CONCEPT OF HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE

1
CONCEPT OF HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE AND
ENTERPRISING COMMUNITIES LESSONS FOR COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT FACILITATORS -Presentation Notes-
Peter Kenyon Director Bank of IDEAS (Initiatives
for the Development of Enterprising Action and
Strategies) Ph 08 9433 2222 Fax 08 9433
2999 email pk _at_ bankofideas.com.au web www.
bankofideas.com.au  
2
In times of change it is the learners who
inherit the future. Those who have finished
learning find themselves equipped to live in a
world that no longer exists' (Eric Hoffer)
3
We have to abandon the idea that schooling is
something restricted to youth. How can it be,
in a world when half the things a man knows at
20 are no longer true at 40 - and half the
things he knows at 40 hadn't been discovered
when he was 20 (Arthur C Clarke)
4
Here is Edward Bear coming downstairs now Bump
Bump On the back of his head, Behind Christopher
Robin. It is, as far as he knows,The only way of
Coming downstairs, But sometimes he feels, That
there is another way, If only he could
stop Bumping For a moment and Think of
it. (Winnie-the-Pooh)
5
Health is more than the absence of disease. It
is an optimum state of well being Health is
wholeness. It includes a sense of belonging to
a community and experiencing control over ones
circumstances and fate A healthy community is
not a perfect place, but is in a dynamic state
of renewal and improvement. It builds a
culture that supports healthy life choices and a
high quality of life (Coalition for Healthier
Cities and Communities)
6
Healthy Communities   'A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS ONE
THAT IS CONTINUALLY CREATING AND IMPROVING THOSE
PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND EXPANDING
THOSE COMMUNITY RESOURCES WHICH ENABLE PEOPLE TO
SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN PERFORMING ALL THE
FUNCTIONS OF LIFE AND IN DEVELOPING THEMSELVES
TO THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL (Trevor Hancock and
Len Duhn)  
7
Seven Pillars Of A Healthy Community   Practices
ongoing dialogue Generates leadership Shapes its
future Embraces diversity Knows itself Connects
people and resources Creates a sense of
community   (Healthy Cities and Communities
Coalition, USA)    
8

• SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES
• Build on the strengths of local individuals,
  associations and institutions
• Focus on specific actions and measurable results
  to improve community life
• Promote participation by people of all races,
  genders, cultures and age groups
• Ensure local decision making and ownership
• Draw upon the resources of the whole community
• Bridge all sectors to develop healthy children,
  families and communities, and
• Share experience and knowledge to promote
  continuous community learning.
• (ACCORDING TO PRIME MINISTERS YOUTH PATHWAYS
  ACTION PLAN TASKFORCE 2001)

9

• EFFECTIVE COMMUNITIES
• educate the community in the community's
  business
• view challenges as opportunities instead of
  seeing
• themselves as victims
• are open to diversity of citizen involvement and
  perspective
• create opportunities for open, respectful
  community dialogue
• have leaders who listen more than they talk
• are willing to share decision making
• understand the concept of teamwork
• aggressively work toward collaborative problem
  solving
• and consensus building
• seek win/win solutions to issues and problems
•  
• (The Oklahoma Community Institute)

10
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL
COMMUNITIES

• takes an integrated approach to creating a
  sustainable future
• maximizes the use of its limited time and
  resources in areas that will yield
• the greatest strategic benefits
• develops plans that merge social and economic
  goals and build local capacity
• mobilizes the community around priorities
• harnesses local support and attracts the outside
  resources needed to
• achieve its goals
• use its critical mass of cooperating
  organisations to implement and evaluate
• locally based initiatives
• has strong, inclusive and visionary leadership
• encourages active participation, consultation and
  involvement for
• community well-being
• supports local investment in education, training
  and lifelong learning
• has access to positive and accurate information
  with which to evaluate its progress
• in achieving goals.
• (NSW Premiers Department)

11

• LESSONS FROM HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE
• AND ENTERPRISING COMMUNITIES
• 1. Embraces change, shapes its future and
  engenders a sense of belief and
• expectation
• 2. Focuses on the sustainable triple bottom line
  economic viability,
• environmental integrity, and community well
  being
• Builds from the inside out
• Encourages broad based participation, social
  connectedness, inclusiveness
• and diversity of thinking
• Focuses on assets and capacities, not weaknesses
  and deficiencies
• Acts in a holistic, entrepreneurial and
  opportunity obsessive manner
• Continually renews and builds a diversified
  leadership base
• Acts strategically and commits to long term and
  continuous community
• dialogue, planning, action and evaluation
• Values collaboration, networking and clustering
• Champions passionate and entrepreneurial
  attitudes and behaviours
•  

12
No 1. UNDERSTANDS, ACCEPTS AND EMBRACES
CHANGE WE CAN EITHER BE VICTIMS OF CHANGE OR
WE CAN PLAN FOR IT, SHAPE IT, AND EMERGE
STRONGER FROM IT. THE CHOICE IS OURS (Sonaran
Institute)   WE NEED TO ACCEPT CHANGE, AND MAKE
IT OUR FRIEND (Robert Theobald)
13
PROGRESS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT CHANGE AND
THOSE WHO CANNOT CHANGE THEIR MINDS CANNOT
CHANGE ANYTHING (George Bernard Shaw)   AT
EVERY CROSSING ON THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE
FUTURE,EACH PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT IS OPPOSED BY A
THOUSAND APPOINTED TO GUARD THE PAST (Maurice
Maeterlinck)  
14
DESTINY IS NOT A MATTER OF CHANCE, IT IS A
MATTER OF CHOICE. IT IS NOT A THING TO BE
WAITED FOR,IT IS A THING TO BE
ACHIEVED. (WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN)
15

• NO 2. FOCUSES ON THE SUSTAINABLE TRIPLE
  BOTTOM LINE
• ECONOMIC VIABILITY
• ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITYAND
• COMMUNITY WELL-BEING
• PEOPLE, PLANET AND PROSPERITY
• (THEME OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE
  DEVELOPMENT)

16
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACHIEVE AND RETAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT
DIMINISHING THE QUALITY OF LIFE ENJOYED BY
OTHER COMMUNITIES, NOW AND IN THE
FUTURE. (Lamont Hempen)   IN OUR EVERY
DELIBERATION WE MUST CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF OUR
DECISIONS ON THE NEXT SEVEN GENERATIONS (Great
Law of the Iroquois Indian Confederation)
17
NO 3. BUILDS FROM THE INSIDE OUT   SUCCESS
IS AN INSIDE JOB (Ralph Ford)   'ALL THE
HISTORIC EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT SIGNIFICANT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ONLY TAKES PLACE WHEN
LOCAL COMMUNITY PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED TO INVESTING
THEMSELVES AND THEIR RESOURCES IN THE EFFORT.
THATS WHY YOU CAN'T DEVELOP COMMUNITIES FROM THE
TOP DOWN, OR FROM THE OUTSIDE IN' (John McKnight,
John Kretzmann, Mapping Community
Capacity)
18
NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY IS SPENT, HOW MANY
ELABORATE PROGRAMS ARE INITIATED, HOW MANY LAWS
ARE PASSED OR HOW MANY PROFESSIONALS HIRED, THE
EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE WILL NOT
FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE UNLESS INDIVIDUALS
PARENTS, YOUTH, NEIGHBOURS, FRIENDS,
GRANDPARENTS, AND OTHERS TAKE PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTHY
DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN THEIR
COMMUNITY (SEARCH INSTITUTE)
19
NO 4. ENCOURAGES BROAD BASED PARTICIPATION,
SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, INCLUSIVENESS AND
DIVERSITY OF THINKING COMMUNITIES CAN OFTEN BE
COMPARED TO AN AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL MATCH
WHERE 30,000 PEOPLE WHO NEED THE EXERCISE WATCH
36 PLAYERS WHO DONT (Peter Kenyon)    AS A
RULE OF THUMB, INVOLVE EVERYONE IN
EVERYTHING (Tom Peters)
20
Experience in community building around the world
Demonstrates that neither the market nor
government alone can renew disadvantaged
Neighbourhoods, sustainable changes are not
possible unless communities become actively
engaged as a partner in renewal. Participation
can strengthen local democracy and improve
social cohesion, thereby creating more
sustainable communities. Participation can also
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
service planning and delivery by building the
perspective of service users into the design of
Services. There is also growing evidence that
active communities are more resilient and
healthy. (Draft Victorian Neighbourhood Renewal
Paper)
21
THE IDEOLOGY OF INDIVIDUALISM THERE IS NO SUCH
THING AS SOCIETY  THERE ARE JUST
INDIVIDUALS   (Margaret Thatcher)
22
PUTNAMS CHALLENGE BEST REGION WORST
REGION
23
PORTRAIT OF A RESILIENT COMMUNITY
A resilient community is one that takes
intentional action to enhance the personal and
collective capacity of its residents and
institutions to respond to, and influence the
course of social and economic change.
24
PORTRAIT OF A RESILIENT COMMUNITY
Characteristic 1 Leadership is diversified and
representative Characteristic 2 Community
leadership is visionary Characteristic
3 Community members are involved Characteristic
4 Community feels a sense of pride Characteristic
5 People feel optimistic about the
future Characteristic 6 Spirit of mutual
assistance and cooperation Characteristic
7 People feel a sense of attachment Characteristi
c 8 Community is self-reliant Characteristic
9 Belief in and support for education Characteris
tic 10 Key community economic development
functions are served Characteristic
11 Organisations have developed
partnerships Characteristic 12 Employment is
diversified Characteristic 13 Major employers
are locally owned
25
Characteristic 14 A strategy for increasing
local ownership Characteristic 15 Openness to
alternative economic activity Characteristic
16 Community looks outside itself for
resources Characteristic 17 Community is aware
of its competitive position Characteristic
18 Community has a community economic
development plan Characteristic 19 Citizens
are involved in community vision and
goals Characteristic 20 On-going action towards
community economic development
goals Characteristic 21 Regular evaluation of
progress Characteristic 22 Organisations use the
community economic development plan to guide
their actions Characteristic 23 A development
approach encompasses all population
segments. (Centre for Community Enterprise ,
Canada)
26
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY Healthy
Unhealthy Optimism, hope and 'we are in this
together Cynicism "We can do it 'Nothing
works' Value intangibles like vision and
values Emphasis only on tangibles Consensus
building Polarisation Collaboration Confro
ntation Focus on the future Debate the
past Interdependence Parochialism Broad
community participation Few do
everything Leadership renewal Same old
faces Think and act in long term Short term
thinking Listening Attacking Reconciliation
Hold grudges Win-win solutions Win-lose
solutions Politics of substance Politics of
personality Diversity and involvement Exclusion
Challenge ideas Challenge people Problem
solvers Blockers and blamers View challenges
as opportunities See themselves as
victims    
27
BEGINNING IN 1970, ITALIANS ESTABLISHED A
NATIONWIDE SET OF POTENTIALLY POWERFUL REGIONAL
GOVERNMENTS. THEY WERE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL IN
FORM, BUT THE SOCIAL,ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND
CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH THEY WERE IMPLANTED
DIFFERED DRAMATICALLY RANGING FROM THE
PRE-INDUSTRIAL TO THE POST-INDUSTRIAL AND FROM
THE INERTLY FEUDAL TO THE FRENETICALLY MODERN.
SOME OF THE NEW GOVERNMENTS PROVED TO BE DISMAL
FAILURES INEFFICIENT AND CORRUPT. OTHERS HAVE
BEEN REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL (ROBERT PUTNAM
MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK CIVIC TRADITION IN MODERN
ITALY)
28
CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATIONS, WE WERE UNABLE TO
EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES ON THE BASIS OF SUCH
OBVIOUS FACTORS AS PARTY POLITICS, AFFLUENCE OR
POPULATION MOVEMENTSTHE HISTORICAL RECORD
STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THE SUCCESSFUL
COMMUNITIES BECOME RICH BECAUSE THEY WERE
CIVIC, NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND. THE SOCIAL
CAPITAL EMBODIED IN NORMS AND NETWORKS OF CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT SEEMS TO BE A PRECONDITION FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS FOR EFFECTIVE
GOVERNMENT. CIVICS MATTERS (ROBERT PUTNAM
MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK CIVIC TRADITION IN MODERN
ITALY)
29
SOCIAL CAPITAL 'the fabric that holds the
community together (Robert Putnam) Features of
social organization like networks, the quality
and intensity of civic involvement, the level of
trust and norms that exist between individuals
and/or groups within a community, and which
facilitate coordination and cooperation for
mutual benefit.  
30

• CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
• SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS
• INCLUSIVENESS
• COOPERATION
• MUTUALISM
• TRUST
• RECIPROCITY
• COLLECTIVE WELL BEING
• VALUING OF INDIVIDUAL GIFTS
• TOLERATION OF DIVERSITY

• The norms and
• networks of civil
• society that lubricate
• cooperative action
• among both citizens
• and their institutions
• (Robert Putnam)

31
WE ARE COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING THE
FOUNDATIONS OF AUSTRALIAS CIVIC CULTURE. WE
BELIEVE THAT SOCIAL CAPITAL AND THE BUILDING OF
NETWORKS OF TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING IN NATIONAL
AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE VITAL IF THESE
COMMUNITIES ARE TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES OF
CHANGE. (Prime Minister John Howard, Address to
the World Economic Forum, 1998)
32
MUCH HARD EVIDENCE HAS ACCUMULATED THAT CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS ARE
PRACTICAL PRECONDITIONS FOR BETTER SCHOOLS,
SAFER STREETS AND EVEN HEALTHIER AND LONGER
LIVES(Robert Putnam)
33
DECLINE IN SOCIAL PARTICIPATION BETWEEN 1970
1997 IN USA (According to Robert Putnam)

•  
• Attendance at public meetings dropped from 22 to
  12
• Participation in committee meetings dropped
• from 17 to 8
• Decline of 60 in dinner parties having friends
  over for
• dinner dropped from 14 times a year to 8 times
• Having a picnic went from 5 a year to 2 a year
•  

34
BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE RATINGS
OF SUCCESS WAS How people feel about their
community
VOLUNTEERING HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN IDENTIFIED IN
THE STUDY AS A CRITICAL FACTOR OF THE FUTURE
SUCCESS OF RURAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES. IT
HAS BEEN THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN
PEOPLE FEELING GOOD ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND
HENCE WORKING FOR THEIR COMMUNITYS GREATER
SUCCESS _________________________________________
_________________
YET THE RATE OF VOLUNTEERING IS DECLINING AT A
TIME WHEN IT IS MOST NEEDED. OLDER VOLUNTEERS
ARE BURNING OUT AND YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE BEING
DISCOURAGED FROM PARTICIPATING BY THE PREVALENCE
OF BARRIERS THAT MAKE THEM FEEL NEGATIVE ABOUT
THEIR COMMUNITIES   (Regional Womens Advisory
Council The Success Factors Managing Change
in Regional and Rural Australia)
35

• THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS AFFECTING SAFETY
• PEOPLE KNOWING EACH OTHER
• PEOPLE ACTING TOGETHER
• (According to Jody Kretzmann)

36

• HEALTH DETERMINANTS
• PERSONAL BEHAVIOURS what we eat, how much
• we drink, whether we smoke
• SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS level and quality of
  contact with
• friends, family, community
• PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT where we live, whats in
  the air
• ECONOMIC STATUS employed / unemployed, level of
  income
• ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE

37
'PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTITIONERS GIVE MUCH ATTENTION
TO SCREENING, IMMUNISATION, LIFESTYLE CHANGES, OR
RISK-FACTOR MODIFICATION . MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
ARE COMMITTED TO ALLEVIATING ILL HEALTH THROUGH
INDIVIDUAL INTERVENTION. MEANWHILE WE IGNORE
WHAT OUR EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES TELLS US, IE, THE
WAY WE ORGANISE OUR SOCIETY, THE EXTENT TO WHICH
WE ENCOURAGE INTERACTION AMONG THE CITIZENS AND
THE DEGREE WE TRUST AND ASSOCIATE WITH EACH OTHER
IN CARING COMMUNITIES IS PROBABLY THE MOST
IMPORTANT DETERMINATE OF OUR HEALTH'. (Jonathan
Lomas, Canadian Health Services Research
Foundation)
38
BEING SOCIAL AND INVOLVED IS GOOD FOR PERSONAL
HEALTH   Being involved with community groups
and having strong social networks are as good
for health as healthy food and exercise.
(Department of Public Health, University of
Flinders)    A 10 increase in overall trust
across citizens leads to 0.6 fewer deaths per
thousand people per year, or a one unit
increment in group membership leads to 0.83
fewer deaths per thousand people per year
(Kwachi et al)  
39
BERKMAN AND SYME (CALIFORNIA) FINDINGS

•  
• PEOPLE WHO LACKED SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY TIES
• WERE MORE LIKELY TO DIE THAN PEOPLE WITH MORE
• EXTENSIVE CONTACTS
•  
•  
• JOINING A COMMUNITY GROUP CUTS IN HALF YOUR
• ODDS OF DYING NEXT YEAR
•  
•  
• JOINING A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FOR FUN
• WAS BETTER FOR HEALTH THAN GIVING UP SMOKING

40
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION BY YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN  

•  
• Fresh perspectives
• Great collaborators
• Make the dollar stretch
• Passionate about issues, eg, environment /
• sustainability
• Impatience
• Best know what other young people think
• and want

41
PARADIGM CHANGE REGARDING YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN   Problem Problem Solver Client
Change Maker Recipient
Co-Participant At risk
population Leadership asset to be dealt
with to be cultivated Tomorrows Part of
todays Leaders Leadership team Adult in the
making A citizen today
42
ONTARIOS FIVE PROMISES TO YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN   1.A healthy start (good nutrition,
intellectual stimulation). 2.An adult who cares
(parent, neighbour, tutor, coach, relative,
teacher, mentor). 3.Safe places to learn and
grow. 4.The tools to succeed ( education,
teamwork skills, analysis skills,
communication skills). 5.A chance to make a
difference (learn about their own values by
giving back and making a difference).
43
NO 5. FOCUSES ON ASSETS AND CAPACITIES, NOT
WEAKNESSES AND DEFICIENCIES
'EVERY LIVING PERSON HAS SOME GIFT OR CAPACITY OF
VALUE TO OTHERS. A STRONG COMMUNITY IS A PLACE
THAT RECOGNISES THESE GIFTS AND ENSURES THEY ARE
GIVEN. A WEAK COMMUNITY IS A PLACE WHERE LOTS
OF PEOPLE CAN'T OR DON'T GIVE THEIR GIFTS' (John
McKnight And Jody Kretzmann)  
44
WHAT WE FOCUS ON BECOMES OUR REALITY. IF WE
FOCUS ON WHAT IS WRONG OR WHAT IS MISSING, WE
TEND TO SEE EVERYTHING THROUGH THAT FILTER OR
FRAME. (anon)
45
Communities have deficiencies and needs  
Communities and its citizens have capacities
and assets
46
ABCD ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Every single person has capacities, abilities
and gifts. Living a good life depends on
whether those capacities can be used, abilities
expressed and gifts given (John McKnight and
Jody Kretzmann)
47
TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY ABCD DEVELOPMENT   Top
down, outside in Inside out Weaknesses Stre
ngths Deficiencies, needs Assets,
opportunities   Disabilities Abilities,
capacities   Silo provision Collaboration,
Relationships, networking   Consumers of
services Producers of services   Dependence on
outside Importance of Professionals commu
nity initiative And relationships    
48
The root idea of community development is to
identify local capacities and mobilise them,
which involves connecting people with capacities
to other people, associates, institutions and
economic resources.  (Jody Kretzman and John
McKnight)
49
WHAT IS APPRICIATIVE INQUIRY?  Appreciative
Inquiry (AI) is the cooperative search for the
best in people, their organisations, their
communities and the world around them. It
involves systematic discovery of what gives a
system life when it is most effective and
capable. AI involves the art and practice of
asking questions that strengthen an individual,
a community or a systems capacity to heighten
positive potential. AI assumes that every living
being and system has untapped, rich, inspiring
accounts of the positive. Link this positive
change core directly to any leadership strategy
or change agenda, and changes never thought
possible are suddenly and democratically
mobilized.
50
WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS IN TWO WAYS   1. What is
wrong with our community? What problems can we
fix? What are the needs of our community? What
is broken? OR   2. What are the strengths of our
community? Share a time when you felt our
community was at its best? What do you value
most about our community? What is the essence of
our community that makes it unique and
strong?              
51
IMAGINE KWINANA   Is a community development
process striving to find ways to make Kwinana an
even better place for all those that live and
work in Kwinana.   IMAGINE KWINANA aims to
develop policies and activities based on the
capacities, skills and assets of individuals and
the community. They seek to connect these
assets in ways that multiply their power and
effectiveness. Their catch cry is Bringing
People Together to do the Things They Dream
About.
52

• SOME CONSEQUENCES OF NEEDS AND DEFICIENCY FOCUS
• 1. INTERNALISATION OF DEFICIENCY IDENTITY BY
• LOCAL RESIDENTS.
• 2. DEPENDENCE ON OUTSIDE RESOURCES /
• PROFESSIONALS TO FIND AND FIX.
• OUTSIDE RESOURCES GO INTO NEED BOXES.
• 4. FOCUSES ON LEADERS WHO MAGNIFY DEFICIENCIES.
• 5. REWARDS FAILURES AND ABILITY TO TALK-DOWN
• COMMUNITIES.
• 6. PERPETUATES DEPENDENCY AND HOPELESSNESS.

53
Perhaps most important in the whole asset
mapping venture is not the outcome of data within
the mappings but the relationships built in the
process. Asset mapping is a good way to
rebuild communities one relationship at a
time.   The Connecticut Assets Network, Summer
1999
54
NO 6. ACTS IN A HOLISTIC, ENTREPRENEURIAL AND
OPPORTUNITY OBSESSIVE MANNER
PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLY GOOD WITH HAMMERS SEE
EVERYTHING AS A NAIL (Abraham Maslow)     IF
OPPORTUNITY DOESNT KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR (Milton
Berle)  
55
YEOVAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL COOPERATIVE 'First
Multi-Purpose Health Centre in NSW'

• Origins
•  
• Instigated by community (town population 550,
  district
• population 1,500) in 1989 when Government deemed
  hospital
• non-viable and decided to close it
• Following closure, 250 community members became
• foundation shareholders of a hospital and related
  health
• and aged care service cooperative
• 100,000 raised locally
•  

56

• Today
• 450 shareholders
• cooperative has spent 1m and is debt free
• annual payroll of 1m
• Largest employer in community - 50 staff
• Has achieved a financial surplus every year
  except one
• Source of incredible local pride
•  

• Current Services
• 7 bed hospital
• Accident and assessment room
• 9 bed nursing home 9 bed hostel
• 8 bed special care unit for dementia
• Day-care centre
• Physiotherapy
• Community care packages
• Volunteer ambulances
• Meals on Wheels
• Doctors' Surgery
• X-ray facilities

57
CASE STUDY BEECHWORTH BAKERY

• The Bakery
•  
• Employs 70 people, and another 46 at Beechworth
  Bakery at
• Echuca
• Turns over 3 million plus per year
• Took 27,000 over the counter on one day (Easter
  Saturday)
• Attracts over 670,000 customers per year
• Offers 260 products
• Seats 300 customers
• Has won the most significant Regional Tourism
  Award in Victoria
• 3 times

58
TOMS RECIPE FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS  

• LOVE HEARING THE TILLS RING
• PRACTICE POSITIVELY OUTRAGEOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE
• BANISH THE BLAND AND DARE TO BE DIFFERENT IN
• MARKETING
• RECOGNIZE, EXCITE AND EXTEND STAFF
• NETWORK AND CROSS PROMOTE WITH OTHER
• BUSINESSES
• BE HUNGRY FOR NEW IDEAS
• BE PASSIONATE
•  

59
NO. 7 CONTINUALLY RENEWS AND BUILDS A
DIVERSIFIED LEADERSHIP BASE
Given the task of rejuvenating a region and the
choice of 50 million, or 2 million and 20
committed local leaders, we would chose the
smaller amount of money and the committed
leaders (McKinsey and Company (1994) Lead
Local Compete Global Unlocking the Growth of
Australias Regions)
60

• LEADERSHIP IS FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT
• CREATING
• FOCUSSING
• DIRECTING
• MAINTAINING ENERGY
• (GIBSON AND ASSOCIATES)
•  

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE
ABILITY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR INDUSTRIES
AND BUSINESSES TO SURVIVE, GROW AND DEVELOP, WILL
DEPEND UPON THEIR WILLINGNESS AND SKILL TO
IDENTIFY, ATTRACT, DEVELOP, RENEW AND RETAIN
LEADERSHIP (Peter Kenyon)
61
NO.8 ACTS STRATEGICALLY AND COMMITS TO
LONG-TERM AND CONTINUOUS COMMUNITY
DIALOGUE,PLANNING, ACTION AND EVALUATION
THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE
IT  (Peter Ellyard)     IDEAS WONT KEEP.
SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THEM  (Alfred
North Whitehead)  
62

• TECHNIQUES FOR ENGAGEMENT
• Personal contact / One to One interviews
• Surveys
• Structured visitation interviews
• Focus groups
• Displays
• Information sessions / Open houses / Open days /
• Telecentre access / Information hotlines
• Printed information
• Public meetings / Forums
• Presentations to community groups
• Workshops
• Media invitations
• Community liaison groups / Consultative
  Communities / Community think tanks

63

• PARTICIPATING GROUP TECHNIQUES
• Brainstorming
• Nominal groups
• Delphi technique
• Force field analysis
• Value mapping
• Value clarification

64

• SOME OTHER INTERESTING
• TECHNIQUES
• Community asset mapping
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Citizen juries
• Standing panels / Research panels
• Community issues group
• Electronic democracy
• Future search conferences

65
SOONER OR LATER ALL THINKING AND PLANNING HAS
TO DEGENERATE INTO WORK  (Peter Drucker)    A
LITTLE KNOW FACT IS THAT THE APOLLO MOON
MISSIONS WERE ON COURSE LESS THAN 1 OF THE
TIME. THE MISSION WAS COMPOSED OF ALMOST
CONSTANT MID COURSE CORRECTIONS. THATS ALSO
TRUE OF MOST BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY
SITUATIONS  (James Belasco, Teaching the
Elephant to Dance)
66
USE OF APPROPRIATE INDICATORS TO MEASURE AND
MONITOR PROGRESS
IN THE LONG RUN, WHAT A COMMUNITY CHOOSES TO
MEASURE, AND HOW IT IS MEASURED, HAS A
TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE (North
West Policy Center, Seattle, USA)   INDICATORS
SHOULD BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD, RELIABLE, EASY/COST
EFFICIENT TO COLLECT, INDICATIVE OF QUALITY AND
QUANTITY AND RELEVANT TO STRATEGIC POLICY AND
FUNDING DECISIONS (Jenny Wills)  
67
NO. 9 VALUES COLLABORATION, NETWORKING AND
CLUSTERING
TRUE COLLABORATIONS ARE NOT JUST ABOUT WORKING
TOGETHER AND DOING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THINGS
BUT RATHER THEY ARE ABOUT SETTING COLLECTIVE
PRIORITIES, USING RESOURCES IN DIFFERENT WAYS,
INCORPORATING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES (Julie
White, The Trillium Foundation)
68
ITS AMAZING HOW MUCH YOU CAN GET DONE WHEN
YOU DONT CARE WHO GETS THE CREDIT (Richard
Hettrick)   THE REASON THAT ASTRONOMERS AROUND
THE WORLD COOPERATE SO WELL TOGETHER IS THAT
YOUCANNOT STAND IN ONE PLACE AND SEE THE ENTIRE
SKY. WE CAN APPLYTHIS SAME PRINCIPLE TO
COMMUNITIES,ORGANISATIONS AND DEPARTMENTS  (Unkno
wn)
69
CONSENSUS   "A group decision (which some members
may not feel is the best decision, but which they
can all live with, support, and commit themselves
not to undermine), arrived at without voting,
through a process whereby the issues are fully
aired all members feel they have been adequately
heard in which everyone has equal power and
responsibility' and where different degrees of
influence by virtue or individual stubbornness or
charisma are avoided so that all are satisfied
with the process". (M Scott Peck, in "A World
Waiting to Happen)    
70
NO. 10 CHAMPIONS PASSIONATE AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS
FOSTERS
Dreaming Positive Mindset New Possibilities Exper
imentation Risk Taking New Thinking Opportunity
Obsession
71
WHEN FACING A DIFFICULT TASK, ACT AS IF IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL. WHEN GOING AFTER MOBY DICK,
BRING ALONG THE TARTARE SAUCE (author
unknown)  AERODYNAMICALLY THE BUMBLE BEE
SHOULDNT BE ABLE TO FLY, BUT THE BUMBLE BEE
DOESNT KNOW IT, SO IT GOES ON FLYING
ANYWAY(Mary Kay Nash)
72
"A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION
OF A MIND THAT DWELLS PRIMARILY ON POSITIVE
MATTERS. IT IS A MINDSET TIPPED IN FAVOUR OF
CREATIVE ACTIVITY RATHER THAN BOREDOM JOY OVER
SADNESS HOPE OVER FUTILITY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
IS THAT STATE OF MIND WHICH CAN BE MAINTAINED
THROUGH CONSCIOUS EFFORT". (Elwood
Chapman Attitude "Your Most Precious
Possession")    
73
'I THINK NEGATIVE PEOPLE SHOULD BE TAXED. THEY
REQUIRE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ENERGY. THEY'RE
LIKE CORGIS NIBBLING AT YOUR ANKLES AND I'M SURE
THEY EXIST TO SHOW US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HEAVEN AND HELL'(Vicki Buck, Ex-mayor
Christchurch City Council)
74
'NOWADAYS TOWNS ARE REALLY NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM
BUSINESSES, THEY NEED TO KEEP RECREATING
THEMSELVES. NOT SO MANY YEARS AGO COUNTRY TOWNS
WERE SUBJECT TO GENERAL TRENDS. THEY WOULD ALL
DO WELL OR ALL DO BADLY. THE PICTURE IS NOW VERY
UNEVEN. THE SUCCESSFUL TOWNS ARE LIKELY TO BE
DRIVEN BY PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE,
WHO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY AND GO FOR IT. YOU NEED
COMMUNITIES WITH A BIT OF GET UP AND GO SPIRIT.
SOME HAVE IT, SOME DON'T. (Roy Powell, Centre
for Agricultural and Regional Economics)  
75

• NATIONAL COMMUNITY BUILDING NETWORK
• (USA) EIGHT KEY PRINCIPLES
•  
•  
•  

•  Integrate community development and human
• services strategy
•  Forge partnerships through collaboration
•  Build on community strengths
•  Start from local conditions
•  Foster broad community participation
•  Require racial equity
•  Value cultural strengths
•  Support families and children

76
FACILITATION "TO MAKE EASY, PROMOTE, HELP FORWARD
AN ACTION OR RESULT, TO REMOVE DIFFICULTY,
PROMOTE EASE OR READINESS WITH APTITUDE,
DEXTERITY OR FLUENCY" (Dictionary
definition) POSSIBLE ROLES OF A FACILITATOR

• Create an atmosphere of energy, excitement and
• optimism
• Demystify concepts, processes and strategies
• Optimise the knowledge and expertise of
  participating
• groups/individuals
• Broker experiences, models, methodologies,
  networks
• and resources that may be relevant.
• Encourage collaborative efforts between relevant
  groups
• and networks

77
Sometimes you just have to take the leap and
build your wings on the way down (anon)
If you want to build a ship, dont round up
people to gather wood and dish out work. But
teach them the desire for the Wide endless
ocean (Antoine De Saint Exupery)
If you think you are too small to be effective,
youve never been in bed with a mosquito (Anita
Roddick)
78
A man found an eagles egg and placed it under a
brooding hen. The eaglet hatched with the
chickens and grew to be like them. He clucked
and cackled, scratched the earth for worms,
flapped his wings and managed to fly a few feet
in the air.   Years passed. One day the eagle,
now grown old saw a magnificent bird above him in
the sky it glided in a graceful majesty against
the powerful wind, with scarcely a movement of
its golden wings.   Spellbound the eagle asked
Whos that?   Thats the king of the birds,
the eagle, said his neighbour. He belongs to
the sky. We belong to earth were
chickens.   So the eagle lived and died a
chicken for thats what he thought he was.
79
THE FUTURE IS NOT A PLACE TO WHICH WE ARE
GOING, IT IS A PLACE WE ARE CREATING. THE PATHS
TO THE FUTURE ARE NOT FOUND, BUT MADE AND THE
ACTIVITY OF MAKING THEM CHANGES BOTH THE MAKER
AND THE DESTINATION. (John Schaar)
80
contactPETER KENYON Ph 08 9433 2222 Fax 08
9433 2999 PO Box 90, Palmyra, WA,
6957   email pk_at_bankofideas.com.au website www.
bankofideas.com.au