Community Development &Capacity Building Workshop

November 18, 2008, Gander, NL

With Special Guest Stars: Participants from all over Newfoundland & Labrador!!!

Workshop Agenda• Welcome/housekeeping• Introduction• Overview of approaches to working in communities• Elements of community development• Role of practitioners in community development• Mobilizing communities• Lunch (12:15 – 1:15)• What is community capacity building?• Capacity building and working with communities• Supports & barriers to using a capacity building approach• Measuring Community Capacity Resource Kit• Resources• Evaluation and Closing

Workshop Guidelines

• Respect each other’s experiences and perspectives• Listen to each other• Make sure everyone has a chance to speak• Move around as you wish• Cell phones off or set to vibrate• Other?

Approaches to Working in Communities

• Community Development• Community Capacity Building• Healthy Communities• Population Health• Health Promotion• PATCH• Social Learning Theory• Social Support Theory

Community Development ….• is a process that supports community members collectively

identifying their strengths, resources, and capacities; and then mobilizing these strengths and resources in an organized way to address agreed-upon needs and priorities in a way that works for the community (Horizons Community Development Associates).

• aims to make sure that local people are involved in defining and taking action on the issues that affect their lives. It seeks to involve those who are usually excluded from decision-making processes and to challenge discrimination and inequality. (Association of Community Workers).

Levels of Participation

• Manipulation• Information• Consultation• Deciding together• Acting together• Supporting independent community interests

Principles of Good Community Development Practice • Promote active and representative participation

toward enabling all community members to meaningfully influence the decisions that affect their lives.

• Engage community members in learning about and understanding community issues, and the economic, social, environmental, political, psychological, and other impacts associated with alternative courses of action.

Principles of Good Community Development Practice (cont’d)

• Incorporate the diverse interests and cultures of the community in the community development process; and disengage from support of any effort that is likely to adversely affect the disadvantaged members of a community.

• Work actively to enhance the leadership capacity of community members, leaders, and groups within the community.

Principles of Good Community Development Practice (cont’d)

• Be open to using the full range of action strategies to work toward the long term sustainability and well being of the community.

(Developed by the Community Development Society)

Reflection Question

• How can you apply these CD principles in your work?

Afternoon Agenda

• What is community capacity building?• Capacity building and working with communities• Supports & barriers to using a capacity building

approach• Measuring Community Capacity Resource Kit• Resources• Evaluation and Closing

Community Capacity Building...

… is a process that aims to increase a community’s ability to work together to meets its goals and needs. Capacity building works to enhance the strengths a community already has. Capacity is built from:

Commitment: the will to act;

Resources: including both financial and other resources; and

Skills: talents and expertise

(Adapted from the Community Foundation of Canada, 1999)

Dimensions of Community Capacity

• Participation & leadership• Skills• Resources• Social & inter-agency networks• Sense of community• Understanding of community history• Community power• Community values• Critical reflection

Reflection Question

• What actions can you take in your work to build on the various dimensions of community capacity?

Supports & Barriers• What’s in place to help us incorporate this capacity

building action in our work?• How can we use this support to help incorporate this

capacity building action in our work?• What barrier could stop us from incorporating this capacity

building action in our work?• How can we address this barrier?• Partners we can work with to incorporate this capacity

building action into our work?• Concrete actions we can take to move forward?• Timeline for taking the action?• How will we know if we’re successful?

Measuring Community Capacity Resource Kit

• http://www.horizonscda.ca/resources.html

My most significant learning from today is…..

CommunityWe are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.

(Starhawk)

What do you get out of doing community work?