Accessing and using community and economic development data in decision making is important for communities. It allows communities to guide strategic planning and make decisions on where to put time and effort, it strengthens grant applications, allowing organizations to access funding more easily, and it also allows communities to measure the impact of projects and decide which projects are the most important at any given time.
For the past three years CFEK has been commissioned by ETSI-BC to run training webinars for communities across the Southern Interior region.
- In early 2022 the Using Data to Your Advantage webinar series aimed to provide training for smaller communities on how to access and use data for community decision making. The key was to grow knowledge and expertise of those working on community economic development projects within the region. A resource document was produced which contains links to a wide range of data sources and information
- In Spring 2023 the training focused on particular topics of need across the region for the Sharpen Your Skills, Learn from Peers – Continue to Use Data to Your Advantage webinar series. Sessions included Using Data for Disaster Planning and Recovery, Using Data to Support Housing Needs and Labour Attraction and Using Data for Economic Impact and Planning.
- In 2024 the Using Data to Your Advantage webinar series was repeated to continue to grow knowledge and expertise across the Southern Interior region.