National Programs

CPAC’s innovative and applied research stretches across the country, always with an emphasis on issues that affect rural areas and community policy. Our national projects are diverse and creative ranging from developing hands-on tools for rural cooperatives considering investing in biopower to studying the impact of child care on a state’s economy. CPAC actively seeks out partnerships across the country to address challenging policy issues and questions. For a list of our partners here in Missouri and across the country,click here.

Ongoing Projects

Implementing SEBAS to Assess Effectiveness of USDA's Rural Development Programs on Rural People and Communities

Staff: Dennis Robinson, Tom Johnson
Status: In Progress
Date: Ongoing

In 2003, USDA Rural Development contracted CPAC to conduct research to assess the effectiveness of its programs for rural people and communities. As part of the project, CPAC created SEBAS (Socioeconomic Benefits Assessment System), a tool to assess the local economic impacts of Rural Business Service loans, loan guarantees, and grant and technical assistance programs, using various quantitative measures of local and regional economic performance.

The current project extends the work of the first agreement by completing the design and supporting the implementation of SEBAS to cover all of the States served by Rural Development programs.

• User Guide to SEBAS
• SEBAS Program Results
• SEBAS Presentation

The Economics of the Child Care Sector in Kansas

Staff: Tom Johnson, Eun-Young Choi, Amy Lake
Status: In Progress
Date: Ongoing

In this innovative study, CPAC researchers are partnering with the State of Kansas to analyze the economic impact of the child care sector in Kansas. Through this study, differences in rural and urban areas are considered as well as the “informal” child care sector. The “informal” sector includes family, friends and neighbors who care for children, grand children, nephews and nieces, etc, but are not licensed or registered. In this project, researchers estimate the size and value of informal care in addition to formal care provided by licensed and registered child care facilities. Child care is then compared, as a sector, to the agricultural sector, construction sector or others.

Completed Projects

Biopower Toolkit provides information about renewable biofuel sources and a Biopower Impact Calculator

Staff: Tom Johnson
Status: Completed
Date: 2003

The Biopower Impact Calculator is a tool that helps groups analyze the feasibility of biopower projects before investing in them. If your cooperative is considering building an electricity generation plant that uses renewable biofuels instead of conventional fossil fuels, the Biopower Impact Calculator can help you do the following:

- Decide whether it would be a sound economic investment.
- Determine how much it will contribute to jobs and economic activity in your state

• Staff Contact List
• Legal Notice
• KOMU Report on Biopower
• Impact Calculator User Guide
• Impact Calculator 1.0