In last month's Community Partners eNews, the Community Systems Development Toolkit from the BUILD Initiative was introduced as one of the resources to support the hands-on implementation of collaborative systems work at the local level. This month, let's take a closer look at the Community Systems Development Toolkit.
The Community Systems Development Toolkit provides resource tools that cover the full spectrum of community systems and coordination work. Tailored to the needs of community-based collaboration and organized in systems change theory, the toolkit is designed to provide accessible, comprehensive resources supporting the changing stages and needs of communities engaged in collaborative work. Tools include
- Forms,
- Examples of community level strategies,
- Questions,
- Guidance,
- Samples,
- Processes and
- Articles.
The bulk of the Toolkit is the resource tools, which are divided into four sections. These sections recognize the idea that communities may be at very different places in the process.
The design of the Toolkit is a useful piece to highlight, as it is grounded in systems change theory. It follows the typical arc of collaboration building, with the goal of being intuitive for the user to find resources.
The Toolkit is anticipatory in nature and resource tools will be included for the full spectrum of community systems and coordination work so the tools can meet the changing stages and needs of a community over the course of time. Additionally, although a community can move back and forth across content of the toolkit, it does follow a linear progression which can support collaborations in understanding and implementing collaboration and change theory.
Toolkit Highlights
Section 2: Assessment and Planning
For community collaboratives, the process of developing a joint vision involves looking beyond the existing service system to develop a more comprehensive picture of what it would mean to create a happy, healthy community for families and children.
Implementing such a vision requires ongoing discussions where individuals feel free to express their ideas and dreams until there is some consensus about which direction the collaboration wants to head. With assessment and planning participants build upon their common purpose and use this vision and purpose as a framework from which all specific tasks, decisions and projects evolve.
Included within Section 2 are templates, checklists, and guides to support a group's effort to accurately assess their community. When might an assessment be necessary?
- Your group is just starting out and needs consensus;
- There is doubt as to what the most important needs are;
- Group members disagree on what the most important needs are ; or
- You need to convince outside funders or supporters that you are addressing the most important community problems.
Tips for conducting a community needs assessment:
- Consider using a team approach to the assessment. Since data and other information about local resources will most likely come from a variety of sources, it may be helpful to bring key experts (both within and outside city/county government), data suppliers and other knowledgeable partners together to work on the assessment as a group, rather than requiring one person to track down all the information.
- Secure strategic buy-in. High-level leadership from a mayor or city/town council member can help secure buy-in from the agencies and partners needed to collect data and other important information for the assessment.
- Provide opportunities to reflect on the information gathered. Set aside time to discuss the results with other municipal leaders, staff from key city agencies, and stakeholders. Use these sessions to determine priorities, develop strategies, and build support for taking the next steps to address early childhood needs identified by the assessment.
Section 3: Working Together and Taking Action
Once participants agree on the collaboration's vision and goals, it is time to put the plan into practice, which involves working together on collaborative strategies.
At this point in community systems development work, participating organizations must develop mechanisms to facilitate ongoing collaboration with other organizations while distributing responsibilities equitably among partners. Collaborators commit to specific next steps, implement strong communication strategies, and seek community buy-in during implementation of the shared activities in the strategic plan, or work plan. This involves finding ways to share information, share resources, find sources of funding and support for collaborative activities, and involve the community in meaningful ways.
Within this section are resources on communication. These tools, strategies and examples ensure support for planning and implementation of communication across all levels of the collaboration and community. The communication includes both internal and external communication to engage the public in the work.
Communication has unique aspects that are often community specific; one must consider the existing mechanisms for successful, and not so successful, communication that exists within the community where this collaborative is functioning.
These questions may seem obvious but it is important to the ongoing success of the partnership to consider the following: why does communication typically occur in this community, what form does it take or how is the communication achieved, when does the community communicate (only in a dire situation? In response to funding or reporting requirements? School year only?) and among whom does the communication occur?
Furthermore, communication is impacted by the structure of the collaborative. A collaborative with paid staff should use more formal structures of ongoing communication, such as monthly or quarterly emails or newsletters, a website that is a communication vehicle or board and committee reports made available broadly to partners.
While any collaborative work is the opportunity to open up new mechanisms of communication, the leaders and participants must first begin with a real understanding of what modes of communication already exist in this community. Finding strengths within the existing communication structure, building upon these and using these to build a sense of trust and commitment to the collaboration are just the beginning of the uses for good communication.
The collaboration leaders and participants must also consider how they will keep the community informed about the collaboration. How will communication be used to ensure that the community has the right information about the collaborative work at the right time and knows how to act on their knowledge?
