step 1: Comparing Collected Data with Criteria for Neighbourhood Selection

The focus of the NCLB process is to assist neighbourhoods that are experiencing economic and social challenges, which are often coupled with crime problems. The ability to clearly identify social, economic, service, and challenges related to physical environment also contribute in the development of the overall strategies used to address these challenges. Therefore, the information collected and analyzed also plays an important role in the development of neighbourhood-specific strategies for implementation.

There are many signs that indicate a neighbourhood is experiencing stress. Most of the signs are visible on inspection of the neighbourhoods being considered for designation. Along with the University of Ottawa’s study, the following criteria could be suggested for consideration. If a neighbourhood being considered meets more than half of the set criteria with at least 50 percent crime related criteria, it will meet the overall requirements for designation.

Additional criteria could be incorporated after consultation and deliberation among the Steering Committee members. To compare a site with these criteria, the Planning Committee gathers and analyzes information from public sources. Several general sources — local library, local university, Statistics Canada, city departments, House directors, and the community itself — can be helpful in gathering information to select the designated neighbourhood for the No Community Left Behind process.

Present potential sites such as Banff Avenue and Russell Heights in Ottawa South are well known for the aforementioned problems. In general, however, there is a need to set criteria on the basis of which to recognize an area fit for the NCLB initiative.

Even if the sites are well known, collecting the following type of data can help establish a benchmark against which progress of the process is evaluated over a period of time. Assistance in collection and analysis of data can be assigned to community volunteers or students. The following types of data are collected:

City’s master plan
The City’s 20/20 Human Services Plan Priority on People, gives an idea about what city leaders have drafted. The plan helps identify the objectives to be accomplished over a period of time for the potential site area. It is important to know what these plans are and how community members and other stakeholders will be affected in the context of the Community Development Framework (CDF). Under the CDF, progress is evaluated according to the set evaluation framework and goals of the CDF.

Community’s perspective
Data does not tell the full story. Information may be skewed depending on who is collecting the data and on their intended use. One source of information that cannot be skewed in a broad consultation is the voice of the community. Engaging community members, business owners and community leaders in discussions about the condition of the community is an excellent source of data. This could be done in a variety of ways including arranging meetings through community development organization and faith-based organizations, and discussing the problems for obtaining an accurate picture of the situation in the field.

Social service data
Information on social assistance, public housing and other forms of public assistance are a good source of information not only for designating a neighbourhood, but also sketching out future plans. Ontario Works and Ottawa Housing document most of this information, as do various other agencies within the city.

Economic development data
Various organizations, including universities and financial institutions may have economic development data about planned development projects, micro loan funds, technical assistance resources, and entrepreneurial training programs designed to encourage increased business development. These programs and resources are key indicators of economic potential for an area.

Police calls and crime data
Police statistics and community members’ complaints are sources of useful information. Additional data may be collected, including a breakdown of the types of crimes committed. The goal in reviewing this type of data is to see whether there is a trend or an increase or decrease in the types of crime reported and later on to find out what changes have occurred due to the NCLB process.

School data
Identifying schools with the highest dropout rate, absenteeism, the greatest violence, crime and drugs are a challenge. This information is obtained either from schools directly or at the school board level. Professional input is required to compare the data with census information for monitoring the increase or decrease in school-age children in the area – for instance to see if it is the increase in the number of children that has resulted in high dropout and crime rate, or if it is an increase in the crime rate.

Step 2:         Analyzing the Data

Analysis is not difficult. It is best to separate the Planning Committee into smaller groups to handle different aspects of the data. These smaller groups look at the information and ask the following questions:

Has there been an increase in identified problems during the past few years?

Has there been a decrease in these problems during the past few years?

Does certain data stand out above the rest?

What might be happening to explain the increase or decrease in problems in the area?

Was there anything happening in the community which can be identified and might explain the changes in numbers (for example, of arrests, school dropouts, certain crimes, abuse/neglect cases, or unemployment)?

Do the numbers tell a story (for example, was youth turning to drugs due to a lack of recreational facility or is it the result of financial incentives given by the drug dealers)?

The answers to these questions constitute the analysis of the data. More extensive forms of data analysis exist, but the goal is to determine only whether a potential designated neighbourhood meets at least half of the set criteria. Furthermore, it gives a picture of the present status against which progress and impact of the process needs to be evaluated.

Step 3:         Looking for Indicators of Neighbourhood Potential

Although numerous signs can indicate that a neighbourhood is experiencing undue stress, they also can show its potential for becoming stressed. Sometimes, the signs may not be so visible, so investigation to identify them is required. It is as important to select a neighbourhood that has signs of potential, as it is to identify a neighbourhood that has challenges. Again, the collected data can help in determining potential.

The following are examples of “neighbourhood potential”:

Community organizations. Community based organizations are the lifeblood of the NCLB process initiatives. Effective NCLB strategies require the involvement of and collaboration with community organizations. Even the best conceived programs will not function effectively in the long term without the benefit of resident and community organization involvement.

Community’s capacity. Community members are the lifelines of neighbourhoods. Traditional economic development efforts have often limited the role and significance of community members; however, successful NCLB strategies require significant resident involvement. The fact that community members have already begun to organize themselves through Tenant Associations, or other organized bodies is an indication that they have a basic understanding of their role as stakeholders in the revitalization of their community. Many community members have experience or expertise in one of the four components of the NCLB process (Social, Physical, Service and Economic)

Economic potential. If commercial opportunities (shops, stores, or businesses) do exist in the vicinity, the designated neighbourhood has a distinct potential for economic revitalization.

Identifiable area. The more the designated neighbourhood is sufficiently distinguishable from nearby neighbourhoods, the easier it is to constitute a defined focus for concentrated action. This element is important because the area designated is evaluated for measurable changes such as reduced crime and unemployment.

The more challenging the identification of potential areas, the more difficult is the implementation of the No Community Left Behind strategy.

Step 4:         Making the Decision

After collecting the relevant information, the Planning Committee meets to make a final decision on the neighbourhood(s) to be selected. Although it is understood that sometimes a neighbourhood or neighbourhoods might be pre-selected as potential NCLB sites, this process is completed to measure progress against indicators which led the Committee to declare a site fit for the No Community Left Behind process.

Based on the decision, changes to the size of the potential site have to be made. Sometimes, sites are reduced or enlarged based on the information collected in the field. The goal is to identify a site that has the greatest chance of success and one that has a clearly identified need for the No Community Left Behind process.

Critical assumptions

Although this phase of the process is critical, a few implementation issues do exist. First, getting people who have the experience or expertise to assist with this process can be challenging. Some potential partners on the Executive Committee may have decided what the boundaries of the site are and may not want to proceed with the process. Encouraging them to complete the process is required even if it only confirms their recommendations.
The time needed to complete the process may also be a challenge. Taking the time to seek out free resources which can help collect the information needed for data analysis cuts down tremendously on the time needed. If the process takes too much time, people may get discouraged and lose their motivation to participate. The process is intended only to ensure that the right site is selected and enough information is available to use as benchmarks to measure progress and evaluate the process.

The Steering Committee is the primary work force in the No Community Left Behind strategy. The Steering Committee — consisting of representatives from social service agencies, Ottawa Housing, law enforcement agencies and key provincial, and local agencies and stakeholders (such as local councilors, OPS, faith-based representatives, businesses, residents, school administrators, non-profit leaders, and other concerned agencies) — is responsible for establishing NCLB goals and objectives, designing and developing programs, providing guidance on implementation, and assessing program achievement. Roles and responsibilities of each member (representing a stakeholder) are clearly defined.

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