Needs Assessment and Service Strategy

This report describes the needs identified by member communities and organizations of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners (CRWP) that could be adopted by CRWP as part of its service strategy. The results suggest that members are pleased with the services provided by CRWP. Additional needs fell into one of eight categories: (1) Information, education, and training, (2) Planning, development, redevelopment, and resolutions/ordinances, (3) Funding and grants, (4) Technical assistance, (5) Regulations and requirements, (6) Storm water infrastructure maintenance, (7) Providing a strategic role in helping manage the watershed, and (8) Managing relationships

Coastal Training Program: Advisory Council Protocol

The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program, and Ohio Sea Grant College Program (the Partners) are developing a comprehensive Coastal Training Program (CTP) to assist Ohio’s coastal decision-makers. The Partners are developing a coordinated and collaborative training strategy and information network that will serve as the framework for local, regional, state, and national coastal resources management training providers

Fiscal Review of the Cleveland Public Library & Scan of State and National Trends in Library Funding

This report presents a review of the financial condition of the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) from 1998 to 2010, presents a national scan of how libraries have creatively adjusted to economic conditions, and profiles the challenges of Ohio and national libraries considered as peers to CPL over the past five years. The results suggest that CPL has successfully mitigated impacts from the economic recession due to strong leadership, adequate revenues, controlled expenditures, and frugal financial management of cash reserves. The financial challenge to CPL will be in maintaining its current level of services as the city of Cleveland’s population, and therefore tax base, declines

What Should EDA Fund? Developing a Model for Pre-Assessment of Economic Development Investments

This paper describes the completion of a “comprehensive study of regionalism” that was conducted by a joint team of economists and economic development specialists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The project consisted of two main activities: an examination of the factors associated with economic development success and the creation of a practical interactive tool for EDA project assessment and comparison. Findings from surveys, interviews, and project case studies are discussed in terms of their support for a positive relationship between successful economic development efforts and factors such as leadership and private investment. Also, the authors discuss the creation of a quantitative assessment model utilizing well-known approaches such as economic impact multipliers and cluster theory. The primary contribution of this work to the existing body of EDA-focused research and evaluation literature is introducing a means of using standardized scores, also known as z-scores, to compare and assess economic development projects across both industries and regions.regional economic development, economic impact, assessment model, EDA, z-score

An Examination of the Quality of Supply and Demand Issues of Northeast Ohio’s Information and Communications Technology Workforce (Phase II)

This report describes results from research conducted by the Center for Public Management (PM)of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University to gain an understanding of the relationship between the supply and demand sides of Northeast Ohio’s Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) market, and how supply and demand communicate to provide the skilled ICT workers needed by ICT-related employers. Further, the intent of the Phase II research was to gain an understanding of how post-secondary education institutions link to the ICT employers as providers of students to meet market demand

An Examination of the Quality of Supply and Demand Issues of Northeast Ohio’s Information and Communications Technology Workforce (Phase II)

This report describes results from research conducted by the Center for Public Management (PM)of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University to gain an understanding of the relationship between the supply and demand sides of Northeast Ohio’s Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) market, and how supply and demand communicate to provide the skilled ICT workers needed by ICT-related employers. Further, the intent of the Phase II research was to gain an understanding of how post-secondary education institutions link to the ICT employers as providers of students to meet market demand