Wolkite

University

Chapter Two

Community Development in Action

 Content

▪ Basis of Community Development

▪ Framework of community development

▪ Process of Community Development

▪ Social Capital and Community Development

▪ Skills for Working with a Community
 1. Basis of Needs-Based Community Development
Community ▪ The conventional or traditional
Development approach which is to identify the
01 issues, problems, and needs of a
community.

Asset-Based Community Development

▪ Contrary to need based approach
asset-based approach focuses on
a community’s strengths & assets.
02
 2. Framework for Community Development

▪ Assumptions: Guides how we view and treat people.

▪ Values: Describes what the community development ASSUMPTIONS VALUES PRINCIPLES
practitioner believes, which guides actions.
▪ Principles: Guides the daily decision-making of the
community development practitioner.
▪ Practice: Implementation of the community
development process and achievement of desired PRACTICE
outcomes.

▪ These elements form the foundation for all elements of community development.
 Community Development Assumptions
✓ People are capable of rational behavior. They can find logical
solutions to issues and contribute to community decisions.

✓ Significant behavior is learned behavior. People learn to define

themselves by race, gender, class, & other formative traits.

ASSUMPTIONS ✓ Significant behavior is learned through interaction over time.

Interaction builds relationships and honesty.

✓ People can give purposeful direction to their behavior. The

purposeful direction follows the community’s future vision.

✓ People can create, shape, or reshape much of their collective

environment to formulate a desired future. Community development
empowers all citizens to direct their behavior.
 Community Development Values
✓ All people have basic dignity.
✓ People have the right to make decisions on issues that impact their
well-being.
✓ Participatory democracy is the best way to conduct a community
business.
✓ People have the right to strive to create the environment they want.
✓ People have the right to reject an externally imposed environment.
VALUES ✓ The more purposeful interaction and dialogue within a community,
the more potential for learning and development.
✓ A purposeful interaction creates an ever-widening concept of
community/positive development
✓ Every discipline and profession is a potential contributor to a
community development process
✓ Motivation is created through interaction with the environment.
 Community Development Principles

✓ Self-help and self-responsibility are required for successful

development.
✓ Participation in public decision-making should be free and open to
all citizens.
✓ Broad representation and increased scope of perspective and
understanding are conditions conducive to effective community
development.
PRINCIPLES
✓ Methods that produce accurate information about the community
are vital to the process.
✓ Understanding and general agreement (consensus) are the basis for
community change.
✓ All individuals have the right to be heard in open discussion, and the
responsibility to respect opposing viewpoints.
✓ Trust is essential for effective working relationships.
 Community Development Practice

Process Practice Outcome

• People develop the ability to Without process, the • The results that occur from
collectively help themselves desired outcomes may be the community development
and reduce reliance on diminished or unrealized. process.
external resources.
Without successful • Outcomes can be physical,
outcomes, the process can environmental, or human
• An orderly set of steps leads be devalued or abandoned. capital; financial resources; or
to problem-solving, program social capital.
Successful communities
planning, and task completion. understand the role and
contribution of each.
 3. The Process of Community Development

1. Establish an organizing group

2. Create a mission statement

PROCESS
3. Identify community stakeholders

▪ The CD process provides the 4. Collect and analyze information

basic framework within which
the community should work, 5. Develop an effective communication process
altering details based on its
issues and resources. 6. Expand the community organization
 Cont.…

7. Create a vision statement

8. Create a comprehensive strategic plan

9. Identify the leadership and establish a plan

PROCESS
10.Implement the plan

▪ The CD process provides the 11.Review and evaluate the planning outcomes
basic framework within which
the community should work, 12.Celebrate the successes
altering details based on its
issues and resources. 13.Create new goals and objectives as needed
 4. Social Capital and Community Development

▪ Social capital or capacity located at the heart of community development/ Community building

▪ Building social capacity is key to community development, influencing both the community's

development path and its pace.

▪ Social capital can be an initial factor driving community development and grows as a

community develops.
▪ Individual vs. Community Level: Social capital can exist on an individual level (e.g., personal
networks) or on a community level (e.g., collective social ties that benefit the community).
▪ Importance for Community Development:
• Social capital fosters collaboration and effective planning among citizens
Cont.…

▪ Community Social Capacity: the ability of community members to work together effectively.
▪ Key Components:
✓ Developing and sustaining strong relationships.
✓ Solving problems and making group decisions.
✓ Collaborating on goals and joint efforts

▪ Community Social Capacity influences development ins ittwo

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• Structural Influence: create social networks and enable the flow of

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information, ideas, and resources, supporting community development.

• Cognitive Influence: Interconnections foster a shared purpose, trust,
commitment, and reciprocity among residents.
Cont.…

Intentional Action to Increase Social Capacity:

▪ Communities take steps to build social capacity through community-building
processes.
✓ Individual Empowerment: Focuses on residents' ability to access opportunities and
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✓ Associational Capacity: Enhances relationships within the neighborhood and
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external networks for resource sharing.

✓ Organizational Capacity: Develops local institutions to provide services effectively
and coordinate resources.
Cont.…
▪ Community Building
▪ Community Building includes activities aimed at increasing social capacity within a community.
▪ It involves building connections among residents, fostering mutual responsibility, and
encouraging community ownership.
▪ Strengthens residents, associations, and organizations to work together for positive change.
▪ Factors Influencing Community-Building Success
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✓ Social, psychological, and geographic attributes influence outcomes.
2. Community-Building Process
✓ Effective processes include strong participation and planning efforts.
3. Community-Building Organizers
✓ Commitment, trust, and experience of leaders are essential.
 5. Skills for Working with a Community

What do community developers do?

▪ Positive change in communities is driven by many factors
▪ CD professionals draw on many knowledge and skill bases to be successful in their work
▪ Some professionals are generalists, while others specialize in one or more areas of the CD
practice.
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▪ CD professionals use a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities in their work, to
perform the following various functions
 Cont.….

1. Community Assessment 2. Strategic planning

▪ Perform statistical and demographic research. ▪ Organize a planning committee.
▪ Organize citizens to conduct assessments ▪ Facilitate the planning process.
(environmental scans). ▪ Assemble and edit the plan.
▪ Design and conduct surveys. ▪ Assist in plan implementation and management
▪ Prepare and present assessment reports

3. Organizational development 4. Leadership development

▪ Identify stakeholders. ▪ Recruit leaders.
▪ Recruit volunteers. ▪ Conduct learning needs assessment; create and
▪ Organize community groups. evaluate training and development activities.
▪ Recruit and work with volunteers ▪ Deliver training and development activities.
 Cont.….
5. Economic Development 6. Public and Private Development Financing
▪ Create and manage business attraction programs. ▪ Identify governmental grant opportunities and
▪ Support expansion and retention of existing write applications.
businesses. ▪ Identify foundation grant opportunities and write
▪ Create and deliver entrepreneur training and applications.
business incubation activities. ▪ Seek venture capital sources and write applications.
▪ Foster technology transfer to help businesses ▪ Assist businesses in writing bank and financial
regain/retain their competitiveness. institution loan applications.

7. Community Land-use Planning And Research

▪ Plan industrial parks, commercial and residential developments.
▪ Plan and design utility infrastructure.
▪ Plan and design roads.
▪ Plan and design seaports and airports.
▪ Plan and design parks and recreational centers
Important Skills for Working with a Community

▪ Problem Solving: ▪ Marketing

▪ Communication ▪ Volunteer Management
▪ Networking ▪ Program Evaluation
▪ Cultural Competence ▪ Data Analysis
▪ Event Planning ▪ Grant Writing
▪ Conflict Resolution ▪ Public Speaking
▪ Fundraising ▪ Recruiting
 Wolkite
University

THANK
YO U
Girma.S

girma.senbete@wku.edu.et

Wolkite University, Wolkite (Ethiopia)