Knowledge of comprehensive options available to communities to enhance and diversify the local economic base. The broad range of options should include creation, attraction, retention, and expansion.

Essential:

1. How a local economy operates including exports, imports, business linkages, households, services, etc.
2. Sources of jobs and income including creation, attraction, retention, expansion.
3. Appreciation of trade-offs involving efficiency, equity, and the environment (sustainable development).
4. Ability to lead a discussion on there basic concepts.

Intermediate:

1. Presentation of economic development concepts and options.
2. Awareness of partners, resources, etc. which can enhance development efforts (where to go for additional help).
3. Awareness and some understanding of specific sector strategies such as tourism development, retiree recruitment, business recruitment, mainstreet development, and many others.
4. Identifying, mapping, and leveraging strategic assets.
5. Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power for successful economic development in the global, connected economy.

Advanced:

1. Detailed sector development (Creation, attraction, retention, expansion) for possible topics such as tourism, retiree recruitment, value-added agriculture, etc. Basically-be a specialist in one of these areas.
2. Ability to deliver technical assistance or decision tool such as impact assessment, survey or needs assessment, GIS, etc.
3. Entrepreneurial education (marketing, management, etc.)
4. Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
5. Support the development of their region and clusters within their region.
6. Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances with multiple stakeholders.
7. Insure that communities, organizations, and companies take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
8. Strategically position and market their organizations, companies, communities, or regions in the global marketplace.
9. Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
10. Sustain the development process over time.

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II. Business Skills

Knowledge of the specialized areas that are essential to business development and operations.

Essential:

1. Components contained in the typical business plan
2. Basic forms of business organizational structure
3. Principles of marketing
4. Business management principles including labor management
5. Financial management principles

Intermediate:

1. Provide technical assistance to potential business owners by helping them to develop a business plan
2. Develop presentations of business skills topics
3. Understanding and knowledge various financing sources and options
4. Understanding of business skill requirements of various business sectors including value-added, tourism, retail, service, light manufacturing, etc.

Advanced:

1. Understanding advanced topics in one or more of the skill subject matter areas (management, marketing, financial management, production)
2. Develop and deliver intensive educational programs targeted to the different business skill subject matter areas.
3. Think and act strategically.
4. Identify, map, and leverage strategic assets.
5. Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
6. Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power to prosper in the global, connected economy.
7. Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances.
8. Take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
9. Strategically position and market their companies in the global marketplace.
10. Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

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III. Retiree Recruitment

Essential:

1. Understand ways in which retirees contribute to the local community.
2. Understand why local residents may not want in-migrating retirees.
3. Understand the amenities desired by in-migrating retirees.
4. Inventory and access the retiree related amenities in a local community and identify additional amenities needed to recruit in-migrating retirees.
5. Understand the process a community must go through to develop a good retiree attraction program.

Intermediate:

1. Ability to evaluate the economic and social impact of in-migrating retirees on the local community.
2. Ability to identify retiree market segments that are most likely to desire the local amenities.
3. Ability to design and develop a good ambassador program to sell the community to retirees.
4. Ability to develop a marketing plan to attract retirees.

Advanced:

1. Lead a community through a strategic planning process to evaluate their understanding of, desire for and ability to implement a retiree recruitment program.
2. If desired, the educator should be able to lead the community leaders through a process to develop and implement a retiree recruitment program.

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IV. Entrepreneurship

Essential:

1. The definition of entrepreneurship
2. Entrepreneurial personality traits and characteristics
3. Factors influencing success and failure in entrepreneurial concerns
4. Difference between an entrepreneur and a typical owner/manager
5. Understands and can identify barriers to entrepreneurship

Intermediate:

1. Have the ability to interact and participate in entrepreneurial support networks
2. Understand the basics of legal issues facing entrepreneurs including intellectual property rights concepts
3. Understand the concept of feasibility and assist entrepreneurs in working through market and feasibility analyses

Advanced:

1. Guide potential entrepreneurs through opportunity recognition and idea generation processes
2. Develop educational programs targeted to young entrepreneurs
3. Develop and present educational workshops on entrepreneurial topics to lay audiences
4. Think and act strategically.
5. Identify, map, and leverage strategic assets.
6. Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
7. Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power to prosper in the global, connected economy.
8. Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances.
9. Take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
10. Strategically position and market their companies in the global marketplace.
11. Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

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V. Tourism

Essential:

1. Understand the basic elements in development a community-based tourism program
2. Conduct an inventory of tourism related amenities
3. Understand and implement the principles involved in site and attraction development
4. Understand the infrastructure requirements necessary to host a major economic development thrust in tourism
5. Present educational workshops focused on customer hospitality to typical tourism-based clientele

Intermediate:

1. Identify markets that would demand the types of amenities/attractions that the community has to offer
2. Develop programs designed to educate tourism owners/managers in accessing new markets
3. Understand and assist clients in implementing tourism-targeted marketing strategies

Advanced:

1. Lead communities through a planning process designed to develop and implement an economic development thrust in tourism
2. Develop tourism-related marketing materials and identify the markets for which these materials will be most effective
3. Work with economic analysts to quantify factors in the community which demonstrate the economic impact of tourism
4. Think and act strategically.
5. Identify, map, and leverage strategic assets.
6. Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
7. Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power to prosper in the global, connected economy.
8. Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances.
9. Take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
10. Strategically position and market their companies in the global marketplace.
11. Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

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VI. Leadership and Leadership Development Programs

Essential:

1. Understand leadership concepts including a working definition of leadership, leader motives, etc.
2. Understand the theories of community power
3. Understand the various leadership styles and how to assess them for particular participants
4. Understand the various components required in organizing a leadership development program
5. Understand the definition of community and the important factors that guide a community's path
6. Understand, facilitate, and teach:
   • How to hold effective meetings and small and large group discussion
   • Team work
   • Conflict resolution
   • Communication skills

Intermediate:

1. Understand the various types of community planning tools and be able to integrate them into a leadership development program
2. Identify, assemble, and interpret primary and secondary data that would be critical to the educational portion of a community-based leadership program
3. Understand and integrate the basic concepts of a public issues educational program into a leadership development program
4. Design and implement a community-level leadership development program

Advanced:

1. Design and implement a leadership development program for various community and economic sectoral applications.
2. Teach and facilitate a strategic leadership program that takes existing community and organizational leaders to the next level, equipping them to:
   • Think and act strategically.
   • Identify, map, and leverage strategic assets.
   • Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
   • Support the development of their region and clusters within their region.
   • Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power to prosper in the global, connected economy.
   • Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances with multiple stakeholders.
   • Take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
   • Describe and evaluate alternate futures.
   • Strategically position and market their organizations, companies, communities, or regions in the global marketplace.
   • Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
   • Sustain the development process over time.

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VII. Civic Engagement

Essential:

1. Understand the value of civic engagement in the community development process
2. Understand the basic components necessary to build a civic society
3. Understand the concepts basic to developing, administering, and analyzing a community survey
4. Understand the basic concepts necessary to host and/or facilitate effective meetings

Intermediate:

1. Understand and implement the basic techniques used for involving citizens in the civic process. These techniques include public deliberation, focus groups, public forums, panels, appreciative inquiry, etc.

Advanced:

1. Prepare and deliver educational programs related to civic engagement to Extension faculty.

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VIII. E-commerce

Essential:

1. The Internet and its uses as a business tool
2. E-customers and their needs and expectations
3. Internet business models, plans, and strategies
4. Evaluation of e-commerce enterprises

Intermediate:

1. Develop and deliver educational programs to guide business owners through the e-commerce planning process
2. Assist clients in building a basic web store
3. Provide programs that educate clients on effective e-commerce management and marketing tools.

Advanced:

1. Develop and deliver advanced, hands-on training in web store development and management
2. Understand and assist clients with advanced e-commerce technical issues such as software selection, security, etc.
3. Assist clients in determining whether an e-commerce enterprise is a feasible enterprise for their business.
4. Assist the community, as well as businesses, take full advantage of information technology, the Internet, and broadband technology.

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IX. Strategic Planning

Essential:

1. Understand the importance of community engagement in a community strategic planning process.
2. Be able to guide a community through the development of a vision for their community
3. Be able to facilitate the identification of goals, objectives, and strategies that will enable a community to achieve its vision.

Intermediate:

1. Understand the concepts of benchmarking and evaluation and help a committee determine whether its plan has been successful.

Advanced:

1. Be able to design strategic planning programs for a community centered around various community sectors such as healthcare, economic development, education, etc.
2. Teach and facilitate a strategic leadership program that takes existing community and organizational leaders to the next level, equipping them to:
   • Think and act strategically.
   • Identify, map, and leverage strategic assets.
   • Use a systems approach to foster innovation and the next generation of goods, services, and business models.
   • Support the development of their region and clusters within their region.
   • Understand major forces and trends and how to harness their power to prosper in the global, connected economy.
   • Effectively collaborate and form strategic alliances with multiple stakeholders.
   • Take full advantage of the Internet, broadband connectivity, and information technology.
   • Describe and evaluate alternate futures.
   • Strategically position and market their organizations, companies, communities, or regions in the global marketplace.
   • Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
   • Sustain the development process over time.

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X. Community Data Analysis

Essential:

1. Understand the various types and sources of economic, demographic, and visioning data and the value and fallibilities of each.
2. Understand the basic concepts of survey design and administration.
3. Understand the various methods to administer a survey and the strengths and weaknesses associated with each method.

Intermediate:

1. Understand the basic principles of survey data analysis.
2. Be able to calculate and interpret various community economic analysis measures.
3. Understand the basic concepts behind impact modeling and be able to read and understand a prepared report from this analysis technique.

Advanced:

1. Be able to present an impact analysis report to community leaders.
2. Be able to perform, interpret, and apply development analyses to specific community situations.

3. Be able to create alternate scenarios for the future of the community based on possible events and trends and to engage the community in discussing those scenarios.

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XI. Public Issues Education

Essential:

1. Create an Environment of Professionalism
   • Demonstrate a commitment to honesty, integrity, and respect for all participants
   • Separate one's personal values from issues under consideration
   • Demonstrate sensitivity to participants' values and diversity
2. Create partnerships
   • Identify parties involved in public issues and their potential roles in a public issues education program
   • Bring parties together to create a collaborative climate for problem solving
3. Collecting and interpreting data
   • Gain a knowledge of formal and informal decision-making processes
   • Gain a sufficient understanding of technical information in order to help participants identify sources of information and support
   • Recognize, understand, and value diverse perspectives
   • Identify conditions that foster controversy
   • Involve individuals and organizations whose participation is critical to the program's success
   • Identify conditions that affect participation
   • Discern whether the degree of polarization among participants may detract from a successful educational program
4. Design of public issues education programs
   • Prepare meeting information, including agendas, background materials, and speakers
   • Work with participants to create and follow behavioral and procedural guidelines
5. Effective communication
   • Listen actively and ask questions effectively
   • Provide constructive feedback
   • Monitor one's own communication behaviors and those of others
   • Encourage and maintain constructive dialogue among participants
6. Facilitating group discussion and decision making
   • Keep participants on task and engaged
   • Organize information for efficient and effective use
7. Managing and transforming conflict
   • Recognize sources of conflict
   • Help participants establish ground rules of effective communication

Intermediate:

1. Create partnerships
   • Foster and maintain a fair and respectful group discussion for information sharing
   • Frame issues to facilitate civil communication and collaborative decision making
2. Collecting and interpreting data
   • Identify and prioritize essential issues and interests
   • Understand and communicate about complex issues
   • Recognize and interpret relationships among participants
3. Design of public issues education programs
   • Choose and apply educational methods that are appropriate for the particular program
   • Identify and define appropriate roles for educators and participants
   • Establish realistic and attainable meeting objectives
4. Facilitating group discussion and decision making
   • Understand group decision-making dynamics
   • Understand negotiation processes, strategies, and tactics
   • Help participants move from advocacy toward inquiry within a group setting
   • Promote civil discourse through open and balanced discussions
   • Protect people and their ideas from attack
   • Manage multiple lines of though and discussion
5. Managing and transforming conflict
   • Intervene into the conflict in a constructive manner
   • Build and maintain trust among the participants by establishing a positive climate
   • Minimize or neutralize the effects of negative emotions and behaviors
6. Working with scientific and technical information
   • Work with multiple participants to identify data needs and sources
   • Recognize the importance and limitations of scientific data and analysis in public issues education programs
   • Manage different types of information in various educational settings
   • Organize and facilitate the presentation, interpretation, and application of information by outside experts
   • Organize the search for and analysis of data

Advanced:

1. Design of public issues education programs
   • Adapt a public issues educational program to existing situations and circumstances
   • Define and communicate a sequence of steps leading participants to their outcomes
2. Facilitating group discussion and decision making
   • Explain and facilitate the processes of collaborative learning, planning, and problem solving
   • Help participants to clearly define their roles in all phases of the program
3. Managing and transforming conflict
   • Facilitate communication and information exchange in an emotionally charged climate
4. Working with scientific and technical information
   • Organize complex information in ways that make it useful to all participants
   • Prepare technical reports

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XII. Natural Resources

Knowledge of natural resources (air, land, water, plants, animals), interactions with human communities, and alternative management strategies.

Essential:

1. Basic ecological principals
2. Services and amenities provided by natural resources (including waste assimilation, water supplies, energy, recreation)
3. Roles natural resources have historically played in community growth and development
4. Competing demands on natural resources and alternative means of resolution
5. Natural resource based development options including sustainable development
6. Ability to lead a discussion on these points

Intermediate:

1. Assist groups organize, evaluate and understand specific natural resource issues
2. Understand and explain policy alternatives (including market solutions, regulation and legal options)
3. Assist groups to design, implement and evaluate community-level efforts to deal with natural resource issues
4. Identify and effectively use relevant data (including remote sensing and GIS if appropriate)
5. Identify resources and partners
6. Effectively communicate and collaborate with other professionals involved in natural resource based projects and programs (planners, outdoor recreation developers, landscape architects, etc.)

Advanced:

1. Have detailed knowledge and understanding of one (or more) resources (i.e. be a specialist)
2. Be able to lead groups through a conflict resolution process that represents the multiple interests involved and seeks common ground
3. Have the knowledge, skills and abilities to develop, implement and maintain sustainable natural resource development projects and programs
4. Effectively communicate and collaborate with multiple community stakeholders and outside interests

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XIII. Local Government

Knowledge of the operational aspects of local, state, and federal government entities.

Essential:

1. The basic duties of local, state, and federal elected officials
2. The functions of local, state, and federal elected governments
3. The basic elements of the theory of American capitalism
4. The basic concepts of taxation and public finance
5. The basic concepts of the local budgeting processes

Intermediate:

1. Develop an understanding of the operational activities of local government including:
   • Purchasing
   • Personnel Administration
   • Responsibility and duties of the various court divisions
   • Development of departmental budgets

Advanced:

1. Media relations and communications
2. Grants available to governmental entities
3. Community involvement and volunteerism