Recently I wrote on Community Building.
Since the internet, since web 2.0; all of us are involved in many community-based organisations—either as staff and leaders, as consultants, or on boards. We may actually describe ourselves as community builders. But what do we mean by that? What are we doing when we “build community?” and what makes them a success. Those answers are not immediately obvious.
Several years ago, the Wilder Research Center delved into the studies on community building. They found 28 factors that influenced the success of any community building effort.
Some Definitions
We can’t get started talking about successful community building without defining some terms— especially when the terms used by community builders are often subject to varied interpretation. While the report includes many definitions, I’m going to highlight three that get used frequently: community, community building, and community capacity building.
Community
People use the term community in a variety of ways, ranging from various uses that emphasise geography, socio-politics, consumption, ethnicity and profession. After researching a number of possible definitions, Wilder researchers purposely limited the definition to a specific type of community:
People who may live within a geographically defined area and who have social and psychological ties with each other and with the place where they live or work.
This definition requires both geographic bounds and social ties. Obviously, this definition does not include many types of social networks that people consider communities. Those are also valid communities—but the factors described further in this article are extracted only from research related to geographically bounded communities.
Community building
Community building generally refers to building the social networks within the community, and developing group and individual problem-solving and leadership skills. The report defines community building as:
Any identifiable set of activities pursued by a community in order to increase community social capacity
Community capacity building
The broad capacities relevant to community building are abilities to develop and sustain strong relationships; solve problems and make group decisions; and collaborate effectively to identify goals and get work done. When one builds community capacity, one is
Increasing the extent to which members of a community can work together effectively.
Working with these (and other) definitions, Wilder Research Center identified 525 written evaluation studies and reduced the final number of reports to 48. Two reviewers independently extracted success factors from those reports; the findings were synthesized in initial and final forms. Ultimately, this process yielded 28 factors.
The 28 Factors
The 28 factors have been divided into three categories, 1) those that are endemic to the community itself, 2) those that relate to the way one builds community, and 3) those that relate to the people doing the community-building work, as defined here:
1. Characteristics of the community. These are the social, psychological, and geographical attributes of a community and its residents which contribute to the success of a community building effort.
2. Characteristics of the community building process. These are factors that make up the process by which people attempt to build community, such as representation, communications, and technical assistance.
3. Characteristics of community building leaders. These factors are the qualities of those people who organise and lead a community building effort, such as commitment, trust, understanding and experience.
A brief description of each of the twenty-eight factors follows. These factors should not be a surprise—but they do serve as a helpful checklist as you enter into a new community building situation.
Category 1. Characteristics of the community
- Community awareness of an issue
Successful efforts are more likely occur in communities where participants recognise the need for some type of initiative. A community building effort must address an issue which is severe enough to warrant attention, and which affects enough in the community to spark self-interest in participation. A rallying point. - Motivation from within the community
The motivation to begin a community building process is self-imposed, rather than encouraged from the outside. We should get together as a community. - Small operating area
The operational area is tightly defined so planning and implementing activities is targeted and transferable. - Flexibility and adaptability
Communities exhibit flexibility and adaptability in problem solving and task accomplishment. The community exhibits determination. - Preexisting social cohesion
Other things being equal, the higher the existing level of social cohesion (that is, the strength of interrelationships among community), the more likely that a community building effort will be successful. Like language breeds trust. - Ability to discuss, reach consensus, and cooperate
Communities have a spirit of cooperation and the ability to discuss openly their problems and needs. They are a pressure value. - Existing identifiable leadership
There are residents whom most community members will follow and listen to, who can motivate and act as spokespersons, and who can assume leadership roles in a community building initiative. Expertise hierarchy is identifiable and participates actively. - Prior success with community building
Participants who have prior positive community building experience.Category 2. Characteristics of the community building process - Widespread participation
Participation is representative of the community and members continuously recruit participants. - Good system of communication
The process includes effectively communicating within the community and to the rest of the world. - Minimal competition in pursuit of goals
Existing community organisations do not perceive other organisations or the leaders of a community building initiative as competitors. Or at least get more from “coopetition” than by not participating. - Develop self-understanding
The process includes developing a group identity, clarifying priorities, and agreeing on how to achieve goals. A badge. - Benefits to many
Community goals, tasks, and activities have clear, visible benefits to many people in the community. - Focus on product and process concurrently
Efforts to build relationships (the process focus) include tangible events and accomplishments (the product focus). - Linkage to organisations outside the community
Community members have ties to organisations outside the community that add value to the community - Progresses from simple to complex activities
The process moves community members from simple to progressively more complex activities. Thread become more specialised. - Systematic gathering of information and analysis of community issues
The process includes taking careful steps to measure and analyse the needs and problems of the community. - Training to gain community building skills
Participants receive training / encouragement to increase their community building skills. Rites and rituals initiation. - Early involvement and support from existing, indigenous organisations
Organisations of long tenure and solid reputation become involved early. - Use of technical assistance
Participants use/source/provide technical assistance at no cost to help them gain competence in a particular area. - Continual emergence of leaders, as needed
There are processes to produce and recognise new leaders over time. - Community control over decision making
Participants have control over decisions, particularly over how funds/resources are used and shared - The right mix of resources
The process is not overwhelmed by too many resources or stifled by too few, and there is a balance between internal and external resources.Category 3. Characteristics of community building organisers - Understanding the community
Successful community building efforts tend to have organisers who have a thorough understanding of the culture, social structure, demographics, political structure and issues. - Sincerity of commitment
The effort is organised by individuals who convey a sincere commitment for the community’s well-being. - A Relationship of trust
Organisers develop trusting relationships with community participants. - Level of organising experience
Organisers are experienced in the many facets of working with communities. - Able to be flexible and adaptable
Organisers are flexible and able to adapt to constantly changing situations and environments.I found this list of factors has enabled me to understand and develop a rigid paradigm for viewing the development of communities, I hope it does for you too.
