Asset Based Community Development Graeme Stuart Dee Brooks

1. Asset BasedCommunity Development • Graeme Stuart Dee Brooks

2. Assumptions About Workshop • We are all teachers and learners • It’s about choices • We all deserve respect • We learn by being involved and having fun

3. Introductions • My name • A little bit about me • Why I’m doing the workshop

4. What is ABCD? Asset Based Community Development: • Focuses on community assets and strengths rather than problems and needs • Identifies and mobilises community and individual assets, skills and passions • Is built on community leadership • Builds relationships

5. Gifts I can give my community • Gifts of the Head (Things I know something about and would enjoy talking about with others, e.g., art, history, movies, birds). • Gifts of the Hand(Things or skills I know how to do and would like to share with others, e.g., carpentry, sports, cooking). • Gifts of the Heart(Things I care deeply about, e.g., protection of the environment, civic life, children).

6. Asset Based Community Development provides key principles and practical tools to assist communities to help themselves and others discover and mobilise community strengths.

7. Communities have deficiencies and needs Communities and its citizens Have capacities and assets

8. External organisations Control Funds & Services Delinquency Gangs Crime High Unemployment Graffiti Truancy Housing Commission Unsafe Communities Domestic Violence Tacky Neglect Welfare Recipients Dysfunctional Child Abuse Unhealthy Family Individual Druggos Homeless Unemployed Illiterate Alcoholic Needy Mental disabled Unskilled Dole- Bludgers NEEDS MAPThe Half Empty Glass

9. Consequences of the Needs Map for Community Members • “We are deficient” • Our local relationships are damaged • Most money comes into our community for programs -often narrowly defined • Money gets directed towards professional helpers, not community members • We place focus on leaders which magnifies deficiencies • We reward failure and foster dependency on systems • Our community has a poor self-image • We experience hopelessness (Kretzmann & KcKnight 2007)

10. Local Institutions Neighbourhood Centres Child Care Centres Non-Profit Community Groups Schools Banks Churches Cultural Groups Youth Shops Artists Elderly Mentors & Significant Adults Gifts of Individuals Groups & Associations Medical Centres Carers TAFE Children Labelled Individuals Leaders Sports Clubs Libraries Parks Parent groups Hospitals Extended “Families” Businesses Local Council Community Health Centres ASSETS MAPThe Half Full Story

11. We Can Ask Questions in Two WaysBased on Appreciative Inquiry What is wrong with our community? What problems can we fix? What are the needs of our community? What is broken? OR What are the strengths and assets of our community? Share a time when you felt our community was at its best? What do you value most about our community? What is the essence of our community that makes it unique and strong?

12. Six Types of Assets to Connect:

13. Talents, skills and passions of individuals

14. Community groups and networks (Associations)

15. Government and non-government agencies (Institutions)

16. Physical assets (land, property, buildings, equipment)

17. Economic Assets (productive work of individuals, consumer spending power, local business assets)

18. Stories, heritage, local identity and values

19. Drivers • Hope • Care • Relationships

20. Talents, skills and passions of individuals Gifts, talents, dreams, and hopes • What do you like to do? • What would you like to learn? • What would you like to teach? • What would other people who know you say you were good at doing ?

21. A Simple Asset Map - Maitland CommunityAdapted from Maitland Defence Families Support Group Individuals Spouses Defence members Students Workers Children Youth Gifts, Skills, Older Adults Artists People with Disabilities Parents Entrepreneurs Activists Veterans Physical Space Community buildings Church halls Parks Playgrounds Skate Parks Dog Exercise Areas Cycleways Maitland Park Walka Water Works Maitland aquatic centre East Maitland Aquatic Centre Golf course Gardens Parks Playgrounds Parking Lots Bike Paths Walking Paths Forests/Forest Preserves Picnic Areas Campsites Fishing Spots Local Economy Green Hills shopping centre Banks Supermarkets Charities Maitland Mall Hunter Valley Vineyards Shark and Ray centre Community grants Family support Project Funding For-Profit Businesses Chamber of Commerce Business Associations Personal spending power Associations Sporting teams (Rugby, Cricket, soccer, etc) Little athletic Centres. AUSKICK Bowling Clubs Craft groups Political Organizations Recreation Groups Religious Groups Service Clubs Social Groups Union Groups Veteran’s Groups Men’s Groups Mentoring Groups Animal Care Groups Anti Crime Groups Business Organizations Charitable Groups Cultural Groups Education Groups Elderly Groups Environmental Groups Family Support Groups Fitness Groups Women’s Groups Youth Groups Heritage Groups Hobby and Collectors Groups Institutions Defence Community Organisation Local schools (Ashtonfield, East Maitland, Thornton) University of Newcastle RSL Clubs Maitland City Libraries Maitland Art Gallery PCYC Maitland Council Universities Police & Fire Departments Hospitals Social Service Agencies

22. Mapping exercise

23. Six Types of Assets to Connect: • Talents, skills and passions of individuals • Community groups and networks (Associations) • Government and non-government agencies (Institutions) • Physical assets (land, property, buildings, equipment) • Economic Assets (productive work of individuals, consumer spending power, local business assets) • Stories, heritage, local identity and values

24. Three key steps to asset mapping • Discover the assets • Join the assets together • Create opportunities for these assets to be productive and powerful together

25. What is ABCD? Asset Based Community Development: • Focuses on community assets and strengths rather than problems and needs • Identifies and mobilises community and individual assets, skills and passions • Is built on community leadership • Builds relationships

26. Authority versus Leadership

27. Community leaders e.g., Connector leaders e.g., Mentors Leadership Skills e.g. Expert e.g. Gate keeper Community Connection

28. Learning conversationsDiscovering care

29. Discovering Care = Motivation to act Through learning conversations you can hear: Concerns – What I don’t want to happen Dreams – What I want to create Skills & Abilities – What I have to give

30. 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 ten days, 2047 people would be having a conversation • In 15 days, 65,535 people would be in conversation • In 20 days, 2 million people would be in a conversation

31. Top Down Mobilise assets Discover what people care about, how they see the situation and what they want to offer Start with a learning conversation Start with an answer Recruit people to implement the answer Look for answers to the additional problem of "lack of motivation" Bottom Up

32. Answer Need Services Consumer “Programs are the answer” Question Want/care to act Mobilise assets Community Members “People are the answer” Two Paths – Two Solutions

33. Importance of Leadership & its Development "Given the task of rejuvenating a region and the choice of $50 million, or $2 million and 20 committed local leaders, we would choose the smaller amount of money and the committed leaders". (McKinsey and Company (1994) Lead Local Compete Global: Unlocking the Growth of Australia’s Regions)

34. Appreciative Inquiry

35. Appreciative Inquiry FocusDoing more of what works Problem Solving Focus Doing less of something we do not do well

36. Affirmative Topic Choice • Human systems move in the direction of what we deeply and persistently ask questions about • Transformational topics are possible in any situation, and will generate more positive change - every time • The skill of framing and re-framing

37. What’s the biggest problem here? Why don’t people get involved? Why do we blow it so often? Why do we still have those problems? What possibilities exist that we have not yet considered? What’s the smallest change that could make the biggest impact? What solutions would have us both win? What has worked in the past? The art of the questions What makes questions inspiring, energising, and mobilising?

38. Appreciative Inquiry – 4D Cycle • DISCOVER – Let’s share occasions when we were at our best • DREAM – What is our preferred future? • DESIGN – What do we need in place to make our dream a reality? • DELIVER – Let’s work on goals, strategies and projects

40. The power of AI Stories • Stories stick like glue • Makes information easier to remember • Builds identities and fosters relationships • Medium for conveying values, visions • Helps other possibilities emerge

41. Appreciative Inquiry • Appreciates what you have • Imagines what can be • Creates what will be

42. For further information contact: Dee Brooks Community Worker & Facilitator Family Action Centre Dee.Brooks@newcastle.edu.au W: (02) 4921 6845 Graeme Stuart Facilitator & Lecturer Family Action Centre Graeme.Stuart@newcastle.edu.au W: (02) 4921 7241 www.newcastle.edu.au/research-centre/fac/