strategic framework for community development · 2016-10-10 · 2 a strategic framework for...

Supporting people

who support comm

unitie

s

STRATEGIC

FRAMEWORKFORCOMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENTStanding Conference for Community Development

THE AIM OF THIS FRAMEWORK is to

provide a basis for working with people,

not only on issues of local concern but

also when developing wider

programmes and policies. All too often

external experts seem to have more influence

over change in communities and the

development of policies and priorities.

The result is a development process that is

unsustainable, unfair, of little relevance to

those directly affected and which fails to

make the best use of available resources,

experience and skills. This framework is

about a different approach. It is about

working with communities first and

recognising their interests, expertise and

experience as the basis for development.

It is this approach that will result in

equitable, relevant and sustainable change.

Today, many government and other

initiatives recognise that, if they are to

succeed, the involvement of communities is

necessary. However, the starting point for

action is often the initiative and not

communities themselves. This can result in

disjointed development with people being

overwhelmed by the demand to respond to

initiatives and take part in increasingly

complex organisational arrangements.

Community development is a process which

joins up environmental, economic, social,

demographic, technological, political and

other issues by empowering communities to

work on their own agendas to improve the

quality of life. It has clear values and

commitments as its starting point rather than

predetermined structures and solutions.

This framework outlines the main

elements for effective community

development. It provides a tool to analyse

current contexts and practice. It can be used

with people to develop strategic options and

make strategic choices about future direction.

The framework has been produced with

members of the Standing Conference for

Community Development (SCCD).

There have been workshops at conferences

organised by SCCD and by our members to

produce and comment on material for the

Framework. There has been feedback on the

draft that was circulated through SCCD

News and placed on relevant web sites.

Members of SCCD have provided case

studies. A small group including staff from

SCCD, the Community Development

Foundation, the Federation for Community

Work Training Groups and COGS worked

with the material from members to produce

sections of the Framework.

A Strategic Framework for Community DevelopmentIntroduction

1SCCD A Strategic Framework for Community Development

2 A Strategic Framework for Community Development SCCD

The Standing Conference for Community Development (SCCD) is a membership organisation bringingtogether those involved in community development practice, policy and research. SCCD has members inthe community, voluntary, public and private sectors. We receive financial support from the ActiveCommunity Unit at the Home Office. For further information please contact:

SCCD Floor 4, Furnival House, 48 Furnival Gate Sheffield S1 4QP

0114 270 1718 email: [email protected] web: www.comm-dev.co.uk

Registered charity number: 1085702

This Framework has been endorsed by the following organisations:

We particularly wish to acknowledge the support provided by Liverpool City Council for the Conference which initiated the work on the Framework.

Support for the publication and dissemination of the Framework has been provided by the Community Development Foundation and Unity Trust Bank

Telephone: 0800 783 9650

Published May 2001

ISBN 1 901974 28 6

Association of LocalAuthorities of

Northern Ireland

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What is community development? . . . . . 5

Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Understanding and recognition of

community development and its role . . 7

Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Empowerment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Other resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Evaluation and dissemination . . . . . . . . 13

Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Learning, training and

occupational standards . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

What’s in place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Features of community

development learning . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

School and college pupils and students 15

Community activists and volunteers . . 16

Community workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Community development managers . . 16

Other professionals and

service managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Elected members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Working together as partners . . . . . . . 17

Quality assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The responsibilities of organisations . . 18

Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Networking and strategic support . . . . . 20

The importance of networking . . . . . . 20

Support for networking . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Organisations and publications . . . . . . . . 23

Contents



What is . . . ?Community is the web of personal relationships,

groups, networks, traditions and patterns of behaviourthat exist amongst those who share physicalneighbourhoods, socio-economic conditions orcommon understandings and interests.

Community workers undertake communitydevelopment as their main role. They work inaccordance with recognised occupational standards.They may focus on specific issues with communities,e.g. health, or have a generic brief.

Community activists are people who are active ona voluntary basis in the development of theircommunities.

Community groups and organisations arelocated within communities of geography or interest.They are controlled by their users and are usually smalland informal with no paid staff. They are often referredto collectively as the community sector.

Community capacity building supportsindividuals, groups and organisations to enable themto play a part in the regeneration of communities. It isabout building skills and competencies and isincreasingly being used amongst policy makers andmanagers to increase their understanding ofcommunities.

Community involvement is about involvement incommunity activities in a variety of different ways.Community involvement often starts with agendas andprogrammes that originate outside the community.

Community participation is about enablingpeople to become active partners in the regenerationof communities by contributing and sharing in thedecisions that affect their lives. Participation shouldenable people to have a degree of power and controlin the processes with which they are involved.

Community enterprise combines community-ledaction with business activities aimed at economicdevelopment and social gain. Community enterpriseshave explicit social aims and are accountable to theircommunities. They are independent but work inpartnership with others.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who initiateideas and activities in communities but not necessarilywith reference to existing traditions, activities andrelationships.

Partnerships are structures that exist to deliverprogrammes. They bring together a number of formalorganisations, for example statutory authorities, privatecompanies and voluntary organisations. It has beenunusual for community sector groups andorganisations to be represented, although there arenow attempts to include community interests.

Stakeholders are groups and organisations with aninterest (stake) in what happens with a project,programme or development.

ValuesSocial Justice – enabling

people to claim their humanrights, meet their needs andhave greater control over thedecision-making processeswhich affect their lives.

Participation – facilitatingdemocratic involvement bypeople in the issues whichaffect their lives based on fullcitizenship, autonomy, andshared power, skills,knowledge and experience.

Equality – challenging theattitudes of individuals, andthe practices of institutionsand society, whichdiscriminate against andmarginalise people.

Learning – recognising theskills, knowledge andexpertise that peoplecontribute and develop bytaking action to tackle social,economic, political andenvironmental problems.

Co-operation – workingtogether to identify andimplement action, based onmutual respect of diversecultures and contributions.

CommitmentsChallenging discrimination

and oppressive practiceswithin organisations,institutions and communities.

Developing practice andpolicy that protects theenvironment.

Encouraging networking andconnections betweencommunities andorganisations.

Ensuring access and choice forall groups and individualswithin society.

Influencing policy andprogrammes from theperspective of communities.

Prioritising the issues ofconcern to peopleexperiencing poverty andsocial exclusion.

Promoting social change thatis long-term and sustainable.

Reversing inequality and theimbalance of powerrelationships in society.

Supporting community-ledcollective action.

What is community development?


COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

is aboutbuilding

active andsustainablecommunities basedon social justiceand mutual respect.It is about changingpower structures toremove the barriersthat prevent peoplefrom participatingin the issues thataffect their lives.Communityworkers supportindividuals, groupsand organisationsin this process onthe basis of thefollowing valuesand commitments.

Understanding and Recognition of community development and its role

COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT isundertaken withcommunities of place,

identity and common interest.This includes communitiesbased on faith, those with ashared culture or heritage, usersof public and other services,those with common interestsarising from their work, andpeople working together topromote the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship.

Community developmenttakes place in a context ofsocial, demographic,technological, economic,environmental, political andother change. These changeshave global, European,national, regional and localdimensions. Communitiesinitiate changes and throughnetworking have widerinfluence. There are alsochanges which are not initiatedby communities that presentboth threats and opportunities.The community developmentprocess works withcommunities to analyse, initiateand influence social change.

If community development isto fulfil its potential it isimportant that its role inachieving equal opportunities,accessibility, participation indemocratic processes andsustainable economic, socialand environmental change isrecognised. These themes areimportant across governmentand within the private and

voluntary sectors.Organisations in all sectors canprovide crucial support tocommunity development, forexample by adopting thisframework and ensuring that itapplies in all the work of theirorganisation.

A community developmentapproach starts with people incommunities coming together toaddress these themes. Itsupports the connections thatexist between them and the factthat individuals, groups andorganisations need to learnfrom each other and co-operateif consistent and sustainablechange is to be achieved.Community development spansthe traditional boundaries oforganisations in a way which isflexible and responsive to thepriorities and concerns ofcommunities.

This does not mean thatcommunities can do everythingor that the resources ofstatutory, private and voluntaryorganisations are no longerrequired to achieve change. Acommunity developmentapproach does mean thatgovernment and organisationsin the private and voluntarysectors will:

■ Act on the basis of the valuesand commitments ofcommunity development.

■ Support action bycommunity groups andorganisations, communitybusinesses and

neighbourhood councils.

■ Have clear processes whichenable communities toinfluence their policies,programmes and priorities.

■ Recognise the right ofcommunities to proposealternative courses of action.

■ Value different types andlevels of participation.

■ Build local, regional andnational strategy throughdialogue with people andorganisations active incommunities.

■ Recognise the function ofcommunity development andallocate resources to it intheir strategies.

■ Recognise the resources,information and supportrequired by communityrepresentatives andorganisations when workingin partnerships.

■ Change working practicesand time scales to enableparticipation bycommunities.

In addition, governmentshould take account of theabove factors in thedevelopment of legislation,regulations and guidance.



Community Child Protection TrainingChild protection training for community activists was identified as a priorityneed during a series of public workshops. As a result a member of staffassisted in establishing a Childcare Training partnership involvingcommunity, voluntary and statutory agencies.

Potential trainers were then identified from both the community andstatutory sectors and appropriately trained. Child protection awarenesssessions were then delivered jointly by community and statutory sectortrainers in accessible venues.

Large numbers of community groups (70) and community representatives(400) were targeted and took part in this initiative. The community andstatutory sectors learned from each other throughout the process andensured best use of their limited resources.

From Policy to Practice published by Community Development and HealthNetwork, Northern Ireland.

Community Development and asylum seekersMany asylum seekers form refugee community organisations to offer advice

and support to others seeking asylum. Community Workers have provided

information on services available to asylum seekers translated into relevant

languages, have assisted with the development of organisations including

funding applications, networking with relevant agencies and with the

development of services such as English classes. Local Authority wide

meetings have been organised to take up issues affecting a number of

groups with the local statutory agencies.

Regeneration in the Amman and Swansea ValleysAmman Valley Enterprise acts as a catalyst to assist people to think in

enterprising terms and with a community perspective. Accessible adult

education and training opportunities support personal development,

participation and employment resulting in social, economic and

environmental regeneration. For example Artworks involves some of the

most marginalised individuals and groups and offers an opportunity to

develop skills in music, photography and video including editing and

recording. Staff employed by the project, and a trainee, go to groups, clubs

and schools to provide music workshops.

Rural transportinitiativePeople living in villages around a

market town were having

difficulties gaining access to local

services and employment

opportunities because of poor

transport links and the expense

of running a car. The field officer

for the local rural community

council recognised the problem

from conversations and a recent

series of consultation meetings

about the regeneration of the

area.

She worked with individuals in

each of the villages to assess the

travelling needs of local

residents, and advised them on

how to set up a voluntary group.

She helped them to draw up a

proposal to run a flexible

transport service.

They simultaneously

attempted to persuade the bus

company to reinstate the route

which would enable people to

get into town at least once a day,

When this failed the residents

decided to form a limited

company with charitable status

to purchase their own minibus.

They attracted funding to train

and employ a local woman as a

driver, and the minibus is also

made available for private hire.

A car share scheme is also

being developed.

Community developmentprocesses enable people to worktogether around common issuesand aspirations. This includespeople coming together topursue an activity for its ownsake, developing organisationswhich provide services,participation in partnershipsincluding managementresponsibilities, andinvolvement in broadermovements to achieve socialchange.

Community workersemployed by statutory agencies,voluntary associations andoccasionally by communitygroups themselves supportcommunity development. Theywork with individuals, groupsand institutions in ways whichenhance learning, participation,and democratic decision-making. They enablecommunities to establish anddevelop networks and moreformal types of collectiveorganisation.

EmpowermentCommunity development doesnot seek to impose solutions orstructures, or to provideservices or events for people.Rather it is about working withpeople to define and deal withproblems, and assert theirinterests in decision-making.This requires empathy and anability to engage withindividuals, working to developand maintain appropriate formsof organisation. It may also

involve changing existingorganisations so that theirpractices and culture embracethe empowerment ofcommunities. In this process therole of the community workerrequires expertise, diplomacyand courage. By helpingcommunities to developinformal networks and formalorganisations, the worker willinevitably challenge and re-negotiate existing power relations,seeking to create allianceswhich are to the advantage ofdisadvantaged groups.

LearningInformal education and mutuallearning are important aspectsof community development.Through their involvement incommunity groups andactivities, people acquire and re-discover talents, skills,knowledge and understandingwhich enable them to take onnew roles and responsibilities.This contributes to life-longlearning by creatingopportunities for reflection andevaluation of experience,allowing knowledge to beshared through critical dialogueand building confidenceamongst people who haveneglected or abandoned theirformal education at an earlierage. Community developmentencourages people to overcomethose fears, prejudices andattitudes which restrict theirparticipation and limit theirself-esteem.

DemocracyCommunity developmentstrengthens democraticprocesses, opening up politicaldebates and procedures todisadvantaged communities.People become more aware ofissues which affect their lives,and more determined to takeaction to address these.

This might involve acting asa community representative onlocal partnerships, or taking onleadership positions involuntary organisations. It willentail dealing with tensions,tackling stereotypes andassumptions and helping peopleto identify the things that theyhave in common, as well asrespecting their differences.

Community workers areconcerned with buildingconsensus amongst diversepartners, and empowering andenabling those who aremarginalised and excludedwhen there are conflicts ofinterest.

OutcomesThe process of communitydevelopment is complex anddemanding. Many of theoutcomes seem intangible andcannot always be predicted. TheScottish CommunityDevelopment Centre hasdeveloped the ABCD (AchievingBetter CommunityDevelopment) framework forevaluating community


Processes

development. This frameworksuggests the following as theoutcomes of communitydevelopment.


Community empowermentProcess Outcome

Personal empowerment A learning community

Positive action A fair and just community

Community organising and volunteer support An active and organised community

Participation and involvement An influential community

Quality of lifeProcess Outcome

Community economic development A shared wealth

Social and service development A caring community

Community environmental action A safe and healthy community

Community arts and cultural development A creative community

Governance and development A citizens’ community

Source Achieving Better Community Development


The Process in Hull Developing our Communities

HULL DOC community workers initiallytake time getting to know people andtheir communities, meeting up withpeople and listening to their own stories

about their hopes, aspirations and needs. Eachcommunity has different identities and culturesand many factors have an impact on thequality of life and opportunities to influencedecision making.

This initial work builds trust,confidence and a sense of valueand self worth withincommunities. It includesoutreach to marginalisedpeople so that confidence andlearning increase, communitynetworks are strengthened andpeople feel more able to have acollective voice in decision-making processes. Examples ofthis work include:

■ Community celebrations –bringing people together tofacilitate a communityevent such as parties,community plays, lunches,poetry workshops.

■ Carrying out aparticipatory appraisal –involving communities inlooking at what is goingon in an area and findingways to collectively improve communitylife.

■ Creative training – Away days to localcolleges, universities and communitycentres – helping to break down barriers.

■ Community information –developing aninteractive web-site with communities.

■ Meeting people in their locality – officebases located in communities providingaccess, facilities and resources. Workersattend community group meetings.

■ Creating an informal local reference group– so that residents, groups andorganisations can network, raise issues anddevelop priorities for Hull DOCs work andinfluence it’s decision making. This includesnominating people to sit on a CommunityChest panel which awards grants tocommunity groups.

“Don’t put yourself down, they said,Until you’ve really tried it.We organised our tenants groupsSat on committees tooThen we applied for fundingFor the things we had to do.We took our tenants out on tripsWhat a difference in the block!Who made all this possible?It was, of course, Hull DOC”Part of a poem from Gatwick House, supported by Hull DOC.

Resources are crucial to effectivecommunity development. Whilethe involvement of communityactivists and volunteers isunpaid, the process ofcommunity development has tobe supported by funding,staffing, information and arange of other resources. It isimportant that these resourcesare accessible and allocated on abasis that is secure, equitableand transparent.

FundingCommunity developmentrequires several types offunding. Generic communitydevelopment should be fundedon a longterm basis frommainstream sources. Ideallycommunity work posts shouldbe placed on an agency’sestablishment rather than beingfunded through short termcontracts. Funding of specialistposts related to social care,health, education, regeneration,planning, the environment,culture and recreation should beco-ordinated and relate tooverall community developmentstrategies.

For many community groupsand organisations long termcore funding is required. Easyaccess to smaller sums of moneyfor specific projects is oftenuseful too. The Local Authoritycan play a key part in helpinggroups to access funds fromother sources by providinginformation and, whennecessary, match funds.

Specialist funders such as theHealth Service have animportant role, for example bysupporting community groupswith specific interests andsupporting service user groups.

There are many programmesproviding project funds forspecific initiatives and pumppriming funds for smalldevelopments. However, thedistribution of these funds is notnecessarily related to socialneed. The introduction ofspecific funds should bepreceded by an analysis of needand consultation with potentialbeneficiaries. Mechanisms tomonitor the overall distributionof funds and includecommunities in setting prioritiesare also necessary.

Better and more accessibleinformation and advice aboutfunding sources and theavailability of support areimportant if communityorganisations are to accessfunding. Simple applicationprocedures, quick decisions andfunding in advance and not inarrears are all important. It isnot helpful when funds for smallinitiatives require match fundingas this can result in adisproportionate amount of timebeing spent on makingapplications and producingaccounts.

Research suggests that takeup and use of funds improveswhen there is a developmentworker supporting groups in


Resources

Resources forcommunitydevelopment inDurhamDurham County Council has acommunity development strategybased on a policy commitment tofour inter-related themes:

■ Improving communitygovernance

■ Tackling social exclusion

■ Improving partnerships

■ Building community capacity.

The strategy explains the themesand links them to an action plan.Priority is given to communities ingreatest need. In the section oncapacity building, the LocalAuthority recognises the resourceproblems facing community groupsdue to the lack of a clearframework for communities toaccess consistent help.

The strategy is committed todeveloping guidance andprocesses on funding and technicalsupport for community groups.

A new community developmentteam has also been establishedwhich links with the Council’spolitical modernisation and theformation of local Member AreaPanels.

Staff in the team will providethe link between localcommunities and elected Membersin their new community leadershiprole.

applying for and managingresources.

StaffingIn the recent past communitydevelopment has suffered froman insufficient number of postsdesigned to provide generalsupport to community activity-it is usually easier to obtainfunding for specialist posts. Yetthe evidence is that if generalsupport work is notundertaken, then communityparticipation will be weak. It isthe combination of genericcommunity workers with theavailability of specialist staffthat produces the best results.Experienced staff withknowledge of communitydevelopment are also requiredwithin the management, policyand programming functions oforganisations.

People active in communitieson a voluntary basis make anessential contribution tocommunity development. It isimportant that this is

recognised, that obstacles toparticipation are removed andthat people involved voluntarilyhave opportunities for support,training and development. Thiscould lead to opportunities toachieve accreditation and jointhe paid staff.

InformationCrucial for community groupsand community workers is theability to access informationfrom government and otherorganisations that is clear,jargon free and available inrelevant places, formats andlanguages. It can also beprovided by telephone and onweb sites with links to otherrelated sites.

The information needed isabout particularneighbourhoods andcommunities of interest that isavailable from the census andother sources. Informationabout policies and practice thathave worked, and to enablecontact with other groups

working on similar issues is alsouseful.

Other resourcesCommunity developmentrequires the use of a range ofother resources. These includebuildings, informationcommunications technology,media, stationery, design andprinting, insurance, recruitmentand equipment. Advice andassistance with matters such asbudgeting, employment,accounting, law, and marketingmay also be necessary. In manycases it is possible to open upand share resources that alreadyexist. Purchasing consortia canbring the benefits of discountedprices to small organisations.Recycling and supply bycommunity businesses can alsobe cost effective ways ofresourcing communitydevelopment.


The Bradford Community Statistics ProjectThe project makes use of new technological

developments to present local area statistics in ways that

enable local communities to have access to accurate

evidence from officially recognised sources.

Apart from identifying the sites of public services the

user can select statistics for areas such as electoral wards

or areas of at least 500 addresses which they choose.

The statistical data, its presentation for small areas,

and the community development support to understand

and access the data, will all allow a rich understanding of

local conditions by many more people than at present.

Evaluation and disseminationare about learning from practiceand sharing this with others.They are fundamental tocommunity developmentbecause of the role they canplay in empoweringcommunities and contributingto social change.

EvaluationCommunity development hasmeasurable outputs (forexample an information service,a playscheme, a communityplan) and outcomes (forexample an information servicemay empower people to claimtheir rights, a playscheme canenable children to meet newfriends, a community plan canresult in more public resourcesbeing allocated to the prioritiesof excluded groups). Thesegoals need to be planned forand evaluated. There should bean understanding of all theresources available andcontributing, the processes andactivities and the anticipatedachievements and outcomes.

Evaluation helps to assessthe effectiveness of communitydevelopment projects,programmes and policies, andwhy they are or are notsuccessful. It should be acontinuous process so thatexperience effectively informsfuture planning anddevelopment. It is notsomething to be left until theend but should be undertaken

from the beginning. Evaluationis not the same as routinemonitoring or performancemanagement. It focuses on thebroader picture i.e. thecontribution to meeting longterm objectives, and the reasonswhy achievements or difficultieshappen.

Evaluation should have thevalues and commitments ofcommunity development at itsheart. It should be aparticipative process in whichmeasures and indicators arerelevant to, and produced withthe communities concerned. Itshould be an empoweringexperience with all thoseinvolved having their say insetting the criteria andanalysing the findings.

Applying the values ofcommunity development toevaluation helps ensure that it is:

■ integral to communitydevelopment

■ empowering

■ part of a learning andparticipative process

■ relevant to and understoodby the communitiesconcerned.

Evaluation should:

■ be a continuous processwhich is a tool to assistplanning and developmentrather than just reviewingthe impact of a particularinitiative or strategy ‘afterthe event’.

■ involve all ‘stakeholders’ andhelp to answer the questionswhich are significant to them.

■ be imaginative and creative,enabling and encouraging allinvolved to fully participate.

■ be part of accountability tothe wider community.

■ challenge discriminatory andoppressive policies andpractice and seek toovercome inequality anddisadvantage.

■ highlight and celebratesuccesses and achievementsas well as exploringweaknesses and difficulties.

■ have sufficient resourcesallocated (including time andmoney) to be effective.

■ have planned processes fordisseminating what has beenlearnt both withincommunities and morewidely.

DisseminationDissemination is about sharinglearning from experience morewidely. It is an opportunity torecord and celebrate what hasbeen achieved as well ashighlighting issues that might beapproached in a different wayin future. No two communities,or situations, are the same soexamples of work disseminatedcannot simply be replicatedelsewhere. The dissemination ofcommunity developmentexperience can, however, be a


Evaluation and Dissemination

valuable source of ideas,insights and issues that need tobe taken into account by othersinvolved in similar work.

Effective disseminationrequires:

■ time and resources.

■ production of material in avariety of forms that are

attractive and accessible to awide range of potentialusers.

■ contributions from all thosewho have been involved inthe work.

■ acknowledgement of the roleplayed by all stakeholders inachieving change.

■ material being made availableto all the different audiences(communities, statutoryauthorities etc) with apotential interest.


Community Multi-MediaArchive (COMMA)The Children’s Society is pioneering the use of this multi-media archive in its work on participation and socialinclusion across more than 25 projects in England andWales.

The software is produced by the Storyville co-operative and allows users to create a wide range ofdigital material and catalogue them in a database. Thesimplest way to explain the approach is to imagine atraditional card-index system, but instead of merelynames, dates, telephone numbers and so on –sound,video, complete documents and still images are storedtogether with the traditional text and data categories.

This enables young people, community groups,individual residents, agency workers etc to enter theirown material into the community’s archive – providingboth a record and a commentary on issues within thatcommunity. No one person or agency’s perspective isdominated by another.

The complete archive can be searched using theunderlying relational database, and copied fordistribution – both to those people and groups whohave contributed materials, and to decision-makers.

In Partington (Trafford, Manchester) COMMA is beingused to document the views of different sections of thecommunity on the regeneration process (“How was it foryou?”). The approach is particularly effective in providinga genuine opportunity for children and young people tolog their views and aspirations and for community andvoluntary groups to ensure that the “official” record ofregeneration is not written solely by the big agencies.

Monitoring andevaluation inGlasgowA working group was set up todevise a monitoring and evaluationprocess for community work thatcould be applied across Glasgow.Making use of material such asAchieving Better CommunityDevelopment produced by theScottish Community DevelopmentCentre the group produced a

package of materials includingguidance on process and aframework of indicators andmeasures to evaluate inputs,processes, outputs and outcomes interms of changes in communityorganisations and in the widercommunity.

The framework is set out in a gridformat with each page representinga broad stage in the development ofa piece of work: (1) Engaging with

Communities; (2) Development ofCommunity Organisation; (3)Building Organisational Strength andCapacity; and (4) Effecting Change.Examples are given of the type ofinformation to gather in relation toeach stage.

The package meets the requirementsof Best Value and the Departmentsaccountability procedures while atthe same time building on existinggood practice in community work.

People are the main resource forcommunity development. Thelearning that takes place whenpeople come together to shareexperience, perspectives,knowledge and skills is crucialto the process of changethrough communitydevelopment.

In parallel to this strategicframework the Federation ofCommunity Work TrainingGroups have developed astrategic framework forcommunity developmentlearning in England.Discussions about similar workare being held in NorthernIreland, Scotland and Wales.They aim to improve thecontent and quality of trainingand learning opportunities andincrease communitydevelopment knowledge,understanding and skills of allstakeholders. This frameworkshould be used in conjunctionwith the frameworks forcommunity developmentlearning.

What’s in placeThere are many examples ofeffective communitydevelopment learning. Theseinclude taster courses for peoplewho want to understand thebasics of communitydevelopment, introduction tocommunity work skills coursesaccredited through the OpenCollege Network, short courses,training the tutor courses,

national vocationalqualifications and highereducation leading toqualifications. A variety ofapproaches are used includingaccreditation of learning fromprevious experience, accessibleand flexible training courses,mentoring and exchanges.

To support these learningopportunities community workhas had occupational standardsfor a number of years. Thesehave been used as the basis forthe content and endorsement ofcourses. The standards arerelevant for communityactivists, volunteers,professional community workstaff, staff in other professionswho are contributing to thecommunity developmentprocess, managers andcouncillors.

There is a National TrainingOrganisation (PAULO) coveringcommunity work and the alliedprofessions of communityeducation, community basedadult education and youthwork. Endorsement of trainingcourses has been piloted.

A major concern is thatlearning opportunities at locallevel can be ad hoc, of limitedrelevance and not related to thevalues of communitydevelopment. Infrastructuresupport for communitydevelopment learning could alsobe better co-ordinated andresourced.

Features of communitydevelopment learningEffective communitydevelopment learning is basedon community developmentvalues and commitments. A keyfeature is the value placed onpeople’s experience as thestarting point for reflection andanalysis. Communitydevelopment learning aims tocreate accessible learningopportunities, often withinpeople’s communities. Animportant consideration is howexisting resources in schools,colleges and universities can beused more flexibly and adaptedfor use as part of communitydevelopment learning. Theprovision of appropriatelearning support, andrecognition of previous learningthrough accreditation areimportant. Evaluation oflearning opportunities withparticipants is essential ifcommunity developmentlearning is to be effective.

School pupils and college studentsMany schools and collegesinvolve pupils and students inactivities in theirneighbourhood. They oftenhave a variety of other linkswith communities. It isimportant that this work isbased on communitydevelopment values andcommitments and that pupilsand students are introduced to


Learning, training and occupational standards

community development as partof the curriculum.

Community activists andvolunteersFor many people who leftschool with no formalqualifications, involvement incommunity development andcommunity based learning andtraining can offer appropriatefirst learning opportunities. Theincrease in self esteem and selfconfidence, the reduction insocial isolation from being partof a group, and thedevelopment of new skillsempowers many people to goon to more formal education,training, jobs and to makepositive life changes.Involvement in communitydevelopment can be asignificant aspect of life longlearning, with people taking onnew roles in organising, leadingand representing communities.

Community workersGeneric community work is anoccupation that requiresknowledge, experience andskills. It is based on ethicalprinciples and values. Its role isto build individual confidenceand organisational capacity in

communities, to make linksbetween communities and workon public policy andprogramme development.Generic community workersrequire education and trainingopportunities and qualificationsthat recognise this role and arecomparable with those availableto similar professions.

Community developmentmanagersCommunity developmentrequires the support andinvolvement of knowledgeableand experienced managers.There are two reasons for this:

■ The inherent tensions facedby workers between theissues and priorities of thecommunities they areworking with and thedemands of their employingagencies.

■ The need for policy, strategyand organisationaldevelopment to enablecommunity empowermentand support grassrootscommunity development.

The policy of governmentand the demand for localauthorities and otherorganisations to increasecommunity involvement –

because this is a key part ofCommunity strategies, BestValue, social inclusion, healthimprovement and regenerationpolicies – underlines theimportance of having effectivecommunity developmentmanagers. Learning anddevelopment opportunities aretherefore crucial for this groupof staff.

Other professionals andservice managersMany agencies are seeking waysof improving how they relateto, and work with,communities: economicdevelopment, planning,housing, leisure services andhealth are examples. Themajority of staff and managersin these sectors have limitedexperience and understandingof community development, yetthe potential of these staff tocontribute more substantivelyboth to the strengthening ofcommunities and to providingservices in more appropriateways is considerable.

This requires disseminationof existing examples of goodpractice. Professional trainingand in-service courses should beadapted to include communitydevelopment. Reading and


This is a regional programme of learning and trainingopportunities based on the National OccupationalStandards for Community Work. It has several linkedcomponents:

1. An outreach and development project enabling theeffective participation of people active incommunities on a voluntary basis.

2. Training the trainers courses and the establishmentof a register of trainers in the region.

3. Training and support for assessors in the region.

4. Mentoring support for community workers, includingtraining for mentors.

Empowering Communities Programme in the North East

other material could beproduced in order to introduceand develop these staff andmanagers understanding andskill in applying the values andprocesses of communitydevelopment.

Elected membersIt is important that politicianshave a better understanding ofcommunity development. Thiscan be achieved through thecontact and dialogue that

community groups andcommunity workers have withpoliticians. An introduction tocommunity development valuesand processes and the relevantpolicies of the Local Authorityshould be included in trainingcourses for councillors.

Working together as partnersPartnerships where communityrepresentatives, electedmembers, managers and staff

work together are increasinglyimportant. For partnershipworking to be effective it shouldbe backed up withopportunities for partners tobuild up their knowledge, skillsand understanding together.


Working together: Learning together is a communityparticipation skills development programme funded bythe Scottish Executive. It is designed to encourage a shiftin culture in public sector bodies towards working with,listening to and empowering communities. The aim is tosupport all partners –community representatives, electedmembers, managers and staff who are involved incommunity partnerships.

People learn together in order to:

■ Improve the effectiveness of working in partnership.

■ Achieve a shared vision of what needs to happen,why it should happen and who should be involved.

■ Build clarity about why things are being done andwhat they are designed to achieve, so makingpartnerships more accountable to each other.

■ Improving communication between communities andagencies.

The Community partnership skills development programme

To be effective, communitydevelopment requirescompetent organisations wherethere is an understanding of,and commitment to communitydevelopment. Reviewing thecommunity developmentfunction in organisations shouldbe as important as a financialaudit and reviews of otherfunctions.

The responsibilities oforganisationsOrganisations, whether in thepublic, private, voluntary orcommunity sectors, whichadopt community developmentas an approach haveresponsibilities to the public,their staff and otherstakeholders. These include theresponsibility to:

■ Have clear policies in placefor community development.

■ Recognise that communitydevelopment is a long-termprocess which requires along-term commitment.

■ Provide information to thepublic and staff about theorganisation’s commitmentto community developmentand what this means.

■ Undertake communitydevelopment, and allocateresources, in ways thatpromote equity within andbetween communities.

■ Be transparent about thedeployment of staff, financeand other resources.

■ Recruit staff and volunteersfairly and give attention totheir training and long-termdevelopment.

■ Be committed to promotingthe health and safety ofvolunteers and employees,giving consideration to thespecific risks inherent incommunity development

■ Have in place recordingsystems, which ensureaccountability.

■ Have clear and well-publicised processes thatenable stakeholders toprovide feedback. Thisincludes processes tomonitor progress and toraise and consider anycomplaints or concerns ofstakeholders.

■ Dedicate time and resourcesto evaluation and committhemselves to shareexperience with others.

ReviewsThe community developmentfunction in Local Authorities isnow subject to review as part ofLocal Authorities’ responsibilityto ensure best value. It is goodpractice to periodically reviewcommunity developmentundertaken by organisations inother sectors too.

The values of communitydevelopment mean that it isimportant that reviews activelyinvolve all stakeholders, tackleinequality and discrimination

and are transparent. It isimportant to share experienceof reviews and develop tools forgood practice.


Quality Assurance


Quality assurance in Brightonand HoveLocal Authorities in Brighton and Hove have supported

community development for the past 30 years and for the

last six years there have been teams of workers. The

teams are part of the Social Services Department and

work to Local Authority policies on equal opportunities

and complaints. Managers have access to Local Authority

training in management and supervision skills and

information about the work is publicised in the Local

Authority newsletter.

Quality work is ensured through regular monthly

supervision of staff which is prepared for and recorded.

This links with a work programme that has clear targets.

There is also a supportive team culture and regular

review of progress.

The teams are currently developing service level

agreements with local communities, including agreement

about how progress is monitored.

Social Audit of the Arts FactoryThe Arts Factory, in the Rhondda valley in South Wales,

started as a work scheme for people with learning

disabilities and expanded taking on broader regeneration

objectives. It runs arts and pottery businesses which win

commissions from across South Wales, as well as a

garden centre and other local community businesses,

managed work space, and youth facilities.

The Arts Factory embarked on its first Social Audit

using the New Economics Foundation workbook as a

guide. Against each of the core values of the organisation

(e.g. “ground-up action”, “ordinary people”, “positive

attitudes”) specific organisational objectives and

strategies were defined, and a series of indicators drawn

up to assess how well the values were put into practice.

The different teams within the Arts Factory came together

in workshops to discuss the values and complete a

questionnaire based on the indicators.

Undertaking this exercise in groups meant that

individuals who had difficulties with reading and writing

could be paired with members of their team and

therefore fully participate.

Effective communitydevelopment requiresopportunities for communityactivists and volunteers,community workers, andmanagers to share ideas andexperiences and take jointaction on issues of commonconcern. Some of thisnetworking will be face to faceand it is important that timeand resources are allocated toenable this to happen.Increasingly the internet is usedas a tool to enable morefrequent contact andnetworking over longerdistances.

The importance ofnetworkingNetworking is importantbecause it provides access toinformation, support, resourcesand influence. It enables co-operation betweenpractitioners, researchers andpolicy makers in differentsectors through thedevelopment of trust andunderstanding. This co-operation depends on

establishing and maintainingboth organisational links andpersonal relationships.Connections which span agency,geography and identity, areespecially useful because theybring new perspectives andchallenges. These are also thelinks, which can be mostdifficult to sustain, and theirdevelopment may needparticular attentionaccompanied by practicalmeasures to counter prejudicesand institutional discrimination.

Networking opportunitiesare important locally, withinregions, countries, and on a UK,European and internationalbasis. Networks related tospecialist aspects of communitydevelopment such as health andthe environment are ofincreasing significance.Networks concerned withurban or rural issues and theperspectives of peopleexperiencing discrimination, forexample due to race, gender,disability, age or sexuality alsohave an important role ineffective communitydevelopment.

Networks can draw togethera range of voices into acollective whole, thus addingweight to individualperspectives. Clear links withstrategic decision-making acrosssectors are important to achievemaximum influence.

Support for networkingCommunity workers facilitatenetworking by putting people intouch with one another, bycreating opportunities forpeople to meet, and byproviding safe spaces forinteraction and learning. Theymay assist links betweendifferent organisations, orprovide support to membershiporganisations, cross sectorpartnerships and coalitions.

This aspect of communitydevelopment needs greaterrecognition through funding tomembership and supportagencies, along with carefulevaluation of how this supportsthe development ofcommunities based on socialjustice and mutual respect.


Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations and Ethnic Minority FoundationThe Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisationsaims to empower the minority ethnic voluntary sector byproviding infrastructure support and developing aprofessional cadre through its new MBA programme.Each person taking part agrees to transfer his or herknowledge to a further 40 minority ethnic organisations.The project also supports organisations in achievingquality standards.

The Ethnic Minority Foundation aims to generate £100mover a ten year period to support minority ethnicvoluntary and community sector organisations. This willbe achieved by mobilising a movement of 100,000minority ethnic professionals who will donate resourcesof both time and money to strengthen the minority ethnicvoluntary and community sector.

Networking and Strategic Support

Wakefield and DistrictCommunity NetworkThe Network started in 1992 when a few CommunityWorkers identified that there was a lack ofcommunication about and support for communitydevelopment work in Wakefield.

The Network currently has 255 members from variousgroups and organisations. It offers:

■ Quarterly forums which enable members tocommunicate and share information and knowledge.New members are welcomed and exercisesundertaken to consider how to enable communitiesto attain greater understanding of communitydevelopment processes and how they work.

■ A bi-monthly newsletter exchanging information.

■ A data-base of members, enabling people to findpeople working in particular geographic areas, on

particular forms of community support and withvarying skills. Regular mailings also offer other groupsthe opportunity to advertise events, training and jobvacancies.

There are two specific support groups for CommunityDevelopment Workers and Managers. These groupsprovide peer support and information workshops. Theyalso inform policy makers and funding applicants aboutthe positive outcomes that can be achieved followinggenuine community consultation and participation.

The Network is supported by statutory training andhealth funds. It also relies on “in kind” support. There is aSteering Group of members to manage and co-ordinatethe network. Most members take part through sharinginformation and peer support. It is a democratic networkwith regular reports to members who identify needs anddecide on direction.



This framework is aboutworking with communities andfrom their experience developingpolicies, programmes andpriorities based on clear valuesand commitments. This requiresa strategic approach which:

■ recognises and analyses thechanging context

■ is about working withcommunities in ways whichare empowering, educatingand enabling

■ ensures that resources areaccessible and allocatedfairly within and betweencommunities

■ has clear processes forevaluation and dissemination

■ links communitydevelopment with strategiesfor learning

■ ensures that organisationsacross sectors have policiesand practices which supportquality communitydevelopment

■ encourages involvement inexisting networks andcreation of new networks tosupport the strategy.

Conclusion

WE LOOK

FORWARD toreceivingfeedback

about how thisframework has beenused and how it couldbe developed andchanged for futureuse.


OrganisationsACRE (Action for Communities

in Rural England) Dean House, SomerfordCourt, Somerford Road,Cirencester GL7 1TW Tel: 01285 653 477

BASSAC (British Association ofSettlements and Social ActionCentres) 1st Floor, WinchesterHouse, 11 Cranmer Road,London SW9 6EJ Tel: 0207 735 1075

Community Development Cymru,Amman Valley Enterprise, 43 Heol Cae Gurwen,GwaunCae GurwenAmmanford SA1 1HG Tel 01269 822733

Community Development andHealth Network (N. Ireland) ,Ballybot House, 22Cornmarket, Newry, CountyDown. BT35 8BG Tel: 028302 64606

Community Matters, 8/9 Upper Street London N1 0PQ Tel: 0207 226 0189

CDF (Community DevelopmentFoundation) 60 Highbury Grove, London N5 2AGTel: 0207 226 5375

Council of Ethnic MinorityVoluntary Organisations,Boardman House, 64 Broadway, Stratford,London E15 1WG Tel: 0208 432 0308

FCWTG (Federation ofCommunity Work TrainingGroups) 4th Floor, FurnivalHouse, 48 Furnival Gate,Sheffield S1 4QP Tel: 0114 273 9391

Forum for Community WorkEducation (N. Ireland) 3rd Floor, Philip House, 123/137 York Street, Belfast BT15 1AB Tel: 02890 232587

SCDC (Scottish Centre forCommunity Development)Suite 329 Baltic Chambers, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow G2 6HJ Tel: 0141 248 1924

SCDN (Scottish CommunityDevelopment Network), 82-84 Windmillhill Street,Motherwell ML1 1TA

SCCD (Standing Conference forCommunity Development) 4thFloor, Furnival House, 48 Furnival Gate, Sheffield S1 4QP Tel: 0114 270 1718 Email: [email protected]

Ubuntu, 4th Floor, FurnivalHouse, 48 Furnival Gate,Sheffield S1 4QP Tel: 0114 273 9391

WCVA (Wales Council forVoluntary Action) Llys Ifor, Crescent Road,Caerfilli CF8 1XL Tel: 01222 855100

PublicationsBarr A and Hashagan S (2000)

ABCD Handbook – AFramework for EvaluatingCommunity Development,Community DevelopmentFoundation.

Beazley M and Loftman, P (2001)Race and Regeneration –Black and Minority EthnicExperience of the SingleRegeneration Budget, LocalGovernment Information Unit.

Black Training and EnterpriseGroup (1995) InvisiblePartners – the Impact of theSRB on Black Communities.

Care Sector Consortium (1995)Community WorkOccupational Standards, LocalGovernment ManagementBoard.

Federation of Community WorkTraining Groups (2001)Making Changes – A StrategicFramework for CommunityDevelopment Learning inEngland.

Francis D, Henderson P withJames Derounian (2000)Community Development andRural Issues, CommunityDevelopment Foundation.

Forrest R and Kearns A (1999)Joined Up Places? SocialCohesion and NeighbourhoodRegeneration, JosephRowntree Foundation.

Harris V (ed) (1994) CommunityWork Skills Manual, TheAssociation of CommunityWorkers.

Useful organisations and publications


Henderson P and Thomas D(1987) Skills inNeighbourhood Work,Routledge.

Henderson P and Summers S(2001) Developing HealthierCommunities – A CommunityDevelopment Approach toImproving Health and Well-being, Health DevelopmentAgency.

Hope A and Timmell S (1995)Training for Transformation:A Handbook for CommunityWorkers, Mambo Press.

Jacob S and Popple H (eds)(1994) Community Work inthe 1990s, Spokesman.

Popple H (1995) AnalysingCommunity Work:its theoryand practice, Open UniversityPress.

Skinner S (1997) BuildingCommunity Strengths: AResource Book forCommunity CapacityBuilding, CommunityDevelopment Foundation.

Smithies J and Webster G (1998)Community Involvement InHealth, Ashgate Publishing.

Taylor M (1998) Signposts toCommunity Development,Community DevelopmentFoundation.

Taylor M (1995) Unleashing thePotential: Bringing Residentsto the Centre of Regeneration,Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Wilson M and Wilde P (1999)Active Partners: Benchmarksfor Community Participationin Regeneration, YorkshireForward.

strategic framework for community development · 2016-10-10 · 2 a strategic framework for...

Documents