Applicants are required to describe in the application how their Project will tangibly support the ROD Program’s outcomes and how the Project impacts will be measured. For further detail on how Projects are evaluated based on the program outcomes, please refer to the assessment criteria scoring section below.

The ROD Program outcomes and example performance measures include:

Businesses attracted, retained and expanded

The number of businesses that have opened, remained, and/or grown within a community that could reasonably be attributed to the activities of the Project.

Example performance measures:

  • number of businesses attracted, retained and expanded
  • the change in the number of businesses

Economic barriers addressed in rural including those of Indigenous communities

The reduction of obstacles that hinder Rural Ontario communities, organizations, or Indigenous communities from benefiting from growth and development; and can be reasonably attributed to the activities of the Project.

Example performance measures:

  • number of economic barriers or opportunities addressed
  • description of economic barrier and how it was addressed

Increased capacity and effectiveness for rural Economic Development

The process of strengthening people, organizations and communities’ knowledge and skill sets to undertake and manage their Economic Development efforts.

Example performance measures:

  • number of people and businesses engaged
  • level of satisfaction
  • intent to adopt the information learned

Investment attracted or retained

The attraction of new investments from public and private sources or the retention of investments in a community that might not have occurred without the activities of the Project.

Example performance measures:

  • dollars of investment attracted and retained
  • building permit value
  • new property tax assessment
  • preventing loss in tax assessment from vacancies/closures

Jobs attracted or retained

The number of new paid positions created during or after the Project that will result in longer term jobs that can be directly attributed to Project activities, which otherwise may not have been created; and/or the number of existing jobs that will be maintained within a community during or after the Project that can be directly attributed to Project activities and may otherwise have not been retained.

Example performance measure:

  • number of jobs attracted and retained

Regional partnerships that strengthen local economies and resiliency

Partnerships between 2 or more communities, that agree to work together to drive growth and adapt to economic circumstances. Regional, collaborative partnerships help pool limited resources, both human and financial to increase the Project's effectiveness.

Example performance measures:

  • number of Partners involved in the Project
  • contribution of the Partners towards the Project

Transformed or modernized Community Assets that drive economic growth and resiliency

The enhancement of physical Community Assets that have been identified as economically important to the community. The improvement would lead to the rehabilitation and renewal of the assets that preserves and enhances the unique character of the community.

Example performance measures:

  • dollars invested in physical Community Asset enhancement
  • increased utilization of the Community Asset

Workforce development challenges addressed

Workforce challenges are acted on, fostering an adequate, equitable and/or stable Workforce in a community that could be reasonably attributed to the Project activities.

Example performance measures:

  • number of Workforce development challenges or opportunities addressed
  • Workforce and employer engagement
  • number of people trained