query: community building facilitator role

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  thanks to Bob and Martin for the interesting responses to 
Shelby's query.  A quick reference from me below.]

From: Bob Fisher <rfisher at uconnvm.uconn.edu>

Shelby,  In a nutshell, I think the CCI concept is flawed.  It asks
community organizations and organizers to do too much, certainly 
far beyond
their ability or knowledge.  It's the rare organization and organizer 
that
can organize people, build community, develop neighborhood 
resources,
promote service delivery, etc.  The CCI model comes from a 
human services
model, and its holistic approach, while intellectually interesting, is 
too
demanding for organizations and organizers in our contemporary 
context.
Maybe your CCI is different, but from my experience in the South 
Bronx I
(1) hoped that CCIs were an idea whose time had passed and (2) 
argued that
you foundations should fund organizers and organizations for what 
they do
best, not ask them to fulfill a CCI template imposed from without. 

I know this does not help you very much, and I in no way mean to 
suggest
that you cannot figure out ways to do good work within the CCI 
model.
These are my thoughts on the challenges CCIs pose to organizers.  
I wonder
what others think?

Bob Fisher

Director, Urban Studies
University of Connecticut

*********************************

From: Martin Butcher <martect at nor.com.au>

Shelby,

I have been working in the area of Participatory Development for a 
few years now, but havn't written the book yet! However, I have 
recentlly put together a funding application to fund some positions 
to do exactly what you are seeking. IMO the critical elements for 
the personnel are:  

More than one person, its necessary to create 'safe places' for 
groups to work, there needs to be a mix of gender/age/culture to 
reach into all elements of the community. Either cut back the time 
for the facilitators and employ more, or have them cover a wider 
geographic area. There would be too much baggage to get a group 
of Aboriginal women to work with me (white middle aged male) , 
however professional I am.  

The skills needed are both planning and facilitation. I have engaged 
too many 'facilitators' who have no idea of the planning process, so 
keep getting stuck on the 'issues and concerns' bit. I have yet to 
figure out whether its easier to hire a facilitator and teach them 
planning, or a planner and teach them facilitation. I aim to try one 
of each if this current project takes off.  

Critical elements for the project are: Funding for two areas -1) the 
facilitator/planners  2) Unattached funds that can quickly be 
approved for groups to carry out their projects (ie max 4 weeks). 
This should be linked in to a formal 'business case' or 'Logical 
Framework' model for accessing the funds, which is training for 
writing applications in the 'real world' once your project ends.  

Hope this helps,

Martin
(PS - When can I apply for one of the positions in your project?!!)

**************************

[ed:  Kris Smock has a 1997 COMM-ORG paper on CCIs. Go to 
http://comm-org.utoledo.edu/papers.htm ]