UNI’s Institute for Decision Making Utilizes Personalized Approach in Revitalizing Rural Iowa Communities

Many rural Iowa communities face a whirlwind of daunting challenges, including workforce and housing shortages, childcare gaps, infrastructure needs, shifting demographics and economic transitions. For residents, entrepreneurs, and local leaders, these adversities often simultaneously impact their communities, making it intimidating to identify and implement solutions.

For over three decades, the University of Northern Iowa’s Institute of Decision Making (IDM) has leveraged its expertise to deliver tailored and innovative planning, technical assistance, research, training, and more to communities across the state facing such hurdles.

“We don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution for rural communities,” said IDM Program Manager Liesl Seabert. “Every community has different assets, challenges, leadership structures, and goals. Our role is not to come in and tell communities what they should become, but rather to help them identify where they want to go and create a realistic path to get there.”

The IDM in Action

Long before any solutions are offered, the IDM brings together a given community’s stakeholders, like economic development groups, chambers of commerce, business owners, and ordinary citizens, to simply listen.

What Seabert and her colleagues often find is a widespread recognition of challenges, with ideas and suggestions just needing a bit of organization.

“One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing how much people care about their communities,” Seabert said. “Even in places facing very real challenges, there is usually a strong sense of pride and a desire to make things better for the next generation.

“Many communities already know their challenges. What they often need is a process that helps align priorities, identify achievable next steps, and build momentum. I think people appreciate that IDM approaches this work collaboratively rather than prescriptively.”

Once community input is gathered and considered, Seabert and the IDM’s planning gurus get to work, collaborating with a diverse array of partner organizations, like Main Street Iowa, Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Rural Development Council to achieve maximum results.

One specific project in which the IDM played a key role was plotting strategic development plans with the City of Manchester and Van Buren County, both of which were pilot communities implementing the Wealth Capitals Framework to combat local challenges.

The IDM and its partners went beyond purely economic considerations and examined the communities’ assets – leadership, social connections, health, infrastructure, natural resources and quality of life – to tailor a strategic course of action.

Fort Madison and Nevada are other Iowa communities where the IDM worked alongside local leaders and partner organizations to develop strategic plans focused on economic development and long-term sustainability.

“Rural vitality is not something any one organization or sector can address alone, and the coalition created a structure for statewide partners and local communities to work together around shared priorities and implementation,” Seabert continued. “Understanding organizational capacity, available resources, and the community’s readiness for change is incredibly important.

“A plan that is overly ambitious or disconnected from reality will often end up sitting on a shelf. Our goal is to help communities and organizations create meaningful but achievable strategies that meet them where they are while still building momentum toward long-term goals.”

Palpable Buy-In

The IDM’s nimble planning and receptiveness to local feedback generate strong buy-in on the ground. When folks know they’re a key part of the process and feel the wind in their sails after getting organized, executing a given plan becomes easier.

“Strategic planning creates space for communities to step back, align around priorities, and move from reacting to intentionally planning with a shared vision,” Seabert said. “I think IDM’s impact has really been in helping communities and organizations move from ideas and conversations into action.

“We help bring together residents, businesses, nonprofits, elected officials, schools, and regional partners to create plans that are grounded in local realities and built around collaboration. The strongest plans are not the ones that sit on a shelf — they are the ones communities feel ownership over and are excited to implement.”

Discover more about rural revitalization efforts in Iowa by contacting the IDM or Winn-Worth Betco.