Trafford one day session slide show

HELPING LOCAL PEOPLE DOEXTRAORDINARY THINGS.

James Hampson

Connecting Communities

Co-ordinator

Forever Manchester and Trafford PartnershipAsset Based Community Development and Community

Builder Training

Overview of the Session

• Introductions• Locality Working Principle and Why We’re Here• Forever Manchester and Community Building• Needs Assessment and The Deficit Model• What is ABCD• The We Can Game• The Role of Service Providers in ABCD• Co-Production• ABCD Methodology• LUNCH

Overview of the Session

• Community Building Tools• Asset Mapping• Appreciative Inquiry• Learning Conversations and Bumping

Spaces• Connecting and Connectors Clubs• Community Led Initiatives• Stories• Questions and Evaluation

Ground Rules

• Have Fun• Keep an Open Mind• Be Positive but don’t be afraid to challenge• Get to know each other• Laugh • Don’t be afraid to ask questions and share your

thoughts if you have them• Tweeters!!

• @4EverManchester• @TPAction• #BeBoldTrafford

Introductions

• Write down 1 thing you could teach and 1 thing you would like to learn

• Stick them under the headings at the back of the room

• Tell us who you are and something that you are good at

• What brings you to the session• Each table to agree a spokesperson/spokespersons• Spokesperson feedback any interesting findings

– Does anyone have any skills in common?– Any interesting skills/interests?– What types of things bring people here?

Locality WorkingPrinciples of Locality Working are set out in the refreshed Community Strategy:• See residents, communities, businesses and organisations as equal

partners

• Bring people together to achieve things we cannot do alone

• Share power with local people, and add value to their local activity• Align strategic priorities with local communities to deliver joint

action

• Provide the tools and support to local people to take action

• Share information, skills and resources and collaborate with partners and people

• Be creative, dynamic, supportive and challenging in order to achieve our shared ambitions

Forever Manchester• Community Foundation for Greater Manchester• Been active for 25 Years• Raise and distribute funds to communities of

Greater Manchester• 2011 We discovered a different way of working• Developed the UK’s first dedicated ABCD

Community Building Team• Now apply the ethos of ABCD to all aspects of our

business including grant making• We work with Communities to help them do

“Extraordinary things together”

Our Traditional Grant Making Approach

Deficiency

Dependency

Needs

Bureaucratic

Panel Driven

Restricted

Competitive

Tell us what’s wrong not what’s strong in your community….

Find It, Fund it & Fix it….

Classic Needs Map

Racial tension/hate crimes High crime rates. Significant fear among older people

High levels of ADHD

Smoking relatedHeart diseaseRespiratory difficulties

Obesity across The life course

High levels of drug and Alcohol use.

High unemployment Poor educational attainment

Poor housing/environmental issues

High morbidity

Anti socialbehaviour

Gender inequality

Classic Needs Map


High levels of Debt






High morbidity


Gender inequality

Thoughts?

• Would you want to live in this area?

• Is the needs assessment a true picture?

• What problems do you think can be caused by looking at a community via its deficiencies?

• What are the problems for providers?

• What are the problems for residents?

• How would where you live stand up to this scrutiny?

Problems with this approach?

The consultation on the joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria concluded that “improving self-worth is at the heart of issues related to healthy lifestyles. If people value themselves, then other behaviours like healthy eating and giving up smoking will follow. Whilst many communities recognise that their health is worse than the average, reinforcing these negative images could have a negative impact on people’s self-worth.”

• Apathy• “Its not for me”• Suspicion• Communities become passive recipients of services• Isolation• Creates Competition for funding• “Ugly Contest”

About Asset Based Community Development

• Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute was founded in 1995 after 3 decades of community development research

• Formalised by Professor John McKnight and Professor Jodi Kretzman at Northwestern University, Chicago

“When people have been mapped by their deficiencies, it is often difficult to pinpoint what they care about enough to act upon” Kretzmann and McKnight, 1993

Asset Based Community Development

ABCD is a different way of thinking about how to work for change – starting from a place of possibilities, strengths and capacities as opposed to problems and deficiencies.

ABCD operates on the assumption that people, regardless of their behaviour, their families and their communities have valid and valuable resources for their own empowerment.

It also assumes that people have internal motivations to act which can release these resources for the good of themselves and their wider community.

Asset Based Community Development

The asset approach values the capacity, skills, knowledge, connections and potential in a community…the more familiar ‘deficit’ approach focuses on the problems, needs and deficiencies in a community. It designs services to fill the gaps and fix the problems.

As a result, a community can feel disempowered and dependent; people can become passive recipients of expensive services rather than active agents in their own and their families’ lives.”

Improvement and Development Agency, www.idea.gov.uk

About Asset Based Community Development?

• It should be noted that ABCD does not say that there isn’t a need for services or professional interventions but that these should first seek to identify what the individual and the community can do for themselves and together

• More on this later!


• This is not ‘Big Society’, or a call for more volunteering; it is a set of approaches that starts with the positive as a basis for developing innovative and sustainable solutions

• It’s not an approach that just looks on the bright side, but instead uses knowledge of ‘assets’ to make new connections and enhance social capital

• A strength-based approach focuses on what works and how to generate more of it, rather than focussing on the deficits and problems


• Strength-based approaches focus on developing the capacities of individuals and communities and connecting them in new ways

• It supports and celebrates the contribution of those who are vulnerable and marginalised, whilst developing the capacity of the community to become more hospitable and inclusive

A shopping list

Needs to Strengths

Transaction Why not also have a model that…Transforms

Focus on Deficiencies Focus on Assets

Problem Response Identify Opportunities

Charity Orientation Investment Orientation

Grants to Agencies Grants, Loans, Investments, Leverage

More Services Fewer Services

High Emphasis on Agencies Emphasis on Associations

Focus on Individuals Focus on communities/neighbourhoods

Maintenance Development

See People as Clients See People as Citizens andCo-producers

‘Fix People’ Develop Potential

Programmes are the Answer People are the Answer

Classic Needs Map


High levels of Debt






High morbidity


Gender inequality

Neighbourhood Asset Map

Physical Space

Local Economy

StoriesInstitutions

Associations

Individuals

My Community

InstitutionsSchools

Universities Community CollegesPolice Departments

HospitalsLibraries

Social Service AgenciesNot for Profits

MuseumsFire Brigades

MediaFoundations

IndividualsGifts, Skills, Knowledge,

and traits of:Youth

Older AdultsArtists

Welfare RecipientsPeople with disabilities

StudentsParents

EntrepreneursActivistsVeterans

Ex-offenders

Local EconomyFor-profit business

Consumer ExpenditureMerchants

Chamber of CommerceBusiness Associations

BanksCredit UnionsFoundations

Institutional - purchasing power and personnel Barter and Exchange

Micro-BusinessCorporations and Branches

Physical SpaceGardens

ParksPlaygroundsBike Paths

Walking PathsForest/forest Preserves

Picnic AreasCampsites

Fishing SpotsDuck Ponds

ZoosWildlife Centre

Natural HabitatsHousing

Vacant Land & BuildingsStreets

Associations

Animal Care Groups

Anti-Crime Groups

Business Organisations

Charitable Groups

Cultural groups

Disability Groups

Education Groups Elderly Groups Environmental Groups Family Support Groups Health Advocacy Heritage Groups Hobby Groups

Interest Groups

Men’s Groups

Mentoring Groups

Neighbourhood Groups

Political Organisations

Recreation Groups

Religious Groups

Service Clubs

Social Groups

Women’s Groups

Youth Groups

Stories From Manchester

Alt Community Challenge Team

Lostock Men’s Shed

Cool 2 B Kind

Great Lever Idea Works

Lostock Allotment

The ALTernative News

Cash 4 Graft

From Needs to Strengths

We Can Game

Credit - Cormac Russell of Nurture Development and Inclusion Press

The We Can Game

• The 100 Capacities are based on the work of Jodi Kretzman and John McKnight of the ABCD Institute

• The game can be used to get people thinking differently about their capacities/assets

• Can begin the process of asset mapping individuals

• It can start to identify people to invite in to our Community Building efforts

What are Assets?

There are 5 key Assets in every community…1)Individuals2)Associations3)Institutions4)Physical Assets5)Connections

What are Assets?

1)Individuals• At the centre of ABCD are residents of the

community that have gifts and skills.

• Everyone has assets and gifts.

• Individual gifts and assets need to be recognized and identified.

What are Assets?

2) Associations• Small formal and informal groups of

people

• Clubs working with a common interest as volunteers are called associations in ABCD and are critical to community mobilization

• They are coming together around a common interest by their individual choice

What are Assets?

3) Institutions• Paid groups of people who generally are

professionals who are structurally organized are called institutions.

• They include government agencies and private business, as well as schools, etc.

• The assets of these institutions help the community capture valuable resources and establish a sense of civic responsibility.

What are Assets?

4) Physical Assets• Physical assets such as land, buildings,

space, and funds are other assets that can be used

• How a space is viewed can sometimes determine its worth as an Asset e.g. Waste ground

What are Assets?

5) Connections• Assets become stronger when they are

connected together

• Connections between people based on strengths build healthy relationships

The Role of Service Providers

“A growing body of evidence shows that when practitioners begin with a focus on what communities have (their assets) as opposed to what they don’t have (their needs) a community’s efficacy in addressing its own needs increases, as does its capacity to lever in external support.” Improvement and Development Agency, www.idea.gov.uk

A Recap from Earlier

• It should be noted that ABCD does not say that there isn’t a need for services or professional interventions but that these should first seek to identify what the individual and the community can do for themselves and together.


• Services should seek to support individuals and communities to display their assets

• They should be ready to offer the assets of the service as and when they are needed to co-produce a service user experience which utilises the skills, gifts and passions of all involved for mutual benefit

• In community development you cannot do anything with people’s needs, only their assets

• Deficits or needs are only useful to institutions


“We can’t do well serving communities… if we believe that we, the givers, are the only ones that are half-full, and that everybody we’re serving is half-empty… there are assets and gifts out there in communities, and our job as good servants and as good leaders is having the ability to recognise those gifts in others, and help them put those gifts into action”

First Lady Michelle Obama

Your Organisation• What does your organisation/service do well?• What could it allow the community to do for

themselves?• What could your service do with the help of the

community?• What are its assets to the community that they may

not have themselves?• Does it own any physical assets?• What skills/gifts and talents of staff could be utilised?

Professional and private

The Assets of Service Providers

• Catalyst• Organisational Structure• Finances• Staff time• Infrastructure• Buildings• Systems• Resources

No

Mo

re T

hro

w A

way

Peo

ple

http://www.pfgdoncaster.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Picture-1.png

ABCD Methodology

Discovering Strengths

Organising & Mapping

Linking & Mobilising

Community led Initiatives

Sustaining the Process

Lunch

Share Your Stories

• Share a story that you think shows a time ABCD principles have been used whether you realised it at the time or not?

• It can be from home or work

Jackson Street Party



The focus of this stage of the methodology is focused on answering these 4 questions

• What Assets/Capacities exist in the neighbourhood?

• What can community residents do by themselves?

• What can community residents do with help from service providers?

• What can only be done by service providers?

Asset Mapping

Asset Mapping allows us to build up a picture of what is available to use and mobilise and so we can begin to

make connections. We can map:

• Institutions• Physical Assets

• Associations

Asset Mapping

• This exercise is especially effective with small groups of residents

• Residents will usually know of much more going on than any workers

• Asset Mapping is a good engagement tool

• An Asset Map can be useful in inspiring community action and involvement

• Informal groups who regularly meet are worth adding and connecting

• Make sure that the map is visible and accessible by the community

• Always review and add to the map

Trafford Information Service

Trafford Partnership Asset Map

What Are Your Gifts?

Assets of the Head

• Take 3 Post–It Notes• Write your name on each note• Write down 3 Gifts of the Head, one on

each note – Things I know something about and

would enjoy talking about with others

Assets of the Heart

• Take 3 more Post–It Notes• Write your name on each note• Write down 3 Gifts of the Heart, one on

each note - Things I am passionate about, things

that make me take action

Assets of the Hands

• Take 3 more Post–It Notes• Write your name on each note• Write down 3 Gifts of the Hands, one on

each note– Things or skills I know how to do and

could potentially share with others

Head, Heart, Hands

• This is a good exercise to do with groups• Can start a conversation about ideas• Start connections around mutual gifts• Creates Conversation• Fun way to discover individuals community

assets• Can be used to make connections between

people (more on this later)

The Power of Two

• If one person spent one day having a conversation to two people about what they could create (1+2)

• If the next day, those two people each had a conversation with two different people (1+2+2+2)

• And so forth• Then in 10 days, 2047 people would be having a

conversation• In 15 days, 65,536 people would be in conversation• In 20 days, 2 million people would be in conversation

Asset Based Community Development Institute

Appreciative Inquiry

• Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a model for analysis, decision-making and the creation of strategic change

• Appreciative Inquiry advocates collective inquiry into the best of what is, in order to imagine what could be, followed by collective design of a desired future state

• Appreciative Inquiry Initiates change via positive questioning to illicit positive responses and solutions




• What type of questions might we ask when using Appreciative Inquiry?

• Where and when would we ask these questions?

• Who would we ask these questions?


• Tell me about a time when your community came together and did something good?

• What are you good at? • What do you enjoy doing?• What would you like to see happening

where you live? • How could you contribute to its success?

Learning Conversations• Conversations building on the principles of

Asset Mapping and Appreciative Inquiry

• Designed to learn about the person as a whole

• Build a picture of a communities past and present

• Identify and analyse a communities past successes and uses this shared history as a starting point for change

Learning Conversations

• Start a 2 way communication – both engaged are learning about each other

• Different/new line of questioning…positive

• Shift the focus of responsibility – “What can we do for you” to “What can we do together”

Bumping Spaces

• Meet and talk to people in spaces they naturally meet (Bumping Spaces)

• Start a different conversation about themselves and community life

• Map the assets instead of identifying the needs

• Shift the conversation from what’s wrong to what’s strong

• Utilise Appreciative Inquiry techniques• Engaged with 3000+ residents• Identified and utilised 1000’s assets• Found that 70% of people not involved

in traditional community structures

Bumping Spaces

• Active community engagement• Promotes events and activities• Starts conversation• Increases participation• Builds relationships• Engage with individuals not

involved in traditional structures

Asset Role Call in LostockI just wanted to share some of the amazing gifts of the people of Lostock that we have alreadydiscovered. It is a long and interesting list and doesn’t include everything, remember this list has beengathered in just under 4 Months, so here goes we’ve got:

Gardeners, Cleaners, Bee Keepers, Bakers, Skaters, Jewelers Makers, Carpenters, Builders,Knitters, Radio Entrepreneurs, Fishermen, Chefs, Teachers, Card Makers, Jam Makers, WineMakers, Recyclers, Quiz Masters, Veg Growers, Plumbers, Zumba Instructors, Shop Keepers,Party Organisers, Bike Riders, Child Minders, Computer Wizards, Cartoonists, Graffiti Artists,Dancers, Actors, Talkers, Dog Walkers, Spiritual Leaders, Healthy Eaters, Readers, Roofers,Hairdressers, Make Up Artists, Singers, Comedians, DJs, Support Workers, Carers, BMXers,Footballers, Campers, Out Doors Explorers, Mountain Climbers, Hikers and Bikers…..

What happens next with this information is up to the Residents to decide, the list is growingevery day and people are beginning to gather around ideas which utilise the skills they havethat they can share with other people in engaging, practical and imaginative ways. Thepossibilities seem endless as does the list of assets waiting to be found.

James Hampson - Asset Based Community Builder

Community Asset Questionnaire

• Designed to record Learning Conversations• Use to start and record new, positive

conversations in the community• Honed and perfected wording over

thousands of uses• Can record baseline information• The ordering of the questions is important• Is a tool designed to capture some

information that is useful• Context and tone are difficult to capture

Activity

• Move around the room • Introduce yourself to someone you don’t

know• Find out about them using the

questionnaire• Ask any other questions you think would

be helpful to your inquiry

Organising and Mapping

Organising and Mapping

• Information needs to be quickly and easily available

• Complementary Assets need to be linked easily• Organised in a way that works for you and the

community• A variety of questions can be answered

“Where?” “Who?”• Begins to make assets visible• Easily shared and built upon• A “Living” document• Can be used for monitoring and evaluation

purposes

What can we use?

• Google Maps• Y-Ed• Salesforce• In House Systems• Spreadsheet• Drop Box• Social Media• Paper Maps

Linking and Mobilising

Connecting• Connecting Community Assets is the key to ABCD• Quite simply it is the building of relationships

between different members of the community for shared benefits

• Relationships are built on shared and compatible strengths

• Connections should be made between all members and organisations in the community

• Ideas and Community Projects are perfect arenas for people to build connections

May 2012

February 2014

Connect the room

Creating Space

• Refers to creating a space where people can discuss ideas and share skills

• Success relies on the skill of the “Host”• Introductions can be made around shared

interests/skills/goals• Questions are asked to allow people to

explore their own solutions• Space can be created in many ways and

places• “Why have a meeting when you can have

a party”

Connectors Clubs• Connectors are invaluable members of the community• Typically know 50+ people by name in the local area• Build relationships easily• Often work in the background• Naturals• Can be called “nosey”• Well liked

• Connectors club is a space for a number of Connectors to share their knowledge

• They can make new connections• Ideas are brought into the space and suggestions made• Living library of local assets

Community Led Initiatives

Be Bold, Be the Difference

Small Awards• Small grants • Kick start community

activity• Motivating• Matched to community

time and skills• Unrestricted by need

for constitution• Award for good ideas

that bring people together

• Application encourages further community linking

Ideas Events

• A space created for community members to share Ideas

• Recruit and identify assets for new ideas• Make Connections and build relationships• Carry out Asset Mapping of individuals,

organisations and areas• Make Assets visible• Use Appreciative Enquiry

Sustaining the Process

Stories

• Community Stories can help to create a shared history and sense of belonging

• Stories can motivate and inspire others• Tell of a time when people came

together and achieved something extraordinary

• Sharing success continues and builds community momentum

Our M32 Breakfast Club

Stretford Summer Breakfast ClubMore than 3,000 breakfasts served

Lostock Orchard

Lostock Orchard

Lostock Orchard

Lostock Orchard

Lostock Orchard

Lostock Orchard

Locality WorkingPrinciples of Locality Working are set out in the refreshed Community Strategy:

• See residents, communities, businesses and organisations as equal partners– ABCD

• Bring people together to achieve things we cannot do alone– ABCD, Community Building, Appreciative Inquiry

• Share power with local people, and add value to their local activity– ABCD, Appreciative Inquiry

• Align strategic priorities with local communities to deliver joint action– Appreciative Inquiry

• Provide the tools and support to local people to take action– Community Building

• Share information, skills and resources and collaborate with partners and people– Community Building, Connecting, ABCD, Appreciative Inquiry

• Be creative, dynamic, supportive and challenging in order to achieve our shared ambitions.– All You!!!

Questions, Thoughts and Evaluation