This document discusses various strengths-based frameworks that can be used for community planning, including asset-based community development, appreciative inquiry, and essentialism. It provides an overview of each approach and how they emphasize identifying community strengths and assets, envisioning positive futures, and focusing efforts on a few high-impact areas. The document proposes using an appreciative inquiry process to develop values and beliefs, engage with stakeholders, and create a new five-year plan that applies these frameworks.

1. Strengths-based
approaches to planning
Jaime Daignault, OCDD
Jaime.daignault@ocdd.org
November 3, 2014
Snow King Lodge * Jackson, WY

2. Frameworks
• Asset Based Community Development – John
McKnight www.abcdinstitute.org
• The Golden Circle – Simon Sinek
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?langu
age=en
• Values and beliefs about people, communities
and service systems – Bruce Anderson
www.communityactivators.com
• Appreciative Inquiry (Google it!)
• Essentialism, Greg McCowan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9x6D09AKBU
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3. Asset-Based Community
Development (ABCD)
• Mobilizing assets present in any community:
– People and their gifts
– Associations of people and their gifts (voluntary)
– Local institutions (hierarchy, governing body, money is
exchanged)
– The physical environment of a community
– Exchange of gifts/economy
• Successful community development is asset-based,
internally-focused, and relationship-driven
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4. The Golden Circle
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Our purpose,
values and
beliefs
Our activities
and outputs;
how we bring
life to our WHY
Our unique
approach; what
sets us apart

5. Starting with WHY
• What do we value and believe about…
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People with disabilities

6. Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
• A strengths-based approach to learning about a topic and
generating possibilities to make things better
• Helps us discover what works so we can do more of it
• Assumptions of AI
– In every community, organization, or group something works
– What we focus on becomes our reality
– The act of asking questions of an organization, group or
community influences the group in some way
– What we want already exists in ourselves, our organizations,
and our communities
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7. Problem solving vs.
Appreciative Inquiry
Problem solving Appreciative inquiry
• Identifying the key problems • Identifying the best of what is
• Analyzing root causes • Envisioning what might be
• Searching for possible solutions • Discussing a preferred future
• Developing an action plan • Innovating to create that future
Characteristics: focused on past, deficit-based,
focus on problems
Characteristics: future-oriented, asset-based,
focus on possibilities
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8. Appreciative Inquiry Cycle
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Discovery
(Identifying
the best of
what is)
Collaboration
to create a
better
experience or
reality
Dream
(Envisionin
g what
might be)
Design
Discussing a
preferred
future
Destiny
Innovating
to create
that future

9. What are our beliefs about
people with IDD?
• What is working well for people with IDD and
their families right now?
• What are your hopes for people and families
experiencing IDD?
• If you could create the perfect world for
people and families experiencing IDD, what
would their lives be like?
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10. What are our beliefs
about community?
Think about your community or a place in your
community that you feel welcome.
• What do you love most about your
community?
• If you could live in a perfect community where
everyone thrives, what would it look like?
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11. What are our beliefs
about service systems
Think about the DD service system and the
agencies that touch the lives of people and
families experiencing IDD.
• What is working well with the system right
now?
• What would an ideal system look like?
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12. Using AI framework
• Discover and Dream
– Will develop values and belief statements based Appreciative
Inquiry with staff and Council members
– Will outreach on and off the beaten path using similar questions
with stakeholders
• Design
– Use what we learn to develop a new five year plan
• Destiny
– Look for opportunities for innovation in communities
– Apply ABCD principles to how we design our work
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13. Essentialism
• The disciplined pursuit of
less but better vs. the
undisciplined pursuit of more
• You can do many things averagely well or do a
few things superbly well
• If you do the right few things superbly well,
you are more likely to increase your
contribution overall
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14. How do we do less better?
• Identify top 1-3 priorities (most critical to our purpose
and vision for the future)
• Build a routine filled with the essentials
• Stop saying “yes” to everything we can do
• Ask: Is this the very best use of my time?
• If not, question it or say “no”
• Create space to evaluate how you use your time,
meetings you attend, activities you do
• Repeat this review on an ongoing basis
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