Rural Economic Development Part 1: Weigh assets vs. needs

Sep 10, 2006 10:14 PM

By Michael Holton, Center for Rural Affairs

Much of traditional economic and community development in small rural communities has been based on needs rather than assets. Understanding the difference plays a pivotal role.

Needs assessment looks at what we have and what it should be. There’s nothing wrong with this, except it might be putting the cart before the horse. Starting with a needs assessment says to a community and its residents that they’re fundamentally lacking and deficient. It makes us look for resources to address the need, making us consumers. This can create a sense of dependency.

Asset-based development relies on uncovering talents and skills found in the community right now. It’s an internal model that focuses on effectiveness and builds interdependencies rather than dependencies. Asset-based development seeks to empower people rather than create a second class of citizens who seek answers through agencies outside of the community.

The question I’m asked most often is why needs assessments are bad. They aren’t. We all have needs to address. People and communities have deficiencies, but people and communities also have skills and untapped talent.

Community decisions are often made through a pyramid-shaped process that allows a top person or persons to make decisions and disseminate them to the general population. No interdependencies exist in this way of thinking. A preferred shape is that of intertwined circles, where relationships with each other are used in decision making.

Currently, the Center for Rural Affairs is involved with a community-development project in Knox County, NE. The strategy is to first identify the assets of the nine communities in the county. Once the identification of assets has been secured, both internally and externally, then the mapping process can begin. By developing an asset inventory, we can create a database of previously untapped skills and talents.

Is there a place for outside resources? Absolutely! Once assets have been identified, it’s possible to then address needs in a productive manner. In this way we’re hooking the cart to the horse to begin mobilizing rural communities for their future.

Reprinted from the August 2006 Center for Rural Affairs newsletter. Contact Michael Holton at michaellh@cfra.org or 402-687-2103 x 1015 for more information.Watch the September 27 issue of American Cowman Update for Part 2 on this topic and using “Appreciative Inquiry” in rural community development.

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