University of Kansas Community Toolbox http://ctb.ku.edu
Summary:
This community change model can be used for a wide range of community-based initiatives. It features six "broad competencies" that programs can use to organize their activities and capacities to achieve lasting community change. Competencies include: Understanding Community Context; Collaborative Planning; Developing Leadership and Enhancing Participation; Community Action and Intervention; Evaluating Community Initiatives; Promoting and Sustaining the Initiative
Leadership for Change:
('Developing Leadership and Enhancing Participation') Leadership is the key to building relationships and cultivating support for program implementation and sustainability. Topics on leadership include developing vision, different leadership styles, and specific leadership skills.
Strategic Planning:
('Understanding Community Context' and 'Collaborative Planning') Strategic planning includes developing an action plan based on vision and mission or developing a plan to create organizational structure through hiring and training staff or recruiting and training volunteers.
Partnerships/Collaboration:
A diverse set of partners will strengthen a program's efforts at sustainability. Leadership is key in building relationships, creating support, and using social marketing to promote interest and support. This model values coordination, collaborative agreements, and multi-sector collaborations.
Capacity Building:
('Community Action and Intervention'). A key step, especially in schools, is the training of all staff, including administrators, to model and reinforce skills for students. Ongoing professional development and reinforcement of the original training are very useful.
Communications/Marketing:
This approach emphasizes social marketing, working with the media, making community presentations, and practicing principles of persuasion. This approach highlights the principles of advocacy, advocacy research, direct action campaigns, and media advocacy.
Public Policy:
This approach presents comprehensive information on when, why, and how to conduct work aimed at establishing or changing policy. It includes concrete suggestions about how to identify the target audience, understand their needs and concerns, and develop your message and take action to implement or change policy.
Evaluation:
('Evaluating Community Initiatives'). The first step of needs assessment allows a program to understand and describe the community, develop a plan for identifying local needs and resources, and analyze the problem. Steps to effective evaluation include developing a plan for evaluation, choosing methods of evaluation, and using evaluation to understand and inform an initiative.
Financing:
('Promoting and Sustaining the Initiative'). Generating, managing and sustaining financial resources entails planning for sustainability, writing grants, establishing a micro-grant program for your community.
