As communities and states across the country are learning, there is no road map to recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As communities in Arkansas look towards the future, organizations are multiplying resources and capacity to take a statewide approach to recovery and resiliency.
For the first time, the leading economic development organizations in the state are working together, focused on one collaborative project – the Arkansas Recovery and Resiliency Plan.
“This grant is giving the two University Centers that serve Arkansas and the eight planning and Economic Development Districts a very unique opportunity to historically document the impact of COVID on all 75 counties in the state,” Jim Youngquist, AEDI executive director said.
The Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, one of EDA’s University Centers, organized the project. They are joined by the other University Center (UC) in the state, Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State University, and the eight Economic Development Districts (EDDs) in Arkansas.
The Economic Development Administration awarded AEDI a $300,000 non-competitive CARES Act grant, which is funding the two-year project.
The organizations are looking at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across the state, and from that, will create training, policy, and strategic plans to help with recovery and future resiliency.
The first step was to historically document the impact of COVID across the state. The one-year study looked at the social and economic impacts to education, business and industry, healthcare, and local governments. Each UC and EDD formed its own task force and reached out to community members in their areas for input.
Using this data, AEDI created the COVID-19 dashboard. It provides residents with access to timely and relevant information on how the virus affects their employment, mental health, food security, economic security, education and other critical indicators.
“We’re producing tools, resources, and education and providing it to areas to try and make the state a more resilient place in the future,” Miles McDonnell, AEDI Emergency Management Specialist said.
The second phase of the Recovery and Resiliency project is underway, which consists of specific training focused on issues or challenges in a specific region.
In the third phase, organizers will develop policy and strategies to help recovery and resiliency for future economic disruptions.
“Our hope is the regions continue to collaborate in the future and continue to think about how to make their economies more resilient in general, whether it’s a pandemic, a natural disaster or some other economic hardship,” Amber Berg, AEDI Community Economic Development Planner said.
Organizers say knowing how the virus has impacted various communities will help the regions make efficient use of recovery resources and create more effective resiliency plans.
Click here to learn more about EDA's University Program.
Click here to learn more about Economic Development Districts.
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