Program Planning

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Program Planning

• Assessing Assets in the Community to use as
  Resources in Program Implementation

Prepared by Lisa A. Guion, Ed.D. Department of
Agricultural and Extension Education,
NCSU and Lionel J. Beaulieu, Ph.D. Contribution
by Jade Marcus, M.S. Candidate University of
Florida
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The Dilemma . . .
People and Communities have deficiencies needs
Individuals and Communities have skills and
talents
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Needs vs. Assets
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So what do we mean when we refer to a community?
Community Is

• Field Theory/Interactional Perspective
• A place oriented process of interrelated actions
  through which local residents express a shared
  sense of identity while engaging in the common
  concerns of life (Wilkinson, 1991)
• A place where people can come together to satisfy
  common needs and work towards common good
• Where people relate to, and interact with one
  another

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Community Development is

• The process of building relationships that
  increase the potential of community residents in
  order to work towards a common goal.
• Development in community Enhancing specific
  components or structures in a community Task
  accomplishment (practical-application)
• Development of community enhance interactions
  and relationships between people and social
  fields that increase community potential
  (touchy-feely)

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Community Action is

• The practical application of resources
• Process of building social relationships in
  pursuit of common community interests and
  maintaining local life.
• Deliberate and positive efforts to meet general
  needs of local residents
• In order to act, people must realize their
  potential resources

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Community Development

• Asset Mapping
• Key first step -- map the capacities, skills, and
  assets of local citizens and organizations
• This is how your program will really become
  community focused
• Youre going to have to get creative to make your
  program not only funded, but effective in making
  a positive change

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Features of Asset-Mapping

• Asset-Based Uncovers talents/skills found in the
  community right now
• Internally Focused Relies on the communitys
  strengths, not on resources found outside of it
• Relationship Driven Seeks to build linkages
  among local people, institutions, and
  organizations

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What do we mean by assets?

• Individual
• Institutional
• Organizational
• Governmental
• Physical and land
• Cultural

• Example
• Community asset map http//www.chicagoareahousing.
  org/FC/abcdmap.htm

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The Three Key Arenas for Uncovering Community
Assets
People
Formal Institutions
Informal Organizations

• Example
• Community Profile p17http//72.14.203.104/search?
  qcacheNr8R2q_pccEJwww.bonner.org/resources/modu
  les/modules_pdf/BonCurCommAssetMap.pdfassetmappi
  nghlenglusctclnkcd33

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1 Asset Mapping BeginsWith People

• Everyone has talents, skills and gifts relevant
  to community activities
• Each time a person uses his/her talents, the
  community is stronger and the person more
  empowered
• Strong communities value and use the skills that
  members possess
• Such an approach contributes to the development
  of the community

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Mapping the Assets of Individuals
Four Components a Capacity Inventory Dr.
L.J.Beaulieu, Southern Rural Development Center

• Skills Information
• Community Skills
• Enterprising Interests and Experiences
• Personal Information

• Example of a Capacity Inventory- Field Museum.org
• Http//www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd/abcdci.html

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Skills InformationACTIVITY
PEOPLE

• List all skills learned at home, in the
  community, or at the workplace
• Determine the best skills that they feel they
  possess
• Embrace these skills as the very foundation of
  community building

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2 Mapping Local Formal Institutions
INSTITUTIONS

• Every community has institutions that carry out
  important community functions
• These are persistent, on-going activities that
  meet the social needs of local residents
• Often, local institutions are not as involved as
  they should or could be in Community Development

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Some Community Institutions-These are a variety
of Public, Private and Non-profit organizations
K.E.E.P.R.A.
Kinship
Economic
Education
Religious
Environmental or Physical
Political
Associations
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How to Capture Local Institutions
INSTITUTIONS

• Recognize that local institutions represent
  important assets to the community
• Do an inventory of the institutions existing in
  the community
• Identify the type of activities these
  institutions are engaged in map their assets
• Explore the type of links that can be built
  between these institutions, as well between them,
  local people and informal organizations
• Seek the assistance of local institutions as
  conduits to resources outside the community

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3 Informal Organizations

• Grassroots Organizations These organizations may
  be formal or informal (example some may not have
  officers or by-laws yet are active in their
  neighborhoods)
• Such groups are critical because they involve,
  empower, and impact local citizens
• Often carry out three key roles
• decide to address an issue/problem of common
  interest
• develop a plan to address the issue
• carry out the plan to resolve the problem

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Some Examples of Informal Organizations

• Church groups stewardship committee, youth
  group, service group, prayer circle
• Community celebrations annual fair, art and
  crafts Festival, July 4th Parade, fiestas
• Neighborhood groups crime watch, homeowners
  association, phone trees
• Sports activities bowling, basketball, soccer,
  fishing, baseball, walking clubs

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Doing an Inventory of Local Informal Organizations

• Examine printed materials
• Newspapers
• Community directories
• Church newsletters
• Contact local institutions
• Schools
• Health clinics
• Parks and recreation
• Libraries
• Neighborhood centers
• Contact individuals who seem to know what is
  going on in their community or neighborhoods
• Find out the activities of these informal groups

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How Organizations (like yours) map their assets

• SWOT analysis (Examine community strengths,
  weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)
• Area geographic maps denoting assets (typically
  institutional)
• Communities can also literally map their assets
  through Global Information Systems (GIS)
  technology. Florida examples.
• http//www.fieldmuseum.org/calumet/am_garden.html
• http//www.fieldmuseum.org/calumet/am_garden.html
  
• http//www.cityofgainesville.org/comdev/plan/gis/g
  is_lib.shtml
• Does your city or county map assets? Have you
  examined those assets?

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Putting it All Together The Key Steps to
Community Enhancement

• Map the assets of individuals, institutions and
  informal organizations
• Build relationships among these local assets
• Explore how assets can be mobilized to improve
  local condition/needs (such as expanding job
  opportunities, improving health care/education)
• Engage the community in visioning
  and planning
• Tap outside resources that help
  advance local improvement efforts

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Uncovering PotentialLeaders Partners

• Every community has visible and invisible groups
  of individuals who perform leadership roles
• They have modest involvement in community-related
  activities, and their experiences are building
  blocks for expanding the pool of leaders and
  resources in the community

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Using Assets in Program Implementation

• Once identified, assets can be used to help
  educator implement program.
• Individual assets- Can be tapped as volunteers,
  guest presenters, etc.
• Institutional assets can be tapped for
  partnerships, collaborations, etc. Institutions
  may also provide various resources.
• Informal, grass roots organizational assets can
  be tapped for their knowledge of the community,
  their rapport with community members,
  partnerships, collaborations, etc.
• Note All of these groups can also be critical in
  program planning.

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Questions to Ask Yourself As A Community Educator

• Have you identified the assets of individuals,
  institutions and/or informal organizations in the
  communities that you serve?
• Have you tapped or utilized those individual,
  institutional and/or informal organizational
  assets to aid in program planning and/or program
  implementation?
• How have you used those assets? Were those used
  to the fullest extent? What are other ways that
  you can tap or use those community assets?

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Adapted from presentation prepared by

• Lionel J. (Bo) Beaulieu
• Southern Rural Development Center
• Mississippi State University
• September 2000