is the basis of economic investment . This builds on earlier insights , including Hagan ’ s 1962 work ‘ On the theory of social change : how economic growth begins ’.
To better understand how social change and social capital forms the basis of economic development , we will review a process led by RDA Perth and Perth Hills Future . The process is based on a strategic , economic development planning process for the Perth Metropolitan region called Driving Change ( for which it is named ). We have identified four steps that help to transform social capital into economic development outcomes . These are now being applied to the Perth Hills to deliver peri-urban economic development outcomes through social change and community building processes to influence the design of a tailored urban fabric .
WHAT IS THE DRIVING CHANGE PROCESS ? Developing shared priorities for a community requires achieving consensus . The Driving Change approach has been used in RDA to help make this happen . It began with a report Driving Change in Perth and Peel – a strategic , economic development proposal developed using the process . This was taken further through a series of strategic initiatives to deliver key priorities of the Driving Change strategy 1 to develop consensus through aligning priorities and agreeing on a process to create strategic and economic value for the broader community .
The Driving Change process that delivered these outcomes includes a series of steps that are iterative , interdependent , adaptive and not necessarily sequential :
• Establishing the State of Play – Validating a Proposed Approach
• Socialising the Proposed Approach – Adopting a Shared Vision
• Building Leadership – Creating a Citizen Army
• Attracting Investment and Policy Commitments – Delivering in Steps
The role of an economic development professional is to support communities through the process of Driving Change . Each of the processes in Driving Change are briefly outlined and illustrated through the Perth Hills case study .
The Driving Change ( DC process ) has four steps :
DC Process 1 : Establishing the State of Play - Validating a Proposed Approach The goal of establishing a state of play is to shift the community dialogue from uninformed blaming of others to an accountable conversation based on facts and preferences . This requires the initiative of an individual or group with the skill and resources to have the many conversations and conduct the research required to establish a sufficiently detailed baseline detailing challenges , shared values and potential opportunities . It provides the basis for a shared understanding of the economic development context that facilitates an effective conversation with community stakeholders . Social capital is the enabling community resource that makes this possible .
The factors to be mapped are locally relevant , subjective ( preferences ) and objective ( measurable ). They describe key elements of the natural environment , local culture and sense of place , business dynamics and the governance context ( locally relevant policy drivers , strategic plans , election commitments , service and infrastructure priorities and legislation ). While objective factors can be researched , understanding subjective factors requires extensive engagement with community and government stakeholders . Through this process a set of initial priorities emerge – both challenges and opportunities – that form the basis of shared social capital . This creates a robust basis for economic development .
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