About the Community of Practice
We envision a Building Better Regions Community of Practice (CoP) that spurs innovation and accelerates equitable change through shared learning and collaborative action. Our ultimate goal is to help the individual coalitions leverage the collective power and expertise of all 60 coalitions to ensure that the BBBRC investments provided through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) have even more impact on our national competitiveness and broad-based growth.
RTI, in partnership with SSTI, coordinates the Building Better Regions CoP. Our team helps BBBRC coalition members build long-term national connections and access technical assistance and support to strengthen their local efforts and investments. Our work includes providing capacity building assistance and networking support to the 60 BBBRC coalitions. We design and facilitate virtual and in-person workshops, identify opportunities for coalition collaboration, create and disseminate best practices, and preserve and communicate coalition-created content. Our goal is to ensure that CoP activities help coalitions achieve their regional development visions.
CoP Lead: RTI
RTI is an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach. Combining scientific rigor and technical proficiency, we deliver reliable data, thorough analysis, innovative methods, novel technologies, and sustainable programs that help clients inform public policy and ground practice in evidence. We scale our approach to fit the demands of each project, delivering the power of a global leader and the passion of a local partner. For more information, visit RTI's website.
CoP Strategic Partner: SSTI
SSTI strengthens initiatives to create a better future through science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. A national nonprofit organization, SSTI offers information and services that are needed to succeed in today's innovation economy. We strive to maximize the capacity of our members to deliver successful outcomes within the context of the complex innovation communities in which they participate. SSTI conducts research on common performance standards, identifies best practices, analyzes trends in and policies affecting the innovation economy, and fosters greater connection and cooperation among and between all public, private, and nonprofit organizations that are encouraging prosperity. For more information, visit the SSTI website.
EDA and the Build Back Better Regional Challenge
The $1 billion BBBRC is the marquee program of EDA's American Rescue Plan, which aims to boost economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild American communities, including those grappling with decades of disinvestment. The challenge provides transformational investments to develop and strengthen regional industry clusters across the country, all while embracing equitable economic growth, creating well-paying jobs, and enhancing U.S. global competitiveness. For more information on the challenge, please visit the Build Back Better Regional Challenge web page.
In December 2021, EDA awarded $500,000 seed grants to each of the 60 Phase 1 finalists, and $970 million to 21 Phase 2 winners in September 2022. For more information on the finalists and winners, please visit the Build Back Better finalist web page.
Research Partners
The Purdue Center for Regional Development
The Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) at Purdue University seeks to be a leader in innovative and adaptive partnerships empowering regions to find solutions for equitable, sustainable, and resilient development. The PCRD collaborates with people to listen, identify, and enhance assets unique to their story, resulting in prosperity and improved quality of life. The PCRD is the BBBRC Phase 2 winner evaluation partner. The team will collect data from the 21 Phase 2 winners through quarterly surveys and yearly Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) sessions. This process is intended to capture stories or ripples that would be difficult through other traditional evaluation methods. For more information, please visit the PCRD website.
Brookings Metro
Brookings Metro collaborates with local leaders, helping them transform research insights into policy and practical solutions that scale nationwide. Brookings Metro aims to help every community in the nation to be prosperous, just, and resilient, no matter their starting point. Brookings Metro will partner with EDA and the CoP to produce research on the BBBRC program, document new solutions that emerge from coalitions’ efforts, and analyze how these regional practices inform future public and private action to close social and spatial divides in the United States. For more information, please visit the Brookings Metro website.
Economic Growth Institute and the New Growth Innovation Network
The Economic Growth Institute (EGI) at the University of Michigan provides research and technical assistance to foster equitable economic growth. The New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) is a nonprofit organization focused on inclusive economic growth and closing structural opportunity gaps. EGI and NGIN will lead a robust, equity-focused research project looking at both Build Back Better Phase 2 grantees and Good Jobs Challenge grantees. The team will collect data through interviews with grantee team members on their efforts in equity and inclusion. Yearly reports will highlight the best practices emerging nationally. A capstone report will describe key learnings gleaned from the research and provide recommendations for equitable growth frameworks that can be adopted by the greater community of economic development practitioners. For more information, please visit EGI's website and NGIN's website.
