Community Engagementand Capacity Buildingin Cultural Planning

Presented by: Jeff Kohl, Community Animator

Ontario Healthy Communities CoalitionNovember 17, 2008

Community Capacity-Building

• Needs to happen at 3 levels:

– Individual

– Organizational

– Community

“Needs” vs “Assets”

People and Communitieshave deficiencies & needs

Individuals andCommunities haveskills and talents

“Needs” vs “Assets”

NEEDS ASSETS

focuses on deficiencies focuses on strengths

results in fragmentation of responses to local needs

builds interdependencies

makes people consumers of services; builds dependence

identifies ways that people can give of their talents

residents have little voice in deciding how to address local concerns

seeks to empower people

Start with Capacity-Development

Focus within the community -- on the people who live there

Identify capacities, skills, and assets of local citizens and organizations

Harness local strengths to collaboratively address issues of importance to the community

Features of Asset-Mapping

Asset-Based: Uncovers talents/skills found in the community right now

Internally Focused: Relies on the community’s assets -not on those found outside

Relationship Driven: Seeks to build linkages among local people, institutions, and organizations

Asset Mapping Begins

With People Everyone has talents, skills and

gifts relevant to community activities

Each time a person uses his/her talents, the community is stronger and the person more empowered

Strong communities value and use the skills that residents possess

Capturing Local Institutions for

Community Building Every community has a variety of

public, private, and formal institutions

Some communities are “institution rich” - others are not

Too often, local institutions are not connected to local community-building efforts

Community Institutions

Kinship

EconomicEducation

PoliticalFaith-BasedAssociations

Informal Organizations

May be neighborhood-based, community-based, or extend outside the community’s boundaries

Such groups are critical because they involve, empower, and impact local citizens

Building a community requires a deliberate effort to identify and involve such organizations

Uncovering PotentialLeaders

Every community has leaders Many others in the community have

attributes that make them ideal “leader” candidates

These people can become great leaders when engaged and empowered

Mobilizing Community Leaders

People

Formal

Institutions

Informal Organizations

Create New Avenues of Leadership

Create New Avenues of Leadership Move from a centralized mode of decision-

making to a polycentric approach -- one that involves many centers of leadership

Helps expand the number of people who embrace community goals

The polycentric approach requires access to leadership opportunities

Reorganizing community work

Reorganizing community work

Decisions and action plans in a community must depend less on a pyramid and more on a series of inter-related circles

Silo Services

AgencyA

ProgramB

Community

RegionC

ServiceD

DepartmentE

Community-Based Funding

Federal / ProvincialFunding

Municipal:Regional / Local

Funding

The Problem With Silos

Fragmented…(dissipate leverage / ownership)

Prevent Clarity on the Outcome…(not “making the same movie”)

Deceptive … (“good people doing good things”)

Transform Organizational Leadership to Community

LeadershipOrganizational Hierarchical Taking Charge Right Answer Leaders &

Followers Responsibility for

strategy and tasks

Community Interorganizational Providing Catalyst Right Question Coordinated Action Responsibility for

community outcomes

The Key Steps to Community Engagement

Identify (map) the assets of individuals, institutions and informal organizations

Build relationships among these local assets

Explore how assets can be mobilized to improve local conditions/needs

Engage the community in visioning and planning (through the whole process)

Tap outside resources that help advance local improvement efforts

Capacity building processIdentify planning group

Inventory and mapping

Analysis and vision

Priorities and strategies

Launch, evaluate, revise

Community Consultation vs. Community

Engagement

Project Ideas Design Implement Sustain

Project Ideas Design Implement Sustain

Consultation

Engagement

Example 1

Example 2

Source: Museum Libraries Archives Council

Achieving Community Solutions

What makes the difference between a good movie and a bad movie?

“Getting everyone involved to make the same movie!”

- Francis Ford Coppola

Levels of Working Together

Full Collaboration

Coalition

Partnership

Alliance

Network • Com

mitm

ent

• Inv

estm

ent

• Owne

rshi

p

• Com

plex

ity o

f rel

atio

nshi

p

Levels of working together

• Networking– Dialogue– Clearinghouse– Create base of support

• Cooperation or alliance– Match needs and coordinate– Limit duplication– Ensure tasks are done

Levels of working together

• Coordination or partnership– Share resources to address issues– Merge resource base to create

something new

• Coalition– Share ideas and pull resources from

existing systems– Develop extended commitment

Levels of working together

• Collaboration– Shared vision– Build interdependent systems to

address issues and opportunities

Community engagement tools

• Balloon ride– Floating over the community in 10

years; what does it look like?

• Draw a group picture– Draw a vibrant arts/culture/heritage

community in 10 years

• Design front page of a Newspaper– Celebrating success 10 years in the

future

• Appreciative Inquiry Interview

Key Factors for Success• Focus on “Community Assets” – not on “Needs”• Mobilize and empower community leaders &

champions• Make sure everyone is “making the same movie” • Engage all sectors of the community• Be inclusive (diversity should reflect community)• Climb out of our “silos”• Form alliances and partnerships• Something for “thinkers” and “doers”• Start small = likely to succeed (getting to “Yes”)• Celebrate success early and often

Perth Area Initiatives

• Stewart Park Festival• Festival of the Maples• Garlic Festival• The Art of Being Green• Fall Studio Tour• Buy Local / Farm Gate Sales Map

Resources

• Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition

• Appreciative Inquiry• ABCD• Benchmarking Your Org’n For

Success• Cultural Mapping

Jeff Kohl

jeffk@ohcc-ccso.ca

www.healthycommunities.on.ca