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 Site Selection Criteria
In selecting sites, Dakota Rising will evaluate each community's and/or targeted population's application will be based upon the following criteria. This criteria will be weighted in the evaluation process with numbers 1 through 5 being given the greatest weight and numbers 6 through 8 given lesser weight.
Defined Market
For the purpose of this program Community and Site may be defined by rural geographic service area OR an organization that serves a targeted rural population. Each applicant must clearly define their market.
- Rural Geographic Service Area - The community is required to develop a clear geographic service area. Some examples of geographic boundaries could be a county, a partnership of two or three towns to create a region, an Indian reservation, or simply a predetermined mileage perimeter around a town. All definitions are acceptable, but it is important that the definition be clear and the Site have a sense of community and collaboration.
The business of a Fellowship applicant must be located within a clearly defined geographic boundary.
- Targeted Rural Population - Membership organizations or organizations providing services to rural people may apply to become a Dakota Rising Site. The target market served by the organization must be clearly defined.
The Fellowship applicant must document that they have been a member of the Site organization for a minimum of three months prior to the time of application or that they have received services from the Site organization within the past twelve months. Some examples may include a trade organization, one serving home-based businesses or wineries.
To assure diversity, of the two sites to be selected, Dakota Rising will choose at least one site defined by targeted population.
- Great Champion and Great Coordinator
Each applicant must be able to identify a great potential Champion; someone who can inspire others to action and have the ability to network well both within and outside the community. This person should be charismatic, committed, and tenacious enough to provide the citizen leadership to make this program a success. She or he must have a history of investing in the community and bringing people together. The Champion should be someone with whom others will want to work.
The Coordinator can be the same person as the Champion, but does not have to be. A great potential Coordinator keeps the program organized and moving forward. This person must be dedicated, committed, and tenacious enough to lead a great program and be especially good at coordinating and communicating details. It is helpful if he or she has a history of community involvement and bringing people together, although organizational and communication skills are more critical. This individual should be someone with whom others are excited to work.
- Diverse and Dedicated Leadership Team and Broad-based Collaboration and Community Investment
Each community will organize a Leadership Team to provide guidance and assistance in implementing the program. An effective team should show diversity in the expertise of its members. Ideally, the team would be made up of people from the public and private sectors. They, as individuals, must have a history of community or economic development, investing in the community and working well with people within and outside the community. These team members should be able to provide practical support and advice to carry out the activities of Dakota Rising and they should represent a cross section of the community.
The applicant community should have a history of collaboration as well as a history of investing in itself and accessing opportunities. The community should demonstrate a willingness to support and assist in the growth of individual entrepreneurs and be able to show examples of how residents and organizations have collaborated to invest in a better future.
- Diverse and Dedicated Resource Team
Each community will organize a Resource Team to provide support to entrepreneurs. An effective the team would represent different business competencies (i.e. finance, human resources, legal, marketing, etc.). In addition to business competencies what is important is an understanding of or direct entrepreneurial experience. Team members should have history of investing back into the community. These team members should be able to provide beneficial support and advice to entrepreneurs in the community.
- Market for the fellowship: pool of entrepreneurs
Applicants must provide evidence that there would be potential fellowship candidates from among current entrepreneurs in the community. As this is an on-going program, there must be a pool of entrepreneurs from the community who would apply, not only in the pilot year, but in future years, and who would be an asset to the fellowship.
- Evidence of investment
Each of the sites selected will demonstrate the ability to make a $10,000 investment for the opportunity to bring Dakota Rising to your community or targeted population. $5,000 will be payable to South Dakota Rural Enterprise for entrepreneur development services and $5,000 (cash and/or in-kind) will be used within the Site to implement entrepreneur development strategies and systems.
- Diverse/Unique: Contribute to learning
Dakota Rising is looking for sites that will contribute to the learning of the initiative. Each community selected should contribute something unique to the fellowship, which will add to the learning and will teach us something critical or beneficial for the future of entrepreneur development in South Dakota. At least one of the Sites chosen in 2010 will be defined by a targeted rural population.
- Opportunity: Value of the program to the community
This program is designed to leverage greater opportunity within each community and not duplicate any existing services already available. Each potential site will need to give evidence that this program will be a critical asset to their community and it will help to leverage key resources and opportunities.
- Well defined fellow selection criteria for community impact (social, environmental, and economic)
The Leadership Team must develop clear and measurable criteria for evaluating the impact of the Fellow's business on the community. In doing this, the community should address any restrictions related to its social, environmental, and economic well-being. For example, what would the community's stand be on such businesses as those in certain industries, i.e. pawn shops and casinos? Or, would the community welcome a waste management business? Are there certain businesses that community members would not support?
Some communities may choose to focus on a desirable economic change such as job creation or increased revenue circulation; others may want businesses that only serve a market or only store-front businesses, for example. Some businesses start in a community, but once growth is achieved, they tend to move or sell to someone outside the community. Communities may want to consider criterion that address this issue.
Any criterion created is acceptable. What is most important is that all the criteria reflect the values of the community and that those criteria are objective and measurable.
Initiative: Evidence of on-going participation and engagement in the program
The ideal site will effectively communicate with Dakota Rising staff and be an agreeable partner. The Leadership Team will actively participate in the program and fully access resources and share results. Although "Initiative" is not addressed in the application, the communities will be evaluated on their face-to-face interaction with Dakota Rising staff and their perceived willingness to engage in the program.
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