MAPPING COMMUNITY ASSETS

&BUILDING

PARTNERSHIPS

More minds, diverse ideas to tackle issues

Increase the impact

New leadership or expertise

Increase resources

Broaden the scope

More advocates for your cause

WHY DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS?

Weak partners

Compromise

Less control

Inequality of power

Individual organizations may not get credit

Contributions vary

Time and resources to develop and maintain

DRAWBACKS/CHALLENGES

Community work…

It’s all about relationships!

KEY PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES:

FIRST…People and organizations are motivated by their self-

interest. Find and appeal to your common self-interests, and fi nd your common interest.

SECOND…Partnership-building is a dynamic process that requires

continuous attention and eff ort.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS

THIRD…Like with all relationships, it’s important that at an

early stage of development, partners learn to deal with confl ict.

FOURTH…Use what resources and time are available, and

adapt. Tap into existing resources – start building relationships; be friendly with groups that have similar goals; cooperate, coordinate or collaborate where it makes sense.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS

TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS

Cooperation

Coordination

Collaboration

Shorter-term, informal relationships

Longer-term effort around specific project or task

Long-term, more complex and formalized relationships

Shared information only

Some joint planning and division of roles

New structure with commitment to common goals

Separate goals, resources, structures

Some shared resources, rewards, and risks

Pooled resources, shared rewards, leadership, risks

Relationships

Roles

Resources

Ris

k and R

ew

ard

s

Transactional to Transformational

Low intensity to High intensity

1. Assess: Identify needs and assets

2. Prepare: Begin building relationships

3. Frame issues: Establish terms

4. Make decisions: Create a plan, manage confl ict

5. Implement decisions: Carry out plan, monitor

6. Maintain relationships: Evaluate, adapt to changes

STAGES OF PARTNERSHIPS

Complementary to needs-based approach

Start with the strengths and resources that exist, not what is absent

Creative solutions to complex problems

Opens up new ways to address key issues: new patterns, new ideas, new energy, new relationships

Empowering: sees people/communities as citizens and producers, not just clients and consumers

Relationship-driven

ASSESSING & PREPARING:AN ASSET-BASED APPROACH

ASSET-MAPPING

Each group has a card with a community issue or need

Individually list 10 assets within a 4-block (1-mile) radius of your home that could help address the issue or need

In your group, share your ideas and debrief: What were some of your common themes? What were some of the more creative matches made

between the community need and assets? How might this approach be applicable to your VISTA

service?

ASSET-MAPPING ACTIVITY

Document the assets (strengths) in your community

Strategize how best to use resources/understand community

Starting point for building partnerships

Helps break down silos and build positive community

Dynamic: continue to update as community/resources change

Format can be creative

ASSET MAPPING: A PLACE TO START

Collect info on weaknesses and challenges facing community

Helps determine needs for new/expanded services

Can help with accessing funding resources

Increase community understanding of problems

NEEDS MAPPING

BUT… Ignores capacities and strengths

Sees outside experts as only resources for help

Problems have to be seen as increasing in order to get funding

Community believes it is deficient

Targets isolated clients, not energies of entire community

NEEDS MAPPING

Collect info on capacities, skills, strengths of individuals and groups

Might include: Individual assets Institutional assets Physical space Neighborhood economy Informal associations Relationships and networks Stories/history of a community Programs/services

Keep in mind: Complement, not supplant existing strategies

ASSET MAPPING: WHAT TO INCLUDE

ASSETS VS NEEDS MAP

Needs Map

Assets Map

How will you define your “community” that you are asset-mapping? Specific population, geographic boundaries,

faith/ethnic/racial community, etc

Who will help you in this process? Start with your supervisor!

What type of info will you gather and from whom?

What info do you already have?

What resources and partnerships already exist? Start with your VISTA site! Get to know your own organization and already existing

partnerships, associations, networks, and any already existing asset maps

BEFORE YOU MAP

What is the scope and your goal for mapping?

What are your organization’s/program’s goals and objectives, assets/gaps? How will partnership enhance your goals?

What is your process? How will you go about conducting your community asset research?

How will you document your research? What are you going to do with the information you collect? Community resource guide, searchable database, identify

partners for a specifi c project/task, etc

BEFORE YOU MAP (CONT.)

Tools: Visual map Community/school/neighborhood tour Newspaper investigation Photography Google maps Others

Include: People Programs/services Community resources

DOCUMENTATION

Who is at the organization(s) or in the community? (that is relevant to your project)

What do they do?

When and to whom are they available?

How do they communicate with parents, community, stakeholders? How can you best contact them?

What strengths could they potentially bring?

How might they align with your organization/program/project?

DOCUMENTATION: PEOPLE

What are existing programs and services available in the community (relevant to your project)?

Who do the programs serve?

What services do they provide?

How eff ective are they at addressing needs?

How might they align with your organization/program/project?

DOCUMENTATION: PROGRAMS/SERVICES

Who else is in the community (companies, informal associations, etc)? (relevant to your project)

What do they do? Who do they serve?

Do they have existing partnerships or relationships with your organization?

What resources or strengths do they have relevant to your project? (volunteers, space, services, money, in-kind donations)

How might they align with your organization/program/project?

DOCUMENTATION: COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Identify strategies to approach your potential partners

Negotiate a framework for decision-making and terms of agreement for each partnership Roles and responsibilities Structure/management Credit Publicity/marketing Planning and info-sharing Evaluation

If necessary, formalize with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Letter of Agreement (LOA)

NEXT STEP: DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS

Contact

QUESTIONS?Meghan Paul-Cook

mpaulcook@mnliteracy.org651-251-9069