Afternoon PresentationsKansas City, MO.

May 20, 2009

ACTION

EVALUATION

INFORMATION

DATA

The AdvantAge Initiative Planning Process: Data Driven, Participatory Community Development

Percentage of people age 60+ who engaged in at least one social, religious, or cultural activity in the past week

None16%

Engaged in one or more activity

84%

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding and/or missing information.

Figure 30.1, Indiana-Area 6§

Source: AdvantAge Initiative Community Survey in Indiana 2008

Unweighted N=300Weighted N=88,016

§ Area 6 includes Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, & Randolph Counties.

Numbers don’t stand on their own… we have to

make meaning from the data…use the data to tell a story.

“Improving a community, from beginning to end,

involves organizing people. Money is secondary.”

Framing the issue may be the most important thing we do…

For – how we define the problem will determine what we do to solve it.

Who knows

about the issue?

Who cares about it?

Who can do something about it?

Stakeholders

Community

Change

Tell your story.

Is this is a crisis issue?

Affect narrow or broad cross-section?

Who is most affected and how?

Is there a quick, technical fix?

Is someone working on this issue?

Is this a complex issue?

Is this issue connected to things people really care about?

Will this issue require further study to better understand it?

Is this an issue that will require lots of political will to address?

What are the barriers that will keep us from addressing these issues?

What are the assets in hand that will help us get there?

Sources of InformationAdvantAge Initiative Site Visits, Field Notes,

Conversations, ConsultationsBest Practices ResearchExperiential/Personal Reflections

Successful change efforts …Are initiated by leaders with “situated”

knowledge of the environment for changeThat the right people in the right

relationships are at the heart of changeThat early leaders link this knowledge and

these relationships through effective framing or marketing of issues

Successful change efforts…That these relationships are sustained

through effective communication and the creation of learning communities

That community needs are met through the creative alignment of resources and solutions

Situated knowledge = SavvyKnowledge as power vs knowledge as a

resource to be sharedExamples: Knowledge of the lifeworld of

those whom we ultimately are trying to serveKnowledge of the audiences we are trying to

reach with our messages

Situated knowledge = SavvyKnowledge that behavior is embedded in

practical human interest- that people operate within a set of constraints/potentials: time, money, competing loyalties, lack of authority, axes to grind, personal and professional agendas

What can I get from this?Fun!I’m an old guy, (this affects me).I’m a baby boomer, this will affect me. I’ve been a family caregiver and we can make

it better.I’m old, therefore I have a lot to share and

contribute.

What can I get from this?Learn about my community.Identify and verify gaps/needs our

organizations can address.Better mobilize resources and coordinate

services through developing new relationships.

Sharing information/knowledge.Discovering new models/solutions.Leverage new funding sources.

The savvy leader (s) …Knows what motivates people to participate

and makes it easy, fun, social, convenient, to be involved

Mediates conflicting interests because he/she understands both sides of a question

Merges non-overlapping interests by seeing the common ground

The savvy leader(s)…Sees potential alliances others don’t see Knows the stakeholders and how to bring

them in…Or knows who knowsUses face-to-face, personal contact

Who knows

about the issue?

Who cares about it?

Who can do something about it?

Stakeholders

Community

Change

With this knowledge…

you can get people to the table.

Now how do you keep them there?

Sustaining these relationships is a major challenge in

community change efforts.

Sustaining relationships…Among task force membersWith the mediaWith elders in the communityWith other stakeholders who will play a role

in the change efforts

Sustaining relationships…Face to face interaction: asking for

involvementCommunication Communication

CommunicationWork to do – action steps to take

Sustaining relationships…Framing issues so they are personally

relevant A learning community atmosphereA culture of inclusiveness (a role for

everyone)Contention as an opportunity for learning

Creatively aligning resources and solutions…Use of social capitalGetting others to “pay your bills”Appropriately scaled, culturally relevant

solutionsChange as a resource, an opportunityKeeping your pulse on the communityRelationships Relationships

Relationships

“Community is the smallest unit of health.”

Wendell BerryHealth is MembershipAnother Turn of the Crank

Contact info: Philip B. Stafford, Ph.D.Center on Aging and Community, Indiana

Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University

2853 East Tenth Bloomington, IN 47408812-855-2163 staffor@indiana.eduwww.agingindiana.org

Contact Info: Mia R. OberlinkSenior Research AssociateCenter for Home Care Policy and ResearchVisiting Nurse Service of New York1250 Broadway, 20th Fl. New York, N.Y. 10001Phone: 212-609-1537Email: mia.oberlink@vnsny.orgwww.vnsny.org/researchwww.advantageinitiative.org