Community Economic Resilience (CER)

Building Communities That Can Withstand, Adapt, and Recover

Communities today face an increasing range of disruptions, from natural disasters and public health emergencies to economic shocks, workforce shortages, infrastructure failures, and major industry changes. While these events cannot always be prevented, communities can strengthen their ability to prepare for uncertainty, adapt to change, recover more quickly, and emerge stronger than before.

Community Economic Resilience (CER) is a core course designed for economic development practitioners and community leaders who play a role in preparing for disruption and supporting economic recovery. Built around EDA's Six-Factor Community Resilience Framework, the course explores the interconnected roles of Emergency Management Planning and Capacity, Natural and Cultural Resources, Health and Social Services, Infrastructure, Housing, and Economy.

Participants will learn practical tools and strategies to assess vulnerability, strengthen organizational and community preparedness, support business continuity, coordinate recovery efforts, conduct economic impact assessments, establish Business Recovery Centres, and advance long-term resilience planning. The course also examines the role of diversification, entrepreneurship, workforce development, investment attraction, and strategic reinvestment in building stronger local economies.

Whether responding to a wildfire, flood, employer closure, public health crisis, or other disruption, participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to help businesses and communities prepare for uncertainty, recover more effectively, and build long-term resilience.

This is a core course within our Community Economic Development Certificate Program.

Registration

*The online version of this course is currently being updated. We will enable registration as soon as it is completed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Explain the six-factor community resilience framework, distinguish economic resilience from economic growth, and describe economic development’s role across the disaster and resilience cycle.
Identify major types of economic disruption and explain the economic stakes of disaster, including how impacts accumulate and persist beyond the initial event.
Assess community economic vulnerability by distinguishing chronic stressors from acute shocks, conducting a basic vulnerability assessment, and identifying key insurance and diversification gaps.
Describe how disruption can create opportunities for economic development and explain why diversification is a core long-term resilience strategy.
Plan for and build organizational and community capacity for disaster response, including continuity planning, external recovery partnerships, and pre-disaster business preparedness.

Conduct and interpret post-disaster economic impact assessments to support decision-making, resource allocation, and external advocacy.
Establish and operate a Business Recovery Centre and coordinate comprehensive business support across all stages of disruption and recovery.
Support businesses through disruption using appropriate financing tools, targeted assistance, and effective crisis communication before, during, and after a disaster.
Understand strategic reinvestment strategies that advance economic diversification and contribute to the development and implementation of a Community Resilience Plan.
Integrate resilience thinking into day-to-day economic development practice and explain the role of Technical Assistance Teams in supporting community recovery.

Delivery Option & Cost

Individual

Online, self-directed learning. Available 24-7.

$195 Members $295 Non-Members

Group

Hybrid- Online:

Self-directed, augmented with live instructor sessions

$325 Members $435 Non-Members

In person:

Group session in your community. One day instructor-led online workshop.

$2950 Members $3450 Non-Members