fcss calgary: setting a new direction in prevention ... fall 2012...capacity building that focuses...

FCSS Calgary:Setting a New Direction in Prevention

through Resident-Led Neighbourhood Strengthening

I’m Heather White from FCSS Calgary. I have been a social planner with FCSS Calgary for over 8 years and previously worked as a consultant and with the United Way of Calgary and area. I am been the co-lead in our Strong Neighbourhood Initiative.

As we heard from Jim this morning, neighbourhood work and community building is exciting work and full of surprises every day.

I’m going to go over how we got involved in neighbourhood-based work as a prevention funder, what our challenges have been and where we have seen successes.

I hope you will see some things in today’s presentation that are familiar to you in your work.

Through our journey, we have drawn on lessons learned from ruralcommunities across Alberta as well as other municipalities from across Canada, the UK and the US.

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First, a little community building fun….

The Parable of the Blobs and Squares

This is a fun little video that captures some of the challenges we have faced in the work we are doing in Strengthening Neighbourhoods.

It also explains why you have Hershey squares and kisses at your table…

Please think about your experience as a blob or square, pair-up at your table and discuss.

Does anyone want to briefly share?

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The Need for New Funding Priorities

More complex and interrelated issues arisingDemand for services increasingDemographic changes and population growth State of nonprofit sector precariousResources inadequate to maintain status quo

So, This is the story of how the Squares of FCSS Calgary and the Cityof Calgary have been learning about how to work better with Blobs or

Citizens, without forcing the Citizens to become Squares.

After 3 years of great effort, we hope + believe we Squares havebegun to nurture our joint interests with Citizens to truly Strengthen

Neighbourhoods throughout Calgary.

It all began with the need for new funding priorities.

FCSS Calgary was seeing increasing demands for increased funding in an ongoing climate of 0 – minimal funding increases from our Provincial funder at the same time as we were seeing…

We knew we needed do something differently in the face of inadequate resources and escalating demands

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Strengthen Neighbourhoods

Increase Social Inclusion

No increase in spatial concentration of poverty in Calgary, by neighbourhood

Increased community capacity, social & individual capital in focus neighbourhoods

Increased social inclusion among vulnerable Calgarians participating in FCSS-funded programs & initiatives in Calgary

A Social Sustainability Framework was developed and approved by Council in 2005

From this Framework, 2 funding priorities were established

Unlike previous funding priorities, Council agreed to a 10 year commitment to the two new funding priorities of

• Strengthening Neighbourhoods and • Increasing Social Inclusion of vulnerable Calgarians

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Research Informs Direction Neighbourhood-based, resident-led A Community Development approachFocus on 4 elements of a Strong Neighbourhood:

High levels of social cohesion & inclusionGood quality built & natural environmentAccessible, affordable programs & servicesPositive community economic development

• So, like the good Squares that we are, we relied on best practice models and research to tell us what we should focus on in our Neighbourhood Strengthening efforts and why.

• Research tells us, and we all intuitively know, people are affected by the neighbourhoods in which they live.

• Neighbourhood “effects” can either be positive or negative & there is considerable evidence that living in a neighbourhood with high concentrations of poverty can diminish the life chances of both children and adults – and most researchers agree, neighbourhoods with high concentrations of poverty can actually cause or exacerbate social problems…sometimes called “broken window” syndrome.

• Our research told us to take a neighbourhood-based, resident-led approach to help Strengthen Neighbourhoods. (McCurtry QUOTE)

• Our research also told us to use a Community Development approach and to focus on the 4 elements that help strengthen neighbourhoods:

• Moving from a funder of programs and services focused primarily on supporting individual/family strengthening to also strengtheningneighbourhoods by supporting a resident-led approach to social change/social justice has been a BIG CHANGE in direction for FCSS Calgary and its funded partners

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Our Intentions Increase:

neighbourhood capacitysocial connectionsfamily cohesioneconomic self-sufficiencypositive child & youth development

Decrease: Or no increase in poverty within focus neighbourhoods

We learned from our research, which included looking at the work being done throughout rural Alberta with ACE communities and other initiatives across Canada, the UK and the US,

that by using a neighbourhood-based approach we could positively influence change in:

• neighbourhood capacity• social connections etc.

And through this type of approach, we could possibly help to decrease or at least see no increase in poverty within the neighbourhoods where we focused our efforts.

Ultimately, our belief is that our SNI will help to support positive, sustainable change at the neighbourhood level.

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Neighbourhood Selection 26 – 39% households living in povertyProtective Factors:

Neighbourhood assetsPartnership opportunities Neighbourhood investments

Risk Factors:Low incomeDemographic mixPerceptions of need

• 8 neighbourhoods selected for SNI – preventing tipping over into high concentrations of poverty

• Neighbourhood Assets:• Social infrastructure• Community leadership• Physical infrastructure• Social capital

• Partnership opportunities:• CNS divisions • Other city business units• External partners – UW, TCF etc.

• Current or planned neighbourhood investments• Major City infrastructure• Community development

• Low Income• High unemployment• Low income seniors• High # of tenants spending >30% of income on rent• High # of income support recipients

• Demographic mix• Perceptions of need

• Crime/drug culture• Negative/declining economic landscape• Need for assistance

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Evaluation StrategiesNeighbourhoods as target for changeResident-led information gathering & analysisDoor knocking & resident surveyingOther sources of dataEvaluation strategy & tool development in partnership with others

As good planning squares, we know it is important to build evaluation strategies into our work from the get-go.

We also believe Information & data is essential to build knowledge of residents about local conditions & issues, assets & opportunities

The most important notion is that the neighbourhoods are the target of change, not the residents as individuals which is different than when we evaluate other programs and services we fund

We are checking-in and evaluating neighbourhoods every 3 years

This past year, over 2,300 neighbourhood residents were surveyed in 8 neighbourhoods + resident asset mapping has also been completed in each neighbourhood

Residents, working with City staff, are taking a look at the information they have gathered and

With knowledge comes the ability to begin to act as citizens in determining and developing neighbourhood plans

Learned all kinds of things which have led to citizen action – pictures forthcoming

An important message we learned: A majority of people love their neighbourhoods, they want to stay in their neighbourhoods and they want to be part of efforts to make positive change

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Key Ingredients Changing our lens

Moving from “Doing for” to “Doing with”Seeking social justice through community building

Capacity-buildingNeighbourhood FundsEthno-cultural Community OrganizersCommunity Development Learning InitiativeCommunity Development Workers

Partnerships & Resourcing

Through our journey, we have come to realize some key ingredients are necessary for this work to make progress: First and foremost….We must change our lenses – 2 points

Capacity-building is essential

We established Neighbourhood Funds for each of the 8 neighbourhoods•Decisions made by community leaders • Increased involvement of local residents + capacity building – planning, grant writing, organizing etc.

Ethno-cultural Community Organizers help to build bridges into SNI within neighbourhoods • Supporting, training + paying resident Ethno-cultural Community Organizers

There is interest in developing a resource within Calgary to help support capacity-building• broad inclusive leadership training for residents, professional CD workers, bureaucrats + funders • technical assistance• currently figuring out the what + how (locally based, storefront, virtual, mentorship)

Our CD Workers need ongoing support to work in new ways •CD Worker job redesign & new Theory of Change + best practice research, workshops etc.

Partnering with other funders, other City BUs, other levels of government

Resourcing local community economic development support thru funded agency

Being humble & having a sense of humour

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Our Central Challenge: Balancing Two ApproachesTendency of Formal

Institutions SQUARES

Nature of Neighborhood Community Development

BLOBSCertainty Unpredictable. Messy. Risky

Short Term Focus Long Term FocusSpecialization Cross-boundary

orchestrationVertical accountability Multiple stakeholdersFixed, standardized responses

Customized and evolving responses

City or Region Wide Perspective

Neighborhood Perspective

M. Cabaj, 2012

Ideally, when Squares (Bureaucrats) work productively with Blobs/Citizens: • We initiate change processes centered on best practice models, effective principles, with central interests and priorities• We provide a framework with requirements for what we are interested in supporting and funding

When Blobs (Citizens) work effectively with Squares:• Citizens provide local knowledge, context & priorities, grassroots innovation, adaptation & emergence • Citizens recognize what works best and does not work at the local level

Roles when working together: • Squares identify effective patterns & principles across the 8 focus neighbourhoods• Citizens provide feedback & test ideas at the neighbourhood level• Together: Change systems so the neighbourhood strengthening approach can improve & thrive (not just survive)

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ChallengesBalancing expectations vs. realityQuestions about what “resident-led”really meansCapacity-building resources requiredMoving beyond engagement to action

•We do not want to turn blobs into squares!

• Seeking long‐term sustainable change versus quick fixes…together we go far, alone we go fast

• Residents are thrilled and eager, it’s a marathon, not a sprint so we are working together to develop priorities & next steps to avoid burn‐out & disappointment

• Our CD workers require support for working in new ways

•working with rather than for residents,

•building relationships with residents as citizens not as recipients of service

• CD workers often used to working with other professionals to help co‐ordinate and bring resources into the neighbourhoods,

•not used to working directly with residents as equal partners inchange

• For many, still working to better understand what resident‐led means

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The Role of Community Developers

A key area we have focused on and we believe is central to our work as FCSS across Alberta is bringing clarity to this thing we call Community Development.

Working in partnership with our Community Development workers, we developed a Theory of Change for Community Development based on in-depth research on best practices and what works…we’re squares, what do you expect?? With this CD approach, there is an emphasis on moving beyond resident engagement and participation towards:

Capacity building that focuses on building the technical and leadership skills of residents and the organizing capacity of the whole neighbourhood to lead change and to work for social justice within their neighbourhoods and ultimately, across our city

Using this CD approach, residents will truly become citizens, advocating for the resources, amenities, built and natural environment and local economy that will help their communities thrive, not just survive

Next up…some pictures of what’s happening in the Strong Neighbourhoods

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Small and powerful steps

Parents in Martindale take action in partnership with schools & Bylaw to encourage people to slow down while driving through school zones and in the neighbourhood

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Rosscarock Resident Town Hall• exploring & sharing ideas & developing neighbourhood action plans

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Rosscarock community garden

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Community celebration of Eid

Partnership with Calgary Sexual Health Centre = development of the FAIR project and launch of “How to Talk with Your Kids about Sex” workshops offered to local parents in the ‘hood.

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Community garden project in Highland Park – reclaiming and improving a local green space plagued by illegal dumping.

Assistance from: • Local residents in the planning and re-design of the space• Local residents in clearing the space, building the garden beds and creating a new meeting place in the community• Local residents in cleaning up the area in partnership with Bylaw• Horticultural society in recognizing the value of the space + the native plant species • Parks & Roads

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Two Wheel View, a program funded by FCSS, working with local youth in Highland Park. The program teaches young people how to fix up old bikes, repair their own and, with enough volunteer hours, participants “earn” their own bike.

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St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Youth Group work on a mural project to help improve a local, community space in Sunalta.

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QUESTIONS?

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Resources http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/CNS/Pages/FCSS/Funding-Priorities.aspxhttp://tamarackcommunity.ca/http://www.anccommunity.ca/index_english.htmlhttp://www.caledoninst.org/http://acecommunities.arpaonline.ca/

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For More Information Katie BlackManager, FCSS Calgary403.268.5976 [email protected] White & Allison MacDonaldCo-Lead Social Planners (Squares)Strong Neighbourhoods Initiative [email protected]@calgary.ca

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Research Informs Direction Based on direction from residents, invest in & support:

Programs & services Community development Policy and systems change

• Research also tells us to focus on investing in and supporting 3 key areas in our neighbourhood strengthening efforts. According to our research, we must fund and support:

•Programs and services•Community development & •Policy and systems changes

•The difference is that decisions about what to invest in related to these key areas should be influenced by the interests and direction of the residents from the neighbourhoods we are working in if we are succeed with:

Sustainable Positive Change Over Time.

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FCSS Calgary Well Positioned Links to:

Municipal government + relevant business units

Council, LUPP, Parks, Roads, Bylaw, CNS…

Funder of:community developmentrelevant programs and services policy + systems change efforts

Long-standing partnerships with other community building funders UW, TCF

From our research, we determined: FCSS Calgary was well-positioned to support neighbourhood-based, resident-led strengthening within focus neighbourhoods

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fcss calgary: setting a new direction in prevention ... fall 2012...capacity building that focuses...

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