COMMUNITY

A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.		  
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Community Change Initiatives
  
Private Org Public Agency  

CCI 7: Assessing and Sustaining Progress

 
The organization helps the initiative to assess its progress and advance the community’s long-term goals.

CCI 7.01

 

The organization helps the initiative to:

  1. establish ongoing mechanisms for communicating with community stakeholders;
  2. keep the community informed about the status of the initiative;
  3. share information about achievements and successes with the community and other relevant entities; and
  4. collect regular feedback from community stakeholders about the initiative and its progress.

CCI 7.02

 

The initiative establishes a process for periodically reevaluating the community plan that includes:

  1. an assessment of the degree to which community stakeholders have become engaged in the initiative;
  2. attention and response to any issues that arise or circumstances that change during the course of the initiative;
  3. evaluating progress towards goals;
  4. evaluating whether the priorities and goals included in the plan are still applicable and appropriate;
  5. making any adjustments or modifications needed to achieve goals; and
  6. expanding the plan to address additional community priorities, if applicable and appropriate.
Interpretation: The process of evaluating progress towards goals should be data-driven. For more information about collecting and analyzing data, and measuring progress, please see: (1) COA’s Performance and Quality Improvement Standards (PQI), and (2) Part 2 of the CCI Service Narrative: Program Outputs and Outcomes.
Research Note: Literature emphasizes that the plan for change may be more useful if it is adjusted based on what is learned as the initiative proceeds. As the initiative progresses and goals are achieved, it may also be appropriate to expand the plan to address additional community dimensions and priorities.
NA The organization only provides technical assistance to community change initiatives.

CCI 7.03

 
The organization helps the initiative develop, cultivate, and sustain current and future community leadership through training, mentoring, and experiential development opportunities.
Interpretation: Developing the capacity of community stakeholders is crucial to promoting the sustainability of both the initiative and the community, as addressed in CCI 3. A key component of this is developing multiple layers of entrepreneurial leadership to perpetuate the initiative once the organization’s participation is no longer feasible, desirable, or appropriate. Groups often present one or two strong leaders; however, to develop self-sufficiency it is imperative to identify and foster many leaders, including youth, to ensure that the initiative’s goals and objectives are achieved in the event that present leaders leave.
NA The organization only provides technical assistance to community change initiatives.

CCI 7.04

 

The organization:

  1. plans for the initiative’s continuation or transition;
  2. encourages the initiative to operate with the greatest possible autonomy;
  3. assesses whether the initiative can operate independently, without the organization’s assistance; and
  4. determines whether it is appropriate to reduce its involvement in the initiative.
Interpretation: Organizations typically take a less active role once an initiative is sufficiently organized to pursue its ends. However, as noted at the beginning of this Service Standard, the degree to which autonomy is possible may vary depending on type of initiative.
NA The organization only provides technical assistance to community change initiatives.
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PURPOSE: Community Change Initiatives mobilize the community for action; strengthen the capacity of residents and organizations; build and improve neighborhoods; and lay the groundwork for future progress.
 
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