Community Development

The term Community Development, often synonymous with Community Capacity Building, is defined in many different ways in different contexts.

From our perspective, ‘community‘ is any group of people coming together because of common geography (location, neighbourhood etc), interests or goals. Community development or capacity building takes place when, through shared conversation and action, people also work together effectively to co-create an even better future.

As Meg Wheatley once said

There is no more powerful way to initiate significant change than to convene a conversation. There is no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about

Traditionally, much community development work has focused on fixing community problems. Analyse needs and identify gaps, prioritise problems and work out how to solve them.

But focusing on problems and deficits:

  1. Drains people’s energy and leaves them feeling overwhelemed by the difficulties they see in solving the issues that have been raised.
  2. Can lead to defensiveness and a circular ‘blame game’ that goes nowhere and further damages community relationships
  3. Worsens the problems themselves, as a focus on the negative is almost always self-fulfilling
  4. Weakens people’s voices, leaving them feeling powerless to act and wanting to rely on ‘ouside experts’ instead of drawing on their own strengths and wisdom

In our work with communities, we therefore help people move away from those old, tired conversations.

Foundational to our approach is also our AQ-KQ® Framework, from which we utilise all eight ‘lenses’ to view a community’s existing strengths and future possibilities.

We draw on a wide range of strength-focused approaches, including Appreciative Inquiry, to help them:

  • Discover the ‘best of what is’
  • Imagine what ‘even better’ would look like
  • Plan practical steps for getting there
  • Take action to co-create the future they have envisioned together

Through this process we support community leaders and other local champions to transform their communities and achieve a brighter future together.

What we ask determines what we discover
What we discover determines how we talk
How we talk determines how we dream together
How we dream determines what we design and create together
(David Cooperrider, founder of Appreciative Inquiry)

Delivery Options

Half Day or Evening

  • 3-4 hours duration
  • Ideal as an introduction to new concepts (eg Appreciative Inquiry) or skills

Full Day

  • Ideal for learning new concepts and skills more effectively

Extended Program

  • One full day and two half-days, separated by several weeks
  • Assists participants to embed new learning and skills
  • Ideal for supporting short-term community action projects

Longer Term Project

  • Duration and consultant time negotiated as required
  • Ideal for longer term community development projects or when deeper or more transformational change is desired

Bookings

  • Contact us now for more information and to discuss your community development needs.