Western Wellness Foundation
Report date
August 2016
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
Through an extensive meeting process, we determined there was no longer interest, need, or the financial feasibility for a shared facility.Although the population of the community has stabilized at an increase from 16,000 to 25,000, the nonprofit sector has adjusted, with several moving to expanded facilities, and many wanting to stay within low rent locations. The downturn, beginning shortly after our work began, has allowed us to take a broader, deeper look at the needs of the nonprofit sector and their long term resiliency. Importantly, it has also allowed us to look beyond the needs of the new population to the needs of what is a new, younger community; filled with many new, young families.
The most important activity this year was a community survey, conducted during the downturn to better determine all resident opinion, needs, and desires. Survey response (10% of households) was surprisingly large, included many written comments and was reflective of the demographics of our 'new' community; created by the oil boom and stabilized by the downturn. The results of this survey have provided the impetus for work that is more inclusive and community based. We have moved forward, in response to the survey results, to plan four projects that, through creative placemaking, will support the development of a shared community identity. Our outcome continues to be the integration of the many new young families into the broader community. We now know that the community has changed from 97.1% White not Hispanic to 87.6% White not Hispanic.; that the K-6 population has increased 47% from 2009-2015; and that the hospital birth rate has increased by more than 50%. Our survey indicates a need for more youth activities, and a desire by all residents (64% of respondents) for more entertainment. Housing and social services needs have been replaced by quality of life needs.
We submitted a proposal to Artplace America in May, for a project that responds to strong desires indicated within our community survey response for entertainment, youth activities, and public art/activities. There are four components to the project, that will meet needs and support economic development and tourism efforts. Through an extensive community engagement process, we will utilize creative placemaking to integrate our new population and build a shared new community identity. The projects include; expanded public murals, art wrapped utility boxes, an innovative interactive art park, and a locally designed mini golf course that reflects the art and culture of the new community. Initial feasibility work has indicated strong, broad based support for the project, which is a partnership with the City of Dickinson, Dickinson Parks and Recreation, Dickinson Public Schools, and the Badlands Art Association.Our proposal was one of 1,371 received - and one of 80 selected to be a finalist. We will be notified in December of the outcome. Regardless of the proposal outcome, we intend to facilitate a process that will build community ownership and new leadership; integral to growth.
Key lessons learned
We learned that flexibility is key to any long term community planning effort. And certainly that a community can truly change quickly. The oil boom create tremendous pressure on the community and all of its resources. This was particularly true of the nonprofit sector; addressing needs such as homelessness that were new to the community. Just as the oil boom was unexpected, so was the sudden downturn, which the City Administrator declared would provide the community 'breathing room' to address issues beyond immediate physical infrastructure.
Our initial approach might be considered a failure; however, we view it as part of the learning process, and have moved forward to address the long term resiliency of the sector. The vast majority of the nonprofit organizations were not interested in a shared facility and the downturn reduced the financial resources available. Through the process, we learned that what was most needed by the sector, and relevant to accomplish during the downturn was building long term resiliency. Oil activity will resume. This is the time to instill new practice, develop innovative financial resources, and strengthen the resiliency of the sector.
Our initial approach might be considered a failure; however, we view it as part of the learning process, and have moved forward to address the long term resiliency of the sector. The vast majority of the nonprofit organizations were not interested in a shared facility and the downturn reduced the financial resources available. Through the process, we learned that what was most needed by the sector, and relevant to accomplish during the downturn was building long term resiliency. Oil activity will resume. This is the time to instill new practice, develop innovative financial resources, and strengthen the resiliency of the sector.
We learned, through the response to both the community survey and the recent survey work related to creative placemaking, that people are engaged and very responsive to inquiry related to community needs and development. Residents are pleased with the new population and truly engaged in creating a new future for the community. We also learned through our survey work that the community welcomes innovative solutions. Our interactive art park concept is new; there is nothing comparable to it across the state, yet survey respondents not only supported it, they had innovative early ideas. This has reinforced the importance and success of broader community engagement, and has been a learning process that is informing our work in year two.
Reflections on inclusive, collaborative or resourceful problem-solving
Inclusiveness is key to our progress, both through preliminary investigation and through the use of a community wide survey. The survey provided both timely input and created a culture of engagement within the community that continues. The oil downturn has stabilized the population and provided the necessary time for all residents, and for the nonprofit sector, to consider what is the new community of Dickinson, and what might be innovative solutions to the needs and desires of the new community.
Other key elements of Community Innovation
Cooperation has been very important to our process. Although the crisis of the oil boom severely limited the availability of nonprofit staff during our initial research, the downturn has provided the necessary time to reflect on what are truly the long term needs of the nonprofit sector; their cooperation has been and will continue to be key to our work.
Cooperation from the City of Dickinson and Dickinson Parks and Recreation has been critical to our broader community work; providing the use of the utility bill mailing mechanism for our survey, actively participating in a planning process for creative placemaking, and partnering with us for the overall plan that has been submitted to Artplace America for support.
Cooperation from the City of Dickinson and Dickinson Parks and Recreation has been critical to our broader community work; providing the use of the utility bill mailing mechanism for our survey, actively participating in a planning process for creative placemaking, and partnering with us for the overall plan that has been submitted to Artplace America for support.
Understanding the problem
Our original goal was to meed the crisis needs of the nonprofit sector in supporting the influx of population through a shared facility. Projections were for a long term oil boom and the nonprofit sector was in crisis and needs a more effective, efficient manner to address the unexpected tremendous increase in population and therefore needs. During the period between submission and receipt of the grant, several nonprofits relocated and others determined to stay in low rent locations. During the initial year of the grant, the downturn hit as suddenly and unexpectedly as the oil boom had arrived. We now have the time to work more intentionally; learning more about the long term needs of the nonprofit sector and our new, younger community of Dickinson. We have a great opportunity to create a new, shared identity for the community; integrating the new diversity and the many young families that are our future.
If you could do it all over again...
The key piece of learning would have been the extreme volatility of oil production, in spite of long term predictions. It has allowed us to undertake a better,more comprehensive process that will increase the resiliency of the entire community. The importance of thinking differently cannot be understated! We had to continue to remind ourselves and the community to look at problems from different angles and then creatively look at solutions.
One last thought
The malleability of the Community Innovation process has been a tremendous asset. We encountered change almost immediately; change that created both barriers and opportunities. This would have stopped a traditional grant funded project. Due to the flexibility of the Community Innovation process, we were able to adjust, learn, and in the end are undertaking a process that will utilize innovation and creative placemaking to create a shared identity that strengthens the leadership and therefore the future of Dickinson.