CCS Field Research Project

Purpose:

To gather information and research on the local economy of an area, in order to determine ways in which CCS can best be implemented there.

Methodology:

Qualitative and quantitative benchmarking-based research, using methodologies drawn from Social Auditing (Examining Local Currency Systems: A Social Audit Approach, Gill Seyfang, International Journal of Community Currency Research, Volume 1, 1997), Economic Auditing (CSA Economic Audit Protocol, G. R. Walter, http://web.uvic.ca/~csap/frbc/reskit/ caudit.html), and Community Mapping (Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets, John McKnight and John Kretzmann, Asset-Based Community Development Institute, 1993.)

Objectives:

The 5 primary objectives of this research are to:

  1. Determine the component of the economy that operates only at the local level, local production for local consumption, local production of inputs, local sale of outputs, etc.
  2. Determine the social willingness of villagers to cooperate and trade between each other for their mutual benefit.
  3. Determine what traditional exchange methods exist, and their level of use by the community.
  4. Determine the issues & concerns of the community.
  5. Determine the assets that exist in the community.

Area

Objective

Indicator

Method of Data Collection

Economic
  1. Separate local from non-local economy.
  2. Identify types of economic activities.
  3. Determine production capacity of local economy.
  4. Determine level of utilization of existing skills & resources.
  5. Spending breakdown.
  6. Personal Saving Goals (things that are difficult to purchase).
  7. Community Saving Goals.
  8. Account Average. Overall average and highest increase, lowest decrease.
  9. Savings average. Overall average and highest increase, lowest decrease.
  10. Average Asset Growth of Credit Union. Overall average and highest increase, lowest decrease.
  11. Average Savings Deposit. Overall average and highest increase, lowest decrease.
  1. Percentage of income earned and spent locally, compared to non-local.
  2. Number of businesses & types of economic activities, by percentage.
  3. Given peak production & sales, how much could be produced.
  4. How much a business could boost its production by, given existing facilities, if demand were to increase.
  5. What each family spends its income on.
  6. What people/families need and have difficulty, or find impossible, to access.
  7. What is needed in the community (in economic, or infrastructure terms).
  8. Credit Union Account Information.
  9. Savings Balance Information.
  10. Asset Information.
  11. Savings Deposit Information.

Conclusion:
  • Given reduced production & money supply coupled with skills & production capacity, determine insufficiency of money supply)

1. Quantitative. Interview with community members.

2. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

3. Qualitative/Quantitative. Interview with community members who have enterprise activities. Data from these people.

4. Qualitative/Quantitative. Interview with community members who have enterprise activities. Data from these people.

5. Quantitative. Interview with community members.

6. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

7. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

8. Quantitative. Data from Credit Union.

9. Quantitative. Data from Credit Union.

10. Quantitative. Data from Credit Union.

11. Quantitative. Data from Credit Union.

Conclusion:
  • Determine the component of the economy that operates only at the local level, local production for local consumption, local production of inputs, local sale of outputs.
  • Analyze data to reach conclusion on community assets & capacity, and their level of utilization.

Social
  1. Determine social possibilities for cooperation for personal goals
  2. Determine social possibilities for cooperation for collective goals.
  3. Community Health Assessment.
  4. Leisure time as a group.
  5. Opportunities to meet socially with other community members.
  1. How much do people work together with others on shared economic efforts that benefit themselves
  2. How much do people do for others, with no immediate benefit for themselves?
  3. Indicators of Well-Being including: Safety, Crime, Women's Work, Income Disparity, Children, Health, Education, Happiness.
  4. Amount of social leisure time.
  5. Number of cost-free social opportunities to meet.

1. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

2. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

3. Qualitative/Quantitative. Interview with community members, data from Village Head or local police.

4. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

5. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

 

Conclusion:
  • Determine the social willingness of villagers to cooperate and trade between each other for their mutual benefit.

Cultural
  1. Traditional methods of social reciprocation at the local level.
  2. Cultural celebration, religious only or whole community?
  1. Use of alternative forms of exchange, like barter, Gotong Royong, credit panchi?
  2. Cultural celebrations for specific groups and whole community.

1. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

2. Qualitative/Quantitative. Interview with community members. Data from local religious leaders & Village Head.

Conclusion:
  • Determine what traditional exchange methods exist, and their level of use by the community.

Issues
  1. Economic concerns of residents.
  2. Social concerns of residents
  3. Cultural concerns of residents.
  1. Determine economic concerns.
  2. Determine social concerns.
  3. Determine cultural concerns.

1. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

2. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

3. Qualitative. Interview with community members.

Conclusion:
  • Determine the issues & concerns of the community.

Background

  1. Location of community
  2. Total population
  3. Public Services
  4. Business Assets
  5. Community Assets
  6. Infrastructure Assets
  1. Location of community
  2. Total population
  3. Public Services
  4. Business Assets
  5. Community Assets
  6. Infrastructure Assets

1. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

2. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

3. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

4. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

5. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

6. Quantitative. Data from Village Head.

Conclusion:
  • Determine the assets that exist in the community.