Our Research

The CDI maintains a clear focus on research and on providing access to valuable resources toward the goal of increasing knowledge and understanding and building capacity around community, regional, and economic development. Our goal is to balance both applied and basic work so as to maintain academic credibility and to be of practical relevance to communities.

The information in this section is organized by topic. Please contact us if you need help finding information or have a question about any of the research or resources included here.

  • Experiences of Occupational Therapists Practicing in Northern BC

    • Community Services Provision
    • Workforce Deployment and Development

    2008

    Rural and remote communities often have more limited health and care services. Part of this is due to the difficulty of recruiting and retaining health care professionals.  This study aims to learn from the experiences of occupational therapists practicing in northern BC in order to contribute to the planning and provision of better systems of professional support. The study examines various aspects of occupational therapy practice in the region, and various issues around recruitment, retention, and the skills and supports required to practice in rural and remote settings.

  • Community Transition Toolkit

    • Community Services Provision
    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation
    The Community Development Institute (CDI) documented community economic transition best practices and performed a gap analysis of the social and community services available within the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition (OBAC) communities that can support transition. The project built upon the expertise developed at the CDI through working for a number of years with individual communities across northern BC on community transition planning. Specifically, it provided an opportunity to update the Transition Toolkit created in partnership with the District of Mackenzie and to assess the supports/resources available among the OBAC communities.  By providing OBAC with a gap analysis of local preparedness for transition, and needed community and social supports/services, the project directly informs OBAC’s ‘Social/Community Services and Supports’ and ‘Resident and Business Retention and Attraction’ strategic planning processes. The Community Transition Toolkit is of immediate use to OBAC and its member communities, and it is being shared with communities across BC through the BC Ministry of Community Services for the broadest possible dissemination and impact.

    Each Toolkit is comprised of 6 reports:
    •        Community Transition Toolkit
    •        Networks across OBAC Communities
    •        A Network Tool for each individual OBAC Community
    •        Government Documents Summary Across OBAC Communities
    •        Government Documents Summary for each individual OBAC Community
    •        Service Analysis Across OBAC Communities

    Toolkits were created for the following OBAC communities:
    •        Burns Lake
    •        Fort St. James
    •        Fraser Lake
    •        Granisle
    •        Houston
    •        Mackenzie
    •        McBride
    •        Smithers
    •        Telkwa
    •        Valemount
    •        Vanderhoof

    A sample Community Transition Toolkit for the District of Mackenzie includes the following reports:

  • Teaching as Outreach: A case study of the Northern Medical Program

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    2008

    By Laura Ryser, Greg Halseth, Neil Hanlon, Dave Snadden, and Joanna Bates

    Society has become increasingly interested in how knowledge can be mobilized to produce meaningful change.  Teaching provides one venue to create social learning environments that can transfer knowledge and change how we work.  Using the Northern Medical Program in Prince George, BC as a case study, we will explore how teaching can be a vehicle for knowledge mobilization and organizational change. This presentation begins by exploring how rural health care restructuring pressures in northern BC lead to the emergence of the NMP.  Then we will explore how teaching programs associated with the NMP at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) have impacted the way physicians work in Prince George through the enhancement of social cohesion, social capital, social learning mechanisms, human capital, and institutional capacity.

  • Peace River Regional District Seniors’ Needs Overview

    • Age-friendly Communities
    • Housing

    2007

    From August 2006 to April 2007, the CDI will be working with the Peace River Regional District to examine housing and support service needs for seniors in the areas outside of Fort St. John, Electoral Area C, and the District of Taylor. The purpose is to provide community decision-makers with information relevant to local planning and infrastructure investments. The project will be supported by a small Advisory Group.

    The project reports include:

  • Village of Old Massett Council 5 Year Human Resources Strategic Plan

    • Community and Economic Development and Transformation

    The Old Massett Village Council (OMVC) identified this project as a way to create a five year human resource strategy for the community. The goal is to take the ideas and things that people want to do, and organize them into a plan that Old Massett can start working on today that builds towards broader goals and objectives for the community.

    John Disney at the economic development department of the OMVC took the lead on developing the Our Future in Motion Five Year Strategy. The Community Development Institute (CDI) from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) was asked to help the community identify its priorities and to write a report using what the community had said. Funding for the Our Future in Motion project was provided by Service Canada.

    Please note: this project was undertaken in partnership with the community, and the community retains ownership of the project materials and reports.

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