Case Style Telephone Discussion Guide - Local CD/ED Agency

NewMarketsTaxCredit(NMTC)ProgramEvaluation

LocalOfficialorOtherRelevantCommunityStakeholder
CaseStyleTelephoneDiscussionGuide
11/25/09

TheCommunityDevelopmentFinancialInstitutions(knownastheCDFIFund)oftheU.S.
DepartmentoftheTreasuryisinterestedinunderstandingthebenefitsthattheNewMarkets
TaxCreditProgrammaybringtolowincomecommunities.Towardsthatend,theCDFIFund
hascontractedwiththeUrbanInstitute,anonprofitpolicyresearchorganizationbasedin
Washington,DC,toconductanevaluationoftheNewMarketsTaxCreditprogram.
TheevaluationisfocusedonanationalsampleofinvestmentsorprojectsinwhichNew
MarketsTaxCreditsareinvolved,including(NAMEPROJECTUSINGQALICBAND/ORCDENAME
ANDOROTHERIDENTIFYINGINFORMATION)inyourcommunity.Projectswereselectedat
randomfromamongallNMTCprojectsfordatacollectionthroughtelephoneinterviewswith
keystakeholders.Ourobjectiveistolearnaboutthe(NAMEPROJECT),includingwhatit
resultedinandwhetheritisconsistentwithcommunityandeconomicneeds,trendsand
strategicplansin(NAMECOMMUNITY).Theevaluationisnotanauditorcompliancereview
andwillhavenoimpactwhatsoeveron(NAMEPROJECT).
Yourparticipationinthisinterviewisvoluntarybutverymuchappreciated,becauseitwill
contributetoabetterunderstandingofhowtheNewMarketsTaxCreditprogramisworking.
Beassuredthatwewillfollowstrictrulestoprotectyourconfidentiality.Theinformationyou
providewillbecombinedwithinformationwereceivefromallotherswhoareinterviewed,and
neitheryourname,youragency/organization’sname,oranyotheridentifyinginformationwill
bepassedalongtotheCDFIFundorpeopleassociatedwith(NAMEPROJECT),ortoothers.
Yournamewillnotbecitedorreportedinanyway.TheCDFIFundwillnotknowwhois
participatingintheseinterviews.Ianticipatethatthecallwilllastabout30minutes.Aswe
synthesizeandanalyzetheinformationyoushare,itwouldhelpustorecordthiscall.Again,
thisrecordingwouldonlybeusedbyusandnotsharedwithanyoneelse.Wouldthatbealright
withyou?Iverymuchappreciateyourcooperation.

ThissurveyhasbeenapprovedbytheOfficeofManagementandBudget,asrequiredbythePaperworkReductionActof
1995,underOMBcontrolnumberXXXXXXXX,whichexpiresonXX/XX/XXXX.Thetimetocompletethisinformation
collectionandanassociatedtelephoneinterviewisestimatedtobe1.25hours,includingtimetoreviewinstructions,
searchexistingdataresources,gatherneededdata,andcompletethesurveyandinterview.Ifyouhaveanycomments
concerningtheaccuracyofthetimeestimateorsuggestionsforimprovingthissurvey,pleasewritetoU.S.Departmentof
theTreasury,CommunityDevelopmentFinancialInstitutionsFund,XXXXXXXXX,Washington,DCXXXXX.

NMTC Evaluation
Community Stakeholder Discussion Guide

A.BACKGROUND

x Respondent’sorganization(ifany)andtitle

B.STRATEGICPLANFORCOMMUNITY/ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT

x Doesjurisdictionhaveastrategicorcomprehensivecommunityand/oreconomic
developmentplan?[Ifyes]:

o Organizations/stakeholdersinvolvedinputtingtheplantogether
o Majorinterests,focus,andusesoftheplan

x Doesthestrategicorcomprehensivecommunityand/oreconomicdevelopmentplan
targetparticulartypesof:

o Areasorneighborhoods?
o Businessesorinstitutions—suchas:lowincome,highpovertyneighborhoods?
o Businessowners—suchasminorityownedbusinessenterprises,womanowned
businessenterprises,disabledveterans,etc.?
o Businesses—suchasincubatorsorstartupsinneighborhoodcommercialareas
inneedofretailrevitalization?
o Industrialorbusinesssectors?
o Commercialareas,industrialareas,orareasinneedofindustrialrevitalization?
o Brownfieldssites?
x

Role/importanceofstrategicorcomprehensivecommunityand/oreconomic
developmentplanindecidingwhichactivities(projects)topursueorwheretopursue
them



C.NAME(Project)ANDITSCOMMUNITYCONTEXT
Theremainderofthisdiscussionfocusesononeparticularprojectwithinthisjurisdiction.It
involvestheNewMarketsTaxCredit(NMTC)program.Specifically,theprojectis(NAME
Project)

x Awarenessorandfamiliaritywith(NAMEProject)?

x

Broadcommunitycontextwithrespectto(NAMEProject)(forexample,history,
circumstances,issues,competinginterests,dominantforces,etc.)



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NMTC Evaluation
Community Stakeholder Discussion Guide

x

Governmentalrole(ifany)withrespecttoeconomicandcommunitydevelopment
issuesasitpertainsto(NAMEProject)


x

Businessclimateinthecommunityasitpertainsto(NAMEProject)

x

Economicdevelopmentchallengesin(NAMECommunity/relevantneighborhood)

x

Roleofadvocacycommunity(businessorresidential),e.g.,generallyactiveorpassive
inissuesinvolvingcommunityandeconomicdevelopment






D.EVOLUTIONOF(NAMEProject)

x Descriptionofhow(NAMEProject)gotstarted,whowasinvolved,including
involvementandrole,ifany,ofpartiesoutsideoftheprincipalstotheproject/deal

x Consistencywith(NAMECommunity’s)strategiccommunity/economicdevelopment
plan;inclusionof(NAMEProject)intheplan

x Fundingorsupportfor(NAMEProject)providedby(NAMECommunity)—including
directfundingortaxabatements,concessions,infrastructuresupport,etc.

x Abilitytoattractprivatecapitalforcommunity/economicdevelopmentprojectsor
activitiestotheareainwhich(NAMEProject)islocated—atthetime(NAMEproject)
wasinitiated.

x (NAMElocalgovernment’s)involvement(ifany)in(NAMEProject)—e.g.,initiatedor
designed,broughttogetherkeyparties,provideddirectfinancialsupport,eminent
domainorcondemnationproceedings,referralstootheragenciesororganizations,etc.

E.ROLEOFNMTCs

x Whatlikelywouldhavehappenedif(NAMEProject)hadnotreceivedNMTCs?

F.PERCEPTIONSOF(NAMEProject)

x Visibilityof(NAMEProject)within(NAMECommunity)
x

Is(NAMEProject)consideredamajororminoractivitywithin(NAMECommunity)?

x

Is(NAMEProject)consideredtobeanasset(viewedpositively)orliability(viewed
negatively)in(NAMECommunity)?

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NMTC Evaluation
Community Stakeholder Discussion Guide

x


Local/regional/nationalmediacoverageof(NAMEProject)

G.OUTCOMES

x Tangiblebenefits(ifany)attributableto(NAMEProject),e.g.:

o Jobscreatedorretained
o Businessesstartedorexpanded
o Infrastructureexpandedorimproved;beautificationoccurred
o Realestatedevelopmentorrehabilitation
o Accesstoretailservicesexpanded
o Accesstosocial/humanservicesexpanded
o Communityfacilitiesdeveloped,expandedorrehabilitated
o Servicesinitiated,improvedorexpanded;taxrevenueswereincreased
o Otherbenefitsoccurred(specify)

x Negativeconsequences(ifany)associatedwith(NAMEProject)
x

Spinoffs/communitybenefits(ifany)attributableto(NAMEProject),e.g.,
o Improvedeconomicstatusandqualityoflife
o Enhancedlocalorinstitutionalcapacity
o Leveragedadditionalinvestment



H.OTHERPERSPECTIVES/CONTACTS

x

Otheruseful/relevantinformationabout(NAMEProject)

x

Otherspersonstospeaktoabout(NAMEProject)






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