Overview

 

 

Governmental Overview

The 10 communities outlined below are located within a single nation. This nation is administered through a democratic, representative government. Each of the 10 communities are represented equally by elected officials in the national government (two representatives per community), however, their ability to influence national-level decision-making does vary across communities.  The national government has its administrative capital in community A.  While the seat of national government happens to be located in community A, it is an independent jurisdiction (similar to London, United Kingdom, which is the seat of the national government as well as an independent city with its own local government and taxation systems).

Economy and Language

The nation’s economy functions primarily through a capitalist system with moderate government regulation over foreign trade and currency. The adoption of a capitalist/monetary trade system of exchange does vary somewhat in communities within the country, especially in the northern regions where traditional barter systems and common resource sharing are more prominent.  This nation’s currency is accepted in international trade.  English is the official government language of the nation, but there are regional dialects and other non-native languages spoken within the country.  (While languages can vary, all official documents (including ENR 3500 assignments) should be submitted in English).

Unequal Development Status across the Nation’s 10 Communities

The United Nations (UN) has difficulty classifying this nation in its World Economic Situation and Prospects database (follow hyperlink to find a useful reference!) due to this nation’s varying developmental conditions. These developmental conditions vary significantly by area and community. Based upon the International Monetary Fund (IMF) most recent forecasts of economic and developmental conditions  (hyperlinked to another useful reference!), it classifies the 10 communities as follows:

  • Communities A, B, C, and D, located in the southern and central regions of the nation, are “advanced, developed economies.” These communities have the greatest degree of economic output, educational attainment, and basic infrastructure in comparison to the other communities in the country. For examples similar to A, B, C, and D see the IMF’s list of “G7” nations and find both high and low-income communities listed there, such as urbanized communities in the U.S., Japan, and France.
  • Communities E and F, located in the southern and western regions of the nation, are “economies in transition,” also classified as “emerging markets.” These communities have a moderate degree of economic output, educational attainment, and basic infrastructure in comparison to the other communities in the country. For examples similar to E and F, draw on communities listed in the “G20” nations, such as communities located in Argentina, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Turkey or poorer and more isolated parts of  the G7 nations, such as Appalachia, the Rio Grande Valley, southern “Black Belt” or the Great Plains of the U.S.
  • Communities G, H, I, and J are “low-income, developing economies” located in the nation’s northern and eastern regions. These communities have the lowest degree of economic output, educational attainment, and basic infrastructure in comparison to the other communities in the country. For examples look to communities not located in G20 nations, such as in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Dominica, Haiti, Paraguay and Tanzania.

Despite the major disparity in economic output, educational attainment, and basic infrastructure across communities they are connected by a shared national boundary, representative government and currency.

The population figures listed for each community encompasses only the residents within the jurisdictional boundaries of the community. These figures do not represent the population size of adjacent and other surrounding communities in their respective region.

Weather and Climate

The weather for communities in the south (roughly communities D, A, E and F) is humid continental with warm summers and cold winters. The communities by the ocean (roughly communities J, C, B, and H) are a combination of maritime and humid subtropical climates. Communities in the north (G and I) have tropical climates with a wet and dry season. The primary, dominating air mass that affects the weather patterns of this country consists of air moving from the Northwest to the Southeast in alternations of moist, warm air and cold, dry air. Only during rare weather events does the air mass (and weather patterns) move from the Southeast towards to the Northwest.

Community Capitals

The numbers 1-10 are a relative measure of each of your community’s capitals. These numbers are relative to each other within the community. They are not fixed to an actual, standard measure. For example, a 7 in Natural Capital compared to a 5 in Built Capital is only to provide a reference point that Natural Capital is higher compared to Built Capital.

In a similar vein, these numbers are relative and useful when considered within a single community; they should not be used quantitatively to measure whether one is above or below another community. While it is useful to learn about other communities and to evaluate your developmental steps alongside theirs, these numbers should not be used to compare capitals across different communities. For example, a 4 in Cultural Capital in Community A is not necessarily equal to a 4 in Cultural Capital in Community F.

Your Team’s Role as Community Development Consultants

Your student group team represents a group of advisors hired to advise the community due to your experience as Ohio State University students enrolled in ENR 3500 (a very high caliber organization for development consulting).

Your purpose is to understand the breadth and interaction of the community capitals within your community and to advise the community as technical experts in this field as they set community development goals, an action plan and experience changes in external and internal conditions that affect their progress on these goals.

Your team should not get too focused on the specific community capital numbers at a given point in time or how to increase them individually; rather you should focus on improving your community as a whole — across all or a set of the community capitals.

For example, you can focus on how taking a 3 to a 5 in Built Capital could also elevate Human Capital and Natural Capital; while also keeping in mind that to do this might require a decrease in Financial or Political Capital. In practice this could be increasing public water use fees to raise money to build stormwater management infrastructure and to fund an educational program that builds public awareness of current stormwater pollution issues. Consider the trade-offs across the community capitals rather than thinking of them in isolation because they do not exist in isolation. For example, when considering an advancement in Built or Natural Capital, ask what response (in the form of Political, Financial, Social, Cultural, and Human Capital) this development action might have in the community?

Community development is not a perfect process – in your “spiraling up” there will be some downs, as in your “spiraling downs” there will be some ups!

Advice from Past Community Consultants:

  • Be creative right at the beginning! This way you can build off of the ideas you develop in your first assignment and continue to incorporate these into your community as you face shocks and develop.
  • Remember to consider that you are interacting with communities across the nation and that you have representation in the national government. Think about how these representatives can help you pass legislation or to moderate conflicts in your communities.
  • Keep in mind that this a Group Project but you will be evaluated as both an individual as your group.