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This Community Development Planning Framework is licenced under Creative Commons. In essence this particular licence means you are free to download the graphic and descriptions and share them with others as long as credit is provided to Grassroots Enterprises (Brenda Herchmer). The materials can NOT be changed in any way or be used commercially. However we would always welcome your suggestions for how the Framework could be improved as we value and appreciate your interest..
A community development planning process typically begins in one of two ways. The first is a crisis that becomes the impetus for action. The second is general discontent and the identification of gaps, needs, issues, or trends that aren't being addressed. There is a sense that things either aren't working, or could be working better, and that change is required.
Questions are being asked by those who are often referred to as the 'early risers' or 'early adopters'. What assets can we build on? What can be done better? What is it that's falling between the cracks? What can be strengthened in the community for greater benefit? How can sectors or silos work together more effectively?
Those raising the issues and questions may be elected officials, citizens, government staff, community organizations, or representatives of the business sector. Regardless of the specifics, they are community. leaders (who may not even see themselves as leaders) who are interested and committed to addressing real needs, issues, or trends rather than simply reacting to symptoms.
One or more of these community leaders typically ignites a discussion and invites others (often other early risers or early adopters) to plan. This small group may serve simply to get things started, secure funding or generate political action. However in some cases they may evolve to become a change management team or steering committee for the resulting initiative.
So how does one ignite the discussion that needs to happen? This section will provide some ideas and specific tools for igniting and inviting others to participate.
Resources:
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A position paper or 'point of view' paper presenting viewpoints or positions is sometimes a good ...
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- Ask people to sketch a portrait of themselves and then explain it to the group. Options: draw a ...
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Have participants complete the following:
- My name is...
- I have a question about...
- I can ...
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Prepare a page with approximately 15 statements that describe a possible characteristic, interest, ...
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A citizen consensus council is a microcosm of a larger population where citizens talk about issues ...
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A Citizen Deliberative Council (CDC) is a temporary council of citizens convened to deliberate ...
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Place a selection of magic markers, pencil crayons or crayons in the centre of the room. Ask ...
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Throw out wadded up 'balls' of brightly coloured paper and tell the group if they caught one to ...
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Give participants 10 minutes to find an object that represents how they feel today, what they ...
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Share information you choose from each of the four parts of your life: (1) career or education (2) ...
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Developed by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, Future Search is a large group meeting that brings ...
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Each person tells one thing that he/she wishes to takeaway from the meeting (gain) and one thing ...
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Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective. Conversation and dialogue are an excellent ...
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In either small groups or with the whole group, ask participants what their hopes and fears OR ...
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Suggested Group size: Pairs, Trios or groups (maximum size = four.)
Prepare several colourful flip ...
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Sometimes, you’re dealing with a number of new employees or volunteers, or you’ve brought ...
1. What was your first job—or worst job?
Everyone has an answer to this question, and it doesn’t ...
Although it can be used at other stages of the planning framework to tap creativity, idea mapping ...
Any session designed to ignite action needs to begin with participant introductions.
Why ...
Each person introduces him/herself with some relevant data - and a word that describes him/her that ...
Listening circles are a highly structured dialogue in which people's turns are determined by the ...
Have participants write on a piece of paper what they would change about a predetermined meeting ...
List 15 objects on a flipchart or overhead. Objects relate to the discussion topic.
- Memorize ...
In pairs, find the most unusual thing you have in common. This gets people sharing the more extreme ...
Describe the room that you are in as a geographic space (i.e. your community, province of Alberta, ...
Place a bowl or basket of stones or other items from nature in the centre of the room. Ask ...
The purpose of open question circles is to help us realize our own deepest needs and values ...
Pair participants; have them interview each other for a couple of minutes and then the partners ...
Place a selection of photos, cartoons, greeting card covers, or quotations in the centre of the ...
Ask these questions to allow participants to share information and have fun:
- What might we ...
Seating arrangements are often left up to chance; however, where participants sit can influence ...
SCAMPER is a brainstorming mnemonic that stands for: Substitute. Combine. Adapt. Modify. Put to ...
Display quotes pertaining to the topic area on large 11 x 17 paper around the room. Ask people to ...
Suggested Group Size: Pairs, Trios or Groups (maximum size = four.)
Preparation: Prepare one or ...
Snowball sampling is an approach for locating information-rich key informants.1
Using this approach, ...
Do at the start of a session, generally with a group that knows each other slightly. Bring people ...
Groups of 4 - 6 participants. One person is chosen as scribe and needs something to write on and ...
- Always plan some form of introduction activity to start a meeting, training, or planning ...
Use a safe, soft ball (kush ball, plush ball). Facilitator tosses the ball to someone and that ...
Suggested Group size: Trios or Groups (maximum size = five)
Preparation: Place oversized, ...
Ask each participant to draw a tree on an 8 x 11 inch paper. Some participants will draw trees with ...
Either as an entire group or as small groups of 3 or 4, each person gives their name, where they ...
Your style, the group's preferences, and the length of the meeting will determine the type of ...
Anyone working with people needs to understand the biological diversities found among individuals ...
Wisdom (or story) circles draw on the work of Dialogue (David Bohm). They are always conducted in ...
Developed by organizational development consultant Jim Rough, a wisdom council is a one-time, ...
Have participants wander around the building you are in, inside or outside, and find an object that ...