Decide on a site/locality
Remember the importance of size/scale
Realize there can be communities of place and communities
of interest
Remember the locality should be defined as community
members see it, not what's convenient for outsiders
Decide on a theme through which to engage the community
Engage the community around a question, not an answer
Through engagement with each other,
the community should provide the answer (answers)
The best themes are clear, arouse
passion within the community, and unify the community (for example,
issues related to youth/children often fulfill these criteria)
Develop an Initiating Group
A relatively small group with a
deep commitment to the ABCD philosophy
Provides initial connections into
the community
Members may be largely
institution-based
Develop an Organizing Group
Core group of community leaders who
can come together to be a voice for the community
People from everyday life,
association leaders, congregation leaders, small business owners,
others
It is important that they buy into
the theme around which the community will be engaged and that they are
"leaders with a following" so that they have an authentic constituency
This core group should come
together around their "self interest" in the best sense--an interest
they are ready to act on
This group begins to develop a plan
Developing specific goals, engaging
the community in the process, doing the work, evaluating progress,
adjusting the process
Set a table
Create a citizen-centered
partnership
Citizens/community associations in
control
Bring in institutions/agencies
later and as a minority so they are at the table but in the role of
servant, not lord
Work with institutions/agencies to
see how they can support the citizen-centered initiative
Role of this citizen-centered
partnership is to carry out the plan related to the theme that was
chosen
Citizens/associations and their
gifts/relationships as the driving force
Agencies/institutions in a
supporting role
Do the ABCD work
Identifying assets/gifts
Mobilizing and connecting assets
