Little Rock, Arkansas

Consensus Community Strategy

In 1963, a group of business people came together to respond to the needs of the Little Rock region through a new mechanism to support specific community projects that have significant long-term positive impacts on Central Arkansas. Fifty for the Future has participated in the region’s life since that time. The “Better Together – Metro Little Rock” initiative provided the community with an opportunity to build on past success, holistically address challenges, and effectively maximize future opportunities.

This process obtained the inclusion of the different constituencies that make up the community. The community’s leadership took an important first step in meeting the challenges it faces by working collaboratively on some key cross-jurisdictional projects. Market Street Services was engaged to help build momentum and achieve quality, sustainable community development in the near and long-term.

Market Street assisted the broad-based community steering committee in examining the competitive realities facing Pulaski County, the heart of the Little Rock metropolitan area. Socioeconomic and demographic trends were examined in the Competitive Realities report to identify key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. These opportunities and challenges, in addition to community input, were considered when developing a Consensus Community Strategy that builds a stronger Pulaski County through effective and collaborative leadership.

The three primary components of this action-oriented process are:
 

I. Competitive Realities

The Competitive Realities report provided a qualitative and quantitative analysis of Pulaski County’s competitiveness as a place to live for current and relocating residents, and as a place to conduct business for existing, expanding, and prospective businesses. This assessment presented detailed analyses of the three engines that drive regional competitiveness and quality of life: the People, their Prosperity, and the Place. The performance of Pulaski County in these three areas was compared to three core counties from metropolitan areas that compete with Pulaski County for workers and jobs: Tulsa County, Oklahoma (Tulsa); Davidson County, Tennessee (Nashville); and Richland County, South Carolina (Columbia). A Community Input Summary was provided to share stakeholder input gathered from focus groups, interviews, and an online survey. The Summary supplemented the quantitative analysis and provided a more holistic view of Pulaski County’s competitive realities.

II. Consensus Community Strategy

The Consensus Community Strategy is the means by which Pulaski County will reach consensus on key issues, challenges, and opportunities. The Strategy addressed the key areas that Pulaski County will need to focus on for holistic community development. It identified the “shared vision” and defines the goals, objectives, and action steps needed to produce positive change for the community. Vision Little Rock, the Ten-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, Breaking the Crime Chain, and other strategies, plans and studies were evaluated as a part of this process. Included throughout the strategy are numerous quotes from Community Input participants. The Strategy brings together all other parts of the process and provides a blueprint for the County’s future actions.

III. Implementation Plan

Timely and effective implementation is critical to the ultimate success of the Consensus Community Strategy. Market Street assisted the Steering Committee in selecting strategic options, prioritizing implementation actions, assigning roles and responsibilities of key participants, developing a realistic timeframe for implementation, and reviewing funding priorities and potential funding sources.

The heart of Metro Little Rock, Pulaski County, now has a strategy focused on the County’s most pressing needs and opportunities, with the implementation guidelines to bring the shared vision to reality.