Common Components of Creative Strategies for Community Visioning & Change
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A presentation made by Dr. Norman Walzer on the community visioning process on Tuesday March 25, 2014 at Fisher Chapel on the Rockford University campus. A video of the presentation is available at the Transform Rockford website (http://transformrockford.org/community-engagement/)
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Common Components of Creative Strategies for Community Visioning & Change
- 2. Presentation Overview • Background‐‐Megatrends • Development Perspectives • Common Factors in Community Change • Experiences with Industrial Communities Initiative • Possible Pitfalls to Avoid • Discussion of Implementation Strategies – Strategic Doing – Breakthrough Solutions – Maintaining the Momentum – Changing the Conversation
- 3. Major Trends • Population Aging • Growth in Service Economy • Increase in Urbanization • Rising Energy Costs Overall • Growing Importance of Global Trade and Markets
- 6. Community Capitals Framework Source: http://www.soc.iastate.edu/staff/cflora/ncrcrd/capitals.html.
- 7. Community Change Network (CCN)* 12 CC Programs in Midwest Processes and Outcomes • Identify Innovative Practices Used in Change Programs • Compare Measures of Outputs/Practices Used in Various Communities • Find Commonalities Among Programs that Affected Successes • Determine Transferability to Other Cities and Situations • Help Design New Initiatives for Practitioners in Other Cities • Encourage Research on Community Change issues by Emerging Scholars • Foster Future Collaborate Research Among Institutions * This project was funded by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development and administered by: Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University (Norman Walzer), Michigan State (David Ivan), Purdue Center for Regional Development (Sam Cordes and Don Koverman, Iowa State University (Mary Emery), and the Heartland Center for Leadership Development (Milan Wall).
- 8. Desired Outcomes by CCN Group Cities Must Be Resilient and Independent Must Interact with Non‐metro Neighbors Build on and Increase Strengths Anticipate Changing Population Trends Capture Transfer of Wealth in Next 15 Years Prepare the Next Generation to Lead Find Sustainable Policies Enabling Areas to Prosper
- 10. Prepare Communities Adequately • Educate Entire Community About Process • Encourage Broad‐based Representation and Participation • Build and/or Encourage Networks with Partnerships • Stimulate Local Buy‐in and Ownership by Residents • Build and/or Enhance Local Leadership Capacity • Support Leaders, Especially First‐time Groups • Provide Opportunities for Leadership Growth • Create Anticipation and Expectation of Positive Results
- 11. Prepare High Quality Programs • Understand Program, Process, and Product • Incorporate Scholarship and Professional Literature • Use Strong Theoretical Foundations • Incorporate New Paradigms and Thinking • Build on Documented Successful Practices • Encourage a “Break Through” Mentality and Bold Approach • Be Flexible to Recognize Local Diversity and Issues • Build Professional Respect and Status of Program Activities • Make Program a Major Event in the Community
- 12. Deliver the Program(s) Effectively • Mobilize Community Assets and Develop Strong Networks/Partnerships • Engage Participants to Set Goals and Expected Outcomes • Recognize Importance of Indirect Outputs/Outcomes in the Process • Encourage and Reward Risk‐Takers, especially New Leaders • Offer Flexibility in Topics and Delivery Approaches • Build Program Identity and Local Support • Incorporate the Latest Communication Methods and Tools • Be Bold with a Process that Participants “Enjoy” • Adhere to the Program Mission and Structure • Remove the Need for Participants to Ask “Permission to Act” • Consider Using a Community Coach to Keep Program on Track Mobilize Engage Recognize Encourage Adjust Communicate Bold Actions
- 14. Industrial Cities Initiative Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago • 10 Case Study Cities (2011) from Base of 47 Cities – Cities Larger Than 50,000 in 1960 (including Aurora and Joliet, Illinois) – 25% Or More Manufacturing Employment in 1960 – Had Subsequently Lost Manufacturing Employment • Types of Responses (Cities Responding to Setbacks) – Resurgent Industrial – Transforming Cities • Themes – Work Force Development/Skills Mismatch – Regionalism/Globalism – Economic Development Finance – Leadership
- 15. Key I C I Findings Resurgent and Transforming Cities • Coordinated & Informed Work Force Development Program • Focus on Raising School Completion Rates, Certification Programs • Provide On‐line Training and Exams for Core Competencies • Include Older Workers as well as Youth • Active Engagement by Employers in Designing Processes • Flexible Responses to Employers’ Needs • Change the Conversation About Manufacturing • Regional, if not Global, Mindset • Leverage Location and Sustainable Assets • Link Local Strengths to Global Markets • Make Regionalism a Concept First and an Activity Second • Efficient Governmental Service Delivery System • Qualified Work Force is a Regional Issue • Build Civic Pride
- 16. Key ICI Findings Resurgent and Transforming Cities • Economic Development Finance • Leverage and Target a Variety of Financing Tools • Small Business Finance • Large Capital Projects • Neighborhood Development • Private Resources and Philanthropic Investment • Sustainable and Diverse Resources for Municipal Services • Engaged and Visionary Leadership • Well‐Developed and Active Leaders (Including Economic Development) • Both private and public agencies • Transparency and Stability • Able to Gain a Consensus on Issues and Strategies • Built Next Generation of Leaders
- 18. Implementation Efforts • Maintain Effective Communications • Reinforce Especially New Leaders • Engage Broad Base of Participants • Continually Evaluate Progress/Successes • Ways to Adjust When Options Don’t Work • Use Community Coaches to Guide and Motivate • Document and Celebrate Successes
- 19. Power of Community Coaching* In Implementing a Program and Reaching Vision • Strategy to Help Leaders Plan and Overcome Challenges • Potential Obstacles to Community Change Process • Loss of Momentum Over Time • Change Processes are Messy and Discouraging • Naysayers can Derail a Change Process • Coaches Can: – Improve Communications and Build Local Capacity – Resolve Conflicts – Build or Strengthen Relationships – Identify/Connect to Internal and External Resources – Provide Individual and Collective Learning Opportunities – Help Respond to Changes Source: K. Hubbell and Mary Emery. N.D. Engaging in Sustainable Community Change. www.communitycoaching.com.
- 20. Items to Monitor in Implementation • Maintain Momentum as Participants Change • Enhance Credibility of the Program • Continue to Build Trust in Community • Develop and Grow New Leaders • Incorporate New Initiatives and Gain Buy‐in • Resist the “Latest” Fad Topic or Issue and Stay on Vision • Implement a Continuous Improvement Process • Document and Celebrate Successes to Change Conversation
- 21. Common Ingredients for Success • Asset Based Community Development Approach • Coordinated Business‐Work Force Program • Education System Prepares Students for Quality Jobs • Opportunities that Attract Highly Educated Young Adults • Regional, if not Global, Mindset in Community • Economic Development Finance Opportunities • Engaged and Visionary Leadership with Community Support • Attractive Quality of Life for Targeted Audiences • A Break Through Agenda
- 22. Interesting Examples • Greater Des Moines (Capitol Crossroads) (Link: http://www.capitalcrossroadsvision.com/) • HeartlandVisioning (Topeka, KS) (Link: http://www.heartlandvisioning.com) • Kalamazoo Promise (Education) (Link: https://www.kalamazoopromise.com) • Dubuque, Iowa (Industrial Attraction) (Link: http://www.greaterdubuque.org) • Tupelo, Mississippi (Furniture Cluster) (Link: http://www.tupelofurnituremarket.com)
- 23. Additional Materials on Community Change A. Blanke and N. Walzer. 2013. “Measuring Community Development in New Ways.” Community Development: Vol. 44, No. 5, 534‐550. M. Berry, Jeremiah Boyle, et al. Industrial Cities Initiative. 2012. Community Development and Policy Studies, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. K. Hubbell and M. Emery. N.D. Engaging in Sustainable Community Change: A Community Guide to Working With a Coach. www.communitycoaching.com. N. Walzer and A. Blanke. 2013. “Entrepreneurs and Business Starts in the Midwest”, Community Development, vol. 44, no. 3, 336‐349. N. Walzer, J. Leonard, and M. Emery, Ed. 2013. “Innovative Measurement and Evaluation Practices for Community Development.” Community Development 45:no. 1. N. Walzer and G.F. Hamm, Ed. 2012. Community Visioning Practices. New York: Taylor and Francis, Routledge Press. N. Walzer and Sam Cordes. Ed. 2012 “Innovative Approaches to Community Change” Community Development, vol. 32. no. 1. N. Walzer. Ed. 2009. Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press. N. Walzer, Ed. 1996. Community Strategic Visioning Programs. Westport, CT: Praeger Publications.