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Section B:
Choosing The Level:
The Bradford Participation Tool
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LEVEL 5: SUPPORTING LOCAL INITIATIVES
Supporting independent community-based initiatives means helping others develop and carry out their own plans. Resource-holders who promote this stance may, of course, put limits on what they will support.
Basics
- This is the most 'empowering' stance -provided people want to do things for themselves. They may, quite properly, choose a lower level of participation.
- Carrying through the stance may involve people in setting up new forms of organisations to handle funds and carry out projects or programs.
- The process has to be owned by, and move at the pace of, those who are going to run the initiative - although funders and others may set deadlines.
Where appropriate
This stance may be appropriate when:
- Where people are interested in starting and running an initiative.
- Where there is a commitment to empower individuals or groups within the community.
It is not likely to be appropriate when the following apply:
- Community initiatives are seen as 'a good thing' in the abstract and pushed on people from the top down.
- Where there is no commitment to provide training and support.
- Where there aren't the resources to maintain initiatives in the longer-term.
- Where time is very short.
Methods
Consider the following methods:
- Providing training and support for example, on involving local people as researchers into the community's health needs.
- An offer of grants, advice and support - perhaps conditional on some commitment being made by the other interests involved.
- Workshops for helping community groups create a shared vision and plan their action.
- Team building exercises.
- Commitment planning.
- Business planning exercises.
- Workshops on design, fund-raising and publicity.
- Visits to similar projects.
- Interim structures like working parties and steering groups as a focus for decision making and accountability.
- Longer-term structures controlled by community interests.
- Development trusts.
Guidelines
- Be clear about your role and whether produces any conflict between, for example, controlling resources and helping community interests develop their own ideas and organisation.
- If you are controlling resources make sure you have agreement from your colleagues and can deliver what you promise before you start.
- Be realistic about the time the process will take.
Checklist
Before taking up a 'we will support community initiatives' stance consider:
- Do you understand the different interests in the community and their needs?
- Have you contacted existing community and voluntary sector organisations?
- Will your colleagues support the stance?
- Do you have skills and resources to offer?
- Are you clear about the role you are playing?
| Section A | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Section C |
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Introduction and Framework Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E |
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