Community Services

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Community Services

• Community Builders
• Funding Program
• 2009

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Community Builders

• Is a funding program for projects that aim to
  build strength and capacity within communities
  and enhance their ability to manage issues and
  respond to change
• The program is based on the boundaries and budget
  of the Area Assistance Scheme (AAS) and intends
  to build on the strengths of the AAS by
  continuing to fund community development projects
  in the same regions.

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Background

• The AAS started in 1979 in Western Sydney
• In its 30 year history the AAS has
• created opportunities for volunteers
• built on new ideas from communities
• encouraged community ownership of projects
• increased skills development
• enhanced opportunities for disadvantaged groups
• increased community resources infrastructure
• established strong community networks

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Terminology

• Many definitions of activity in this field
• Community Development 1970s
• Community Capacity Building 1990s
• Community Strengthening 1990s
• Social Inclusion 2000s

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Community Strengthening

• Newer concept emerging in more recent literature
• Adopted as the focus for Community Builders and
  defined as
• community strengthening is the extent to which
  resources and processes within a community
  maintain and enhance both individual and
  collective wellbeing in ways consistent with the
  principles of equity, comprehensiveness,
  participation, self reliance and social
  responsibility. (Black and Hughes, 2001)

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Rationale for Community Strengthening

• Research shows that strong communities are more
  likely to be able to cope with change and respond
  to issues within their own resources, leading to
• fewer resource intensive interventions
• reduction in inequality and disadvantage
• a stronger base to draw on in difficult or crisis
  situations.

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Characteristics of Strong Communities

• Research has shown that strong communities share
  the following characteristics
• Connected
• Respectful
• Participatory
• Resourceful
• Trusting

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Community Builders Models

• There are three types or models of projects
• Community Capacity Building
• Community Skills Development
• Community Sector Development

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Community Capacity Building

• Community Capacity Building projects
• Develop stronger links between community members
  and assist members of disadvantaged communities
  to participate in community life and activities.
• Increase members use and knowledge of existing
  community resources. They may provide
  information, set up peer networks, organise
  community projects or activities such as cultural
  events, community festivals etc.

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Community Skills Development

• Community Skills Development projects
• Are training and/or activity projects that
  provide information, training or hands-on
  experience to members of the community so that
  knowledge, skills and abilities are improved.
• Increase skills so that people are more able to
  participate and be included in the community by
  providing activities such as training in
  mentoring, leadership, managing community groups
  and other skills development through
  participation in activities which benefit the
  whole community.

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Community Sector Development

• Community Sector Development projects
• Are only undertaken between organisations to
  build partnerships and work collaboratively on
  issues affecting their community.
• Aim to enhance the capacity of local community
  networks.
• Activities may include sharing information,
  sharing training/skills development, assisting
  organisations to participate in consultation and
  evaluation or programs and building new networks.

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Any Questions?

• Before moving on to the practical How to Apply
  section, are there any questions about what has
  been presented so far?

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The Application Process

• The Application Process asks you to
• Nominate a Community of Location
• Nominate a Community of Identity
• eg. Projects may focus on a community as being
  from one LGA - Newpark (Location) and Aboriginal
  (Identity)

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Priority Groups

• All applicants will be asked to identify the
  priority groups within their nominated
  communities who will be the specific focus for
  inclusion in the project.
• Priority groups are groups who are disadvantaged
  because they may have difficulty accessing
  services or resources easily accessible to other
  members of the same communities.

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Priority Groups

• Using the previous example
• Newpark (location) Aboriginal (Identity) young
  women (priority group)
• OR
• Newpark (location) Culturally Linguistically
  Diverse (Identity) emerging communities (priority
  group)

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How to apply for funding

• The funding round in 2009 opens Monday 2 November
  closes Thursday 10 December 2009
• Advertised in Sydney Morning Herald, ethnic press
  and local newspapers
• Applicants can access all information on the
  Community Builders website at www.communitybuilde
  rs.nsw.gov.au
• Applicants should print off the program
  guidelines and familiarise themselves with the
  sample application form, then log on and register
  on the website before commencing the on-line
  application form

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Applying for funding cont.

• Who can apply?
• Applicants must have a valid ABN and are
• Not for profit organisations
• Local government organisations
• For profit organisations with a properly
  constituted not-for-profit arm of their
  organisation

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How much can be applied for?

• Projects ranging in value between 10,000 and
  100,000 per year for up to 3 years
• Projects across the range of one year, two years
  and three years are encouraged

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Eligibility

• Project applications are received on time.
• Project applications are complete and submitted
  in the correct format on-line.
• Projects address
• one of the Service Activity Descriptions (models)
• one or more aspects of community strength as
  defined by the Communities and Early Years
  Division.

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Eligibility

• 4. The proposed project is not
• a direct service of another federal, state or
  local government agency or eligible for funding
  under another state or federal grants program or
• duplicating services already in operation in the
  relevant community or
• previously or currently funded for the same
  purpose in the same community or an extension or
  continuation of an existing service.
• a direct therapeutic, casework/case management or
  counselling service to individuals or groups or
  any other function associated with such a service.

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Eligibility

• 5. The proposed project does not have recurrent
  financial or service delivery implications

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Eligibility

• 6. Projects will also need to demonstrate
• How they will provide opportunities to priority
  groups
• Evidence of community support and consultation
• How the project will build community capacity
• That project results are specific, achievable,
  measurable and appropriate in the timeframe

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Project Example

• Project Name Friendly Neighbourhoods
• Falls under the Community Capacity Building model
• Aspects of community strength
• A connected community
• A respectful community
• A trusting community
• Target community
• Newpark LGA (community of location)
• All people in the location (community of
  identity)

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Friendly Neighbourhoods

• Priority group Other housing estate residents
• Project results
• The project will result in more people who live
  in Newpark Housing Estate and community feeling
  more connected to each other and their community
  and more respectful and trusting of each other
• Executive summary
• The Friendly Neighbourhoods project will create
  a stronger, more connected community in Newpark
  with an emphasis on including local housing
  estate residents in the broader community. The
  project will establish precinct committees made
  up of local volunteers to implement ideas on ways
  to meet and welcome community members and
  increase participation in community events. The
  ideas about what makes a good community and how
  that will be achieved will be based on
  information from local residents.

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Friendly Neighbourhoods Activities and Tasks
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How to apply?

• All application forms lodged online through
  communitybuilders website by midnight 10 December
  2009.
• Drafts can be saved online and returned to over a
  period of time prior to the closing date
• www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au

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Assessment

• Once applications are received and found to be
  eligible they will be assessed by a regional
  assessment panel who will be guided by Community
  Builders Regional Assessment Panel Guidelines and
  the NSW Government Procurement Guidelines.

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Contracts

• The contract for approved projects will comprise
  of the following
• DoCS Service Agreement
• Service Specification
• Original Application Form
• Projects must start within 3 months of the
  Service Agreement being signed by all parties.

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Performance Monitoring

• The Community Builders Performance Monitoring
  Framework (PMF) establishes a formal, objective
  process for
• assessing a projects level of compliance with
  Service Agreement Service Specs
• identifying areas requiring improvement
• establishing goals and timeframes for making
  improvements, if necessary
• documenting agreed improvements

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Resources

• Your local Council Community Project Officer
  is.
• Contact number
• Email
• Your Senior Regional Strategy Officer is
• Contact number
• Email
• Your Manager Regional Strategy is..
• Contact number
• Email
• Visit the Community Builders website for FAQs and
  program information www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.
  au or email askcommunitybuilders_at_community.nsw.gov
  .au