Neighborhood/Faith-Based/Community Partnerships

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A2.2.2 Involved City Staff

The SC2 team had one main point of contact within city government, the chief of government affairs. She represented the mayor, providing senior-level involvement with the team and oversight of engaged city staff. Specifically, she represented the mayor in communicating with the department directors about SC2, identifying appropriate city staff to

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A2.2.1 Composition of the SC2 Team

At the start of implementation, the SC2 team in Cleveland consisted of two full-time members, including the SC2 team lead who relocated to Cleveland for the initiative, two part-time members already located in Cleveland, four part-time members located in Washington, DC, and one part-time member in the agency regional office.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A2.2 Key Stakeholders

Key stakeholders in the SC2 pilot in Cleveland consisted of the team members, local government staff, and community partners. Each is described below.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A2.1 Context

Like many cities in the Rust Belt, Cleveland has spent several decades responding to dramatic economic and demographic changes. Suburbanization of the population and job opportunities began in the 1950s, followed by migration of manufacturing to the suburbs as well as to the southern United States. These trends accelerated between 1980 and 2005, w

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A2. Site Profile: Cleveland

Implementation of the SC2 pilot initiative in Cleveland began in September 2011, after an initial planning and assessment period earlier in the year. The team began with a focus on three priorities that emerged in the assessment and planning phase: greater coordination of the human capital development system, support and technical expertise to mai

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.4 Conclusion

The Chester SC2 team was successful in furthering several goals of the SC2 initiative. The team helped Chester address economic development priorities, establish local partnerships, leverage the resources of local anchor institutions, and build a promising new relationship with the federal government.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.3.3 SC2 Team Member Activities

Implementation of the pilot work plan began in earnest in January 2012 with the induction of the new mayor and determination of priority areas for the SC2 pilot. As noted above, under new city leadership Chester identified three specific priority areas: 1) create the economic development plan to revitalize downtown, 2) gain control of the retail s

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.3.2 Work Approach—Interactions, Communication, and Meetings

The SC2 team lead in Chester regarded his role as that of a facilitator, bringing together team members and city stakeholders involved in the engagement. The lead worked closely with Chester’s mayor, who in effect served as the city’s point person for the engagement. Given the unique nature of the SC2 engagement in Chester, with no full-time o

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.3.1 Developing the Work Plan

Before implementation of the pilot, Chester identified eight focus areas for the SC2 team’s efforts.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.3 Summary of Pilot Implementation

The following section begins with a description of the SC2 pilot kickoff and the work plan development process. The narrative then describes how the Chester SC2 team and the city worked together, and finally it summarizes key SC2 team activities during the first 18 months of implementation.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.2.3 Local Partners

The SC2 team lead encouraged team members to cultivate relationships with community organizations and seek out opportunities to contribute to local needs. This hands-on approach evolved as team members better understood the limits of city staff’s ability to dedicate resources to the pilot. The Chester SC2 team worked primarily with five local pa

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.2.2 Involved City Staff

The city’s economic development director was the pilot point of contact between September 2011 and July 2012. When he transitioned out of his role at the Chester Economic Development Authority into a different city position, Chester’s mayor became the primary point of contact for the remainder of the pilot. Beyond the mayor, team members int

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.2.1 Composition of the SC2 Team

The SC2 team assigned to Chester comprised 12 federal representatives from 10 agencies. The Chester team members were either already regionally based in the Philadelphia area, 15 miles from Chester, or they worked remotely from Washington, DC. No federal staff members were relocated to Chester and embedded locally, and all members were part-time.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.2 Key Stakeholders

Key stakeholders in the SC2 pilot in Chester are the team members, local government staff, and community partners. Each is described below.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1.1 Context

Chester is a small city of 34,000 residents located 15 miles south of Philadelphia on the banks of the Delaware River. Once a major manufacturing center, Chester has experienced long-term economic decline beginning in the 1950s. It lost over half of its population between 1950 and 2010. Today the city has high vacancy rates, crime, and poverty, an

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. A1. Site Profile: Chester

Implementation of the SC2 pilot initiative in Chester began in September 2011, after an initial planning and assessment period earlier in the year. The team began with a goal of supporting Chester in addressing eight economic development priorities identified during the assessment phase. These priorities included reducing crime and vacancy, reform

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. Appendix A: Site Profiles

This appendix includes case studies for each of the six SC2 pilot cities. These case studies provide detailed insight into the economic challenges of each city, as well as insight into the opportunities and goals for each engagement and the implementation in each pilot city. The case studies are valuable for documenting the variety of contexts in

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. 6. Conclusion

The SC2 pilot represents a new and promising approach to helping cities address economic development challenges and opportunities. It uses targeted technical assistance and collaboration between federal agencies to advance city priorities.

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. 5.4 Replication of the SC2 Approach

As a unique federal pilot, the SC2 initiative can offer valuable lessons for existing or future federal programs or activities, especially for federal providers of technical assistance to localities and for federal staff based in regional offices. During data collection, the research team asked team members which components of the approach might b

Evaluation of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) Teams Pilot: Final Report. 5.3.3 Opportunities for Improving Implementation

Monitor the match between city priorities and team member skills throughout implementation. Matching team members to city needs is complicated and best treated as an ongoing activity rather than a one-time event. Beginning the process early, during the work planning phase, and making it iterative with the process of staffing the team could ensur

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