THE LIMITS OF SELF-HELP, THE LIMITS OF HELP: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACHES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This dissertation is concerned with self-help and its strengths and limitations as an approach to economic development in distressed urban communities. It assesses the effectiveness of two alternative approaches to community-based economic development. These approaches are identified as "self-help" and "assisted" development. Major distinctions are drawn between these two categories with respect to the scale of development activities that are undertaken, the type of development strategy being implemented, and the amount and sources of funding used for development work. Three community-based development organizations (CBDOs) in each catgory were selected for in-depth study.;Emphasis is placed on assessing the quality of local inputs to the development process and the resultant community outcomes. Four types of inputs are examined: (1) organizational capacity; (2) strategic planning; (3) project selection and implementation; and, (4) coordination with outside development actors. Two types of outcomes are assessed: economic measures of program success; and, non-economic measures of community benefits attributed to CBDO efforts.;The analysis shows a mixed picture of CBDO results. As developers of profitable businesses and unsubsidized jobs they have met with limited success. Factors contributing to their limited success include the state of the overall economy, the nature of the development problems (barriers) present in highly distressed communities, and selected characteristics of CBDOs and their approach to quasi-private sector development. These organizations are better suited to functioning as development brokers rather than as private entrepreneurs.;The six organizations have served as the focal point for resident involvement in the planning and implementation of a broad range of local improvement initiatives. They have developed underutilized community resources--especially untapped human potential.;The research documents and contrasts the experiences of these six organizations using "hard" data on program activities, information obtained from field visits, and interviews with key participants in the local development process. Variations within each category are also examined and case studies of the six organizations and their communities are presented.;Based on these findings, recommendations are made covering public policies that could improve the effectiveness of CBDO activities. Finally, suggestions for future research on self-help and assisted development are outlined.