Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© Philosophy

Asset-based Community Building or Asset-based Community Development is an effective way to animate, connect, and inform citizens, and to create an environment in which relationships can build. The asset focus can be a catalyst and a spark for the people to discover, access, and mobilize their unrecognized resources, and engages people who have not participated in the life of the community.

A model for Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© has been developed by CBR based on the work of Kretzmann and McKnight (1993), and the theory drawn from adult education, First Nations community liaison learning, and in partnership with a west Edmonton Community League. This way, or path, emphasizes the positive - community strengths and capacities - and stimulates the development of a connected, animated and activated community, increased business opportunities, and readily available local supports for community citizens.

The idea of Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© comes from the belief that everyone has a talent or gift to share with others and opportunities must be created where the interchange can happen. These special gifts are often untapped because people may not realize the talents they have are special, unique, and valuable to others, or they may never have been asked to share their gifts. Often people require a connection to start talking and sharing. Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© includes everyone; it encourages conversation and creates an environment where people can become acquainted, relationships can grow and people are interested and motivated to support each other. It does not mean searching for the "needy" and the community deficiencies; rather, it is connecting and talking with many citizens, providing a way for citizens to talk to each other, develop relationships, and share their gifts and capacities.

A pilot was conducted in partnership with the Glenwood neighbourhood in Edmonton, asking "What supports for health would you be willing to provide to citizens in your community on a volunteer or fee basis?" (Summer and Fall 1994). The number and wide range of community supports for health and the connections and partnerships that were discovered were far greater than expected. This neighbourhood group is now moving on to putting in place the many ideas that were generated from their Community Building. This pilot was used to develop a model/path for conducting further Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© projects using the Steps to Capacity Success©. We have shared this model/path and pilot project with other Edmonton and Alberta communities and groups (in Europe, Australia, U.S.A. and Canada).

The exciting outcomes of Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© using the Steps to Capacity Success© are: (see spiral)

Planning

• direct link for all to an informed, connected and animated community
• a mechanism for health and other systems to truly listen to the community citizen and for the community to actively participate in community planning

Action and Animation

• an informed community
• emergence of groups of citizens who can speak for, and to, their community
• the formation of meaningful relationships and networks within the community and also with other communities
• animation of citizens in the community

Connections & Resources

• identification of the assets and resources that community citizens, associations and businesses have to share with each other. Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© nurtures relationships between people, neighbourhood groups, and businesses. The groups may create a written account or story, a summary feedback loop, and an asset map at some point.

We have, and are engaged in Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© projects with small towns, neighbourhood groups, a children's services group, a group concerned with food security, businesses looking for resources for stress relief, a group concerned about recreational supports for youth, an alternative school looking for community connections for students, and other geographic communities. There is, presently, community follow up activity and action with many of these groups, eg.

• Neighbourhood Resource Centre and Resource Directory has been created in Oliver.
• A Resource Directory with history tidbits, and environmental and cooking tips have been created in Glenwood.
• A new Business and Citizen Neighbourhood Watch has started in Glenwood.
• Small Business Development is beginning in many of the towns and neighbourhoods.
• A walking trail.
• A resource centre in a local library.

A workshop has been developed to share the Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© model and how to begin by using the Steps to Capacity Success©. The workshop is now called "Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© - R.A.F.F. It Up - Making Community Building Happen". The workshop is open to any interested individuals, community groups and others. The workshop team travels to communities upon request.

Recently we took time to reflect with 15 of the communities who have used the Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping© model and the Steps to Capacity Success©. The reflections (Listen and Learn I & Listen and Learn II) were carried out in order to learn about the successes or failures of the steps and what made the successes happen. The communities said that the positive, open, and sharing environment created by the Community Capacity Building & Asset Mapping©, and the discovery and connections that it promoted, nurtured the development of relationships and friendships that resulted in many actions happening in their communities. The communities also said that the process of the Steps to Success© stimulated enthusiasm, commitment, passion, and energy. The summary of these reflections are available on our Web site or available through our office.

Phone, fax, e-mail or snail-mail us for further information or workshop dates.