Process Driver 6 - Community Mobilisation
Reflecting
What do we know already?
Questions to ask
Establish a shared values base by asking the following questions:
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What do you treasure about your community?
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What would you like to make sure is kept in the future?
Record your response to these questions.
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Make sure everyone has a say even if you go round the group one by one (however, always respect a person's decision not to contribute). If the group is large, you may like to suggest working in a number of smaller groups, each of which has a scribe and a reporter.
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Record the responses so everyone can see them (you could use a white board, on overhead transparency, butcher's paper). Use the speaker's exact words.
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When no one can think of anything new, read all the responses back to the group and check that everyone agrees.
Some helpful tips about this stage
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When communities are feeling vulnerable, weak, 'put upon' or under siege, this step may be difficult and take quite a bit of time. Be careful not to let the group slide into negativity at this point. It is important to really value the good things, even if we don't see many of them.
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The information about things that the group treasures in their community will form the basis of their value set. There may be a need to revisit values later to make sure we understand what people really believe.
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The group should start to form and to identify common ground at this point. Communities have very diverse interests, needs and wants and they often disagree on what should happen first. This stage helps the group to see that they all agree on the fundamentals, but just have different views about how to go about things.
Interpreting
Why is it important to us?
Questions to ask
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What would you like your community to be like in the future - ten years down the track?
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What is life here like now?
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What are the issues and opportunities for the community?
Record your response to these questions.
Write the responses up in the same way as before, check for agreement and resolve any issues with further discussion. Working as a whole group, think about who is not present and who else we should talk to. Write up the responses for everyone to see.
Helpful tips for this stage
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This stage puts power back into the community. The community becomes a maker of change rather than a victim of change.
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It is important to keep the discussion positive and powerful at this stage. This does not mean that we deny negative impacts on the community but that rather we determine to change them.
Most participants are not blind to reality and visioning done in this way does not usually produce unachievable plans. -
Disempowered communities may require an injection of ideas at this point. This can be achieved by bringing some 'expert' assistance to help, for example, business analysts etc.
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Identifying who else could be involved allows the group to think about participation in a different way. It also helps the group to see that it does not have to be their sole responsibility to make things happen. Power is also shifted from the facilitator to the group and from the group to the community.
Deciding
What will we do?
Things to do
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Working as a whole group look at the responses to the questions in the interpretation stage, such as 'What would you like your community to be like in ten years time?'
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Begin to group the responses under categories. For example, responses like those below could all be grouped under the category 'Young people's issues'.
- it is safe for the children to play here
- life is boring here for kids
- it is a long way to school on the bus
- there is no sport here for kids -
Do this for all responses. When all the responses have been placed in categories, write each category on a sheet of paper and stick it to the back of a chair.
You might find the Action Planning Tool [PDF | Word] helpful here.
Record your categories.
Helpful tips for this stage
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Be careful not to over-simplify the categories. If the categories are too broad it will be hard to identify something to work on - something to really get your teeth into.
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All responses need to be considered at this point. This means that the group is thinking about the future in a way that won't endanger the things they value and that it considers who else may like to comment.
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Sticking the categories on a chair has a purpose and is an energising point for the workshop. Read on!
Acting
Let's do it!
Things to do
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The categories from the previous stage (Deciding) will form the basis of small action groups. You might like to refer to McArdle, J, 1998, 'Resource Manual for Facilitators in Community Development', chairs exercise, for more information about this activity.
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Put the chairs with the category signs at places within the room where people have enough room to stand behind them. Ask people to think about the two categories they are most interested in and on which they would like to work.
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Ask people to stand behind the chair of the category they are most interested in.
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When everyone has chosen, see if there are any categories with fewer than three people interested. Negotiate with the group about these categories and ask if anyone would like to change around. Usually at least three people need to be involved in each action group
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Negotiate a time period to work in these small groups. Forty-five minutes is usually needed. Ask each group to elect a scribe and a reporter.
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At the end of the work time, provide an opportunity for each group to share their plans with the whole group.
Record your categories.
Helpful tips for this stage
- The chairs exercise is important because it encourages people to visibly commit to further action.
Some people have difficulty choosing only one chair but this may help them have a more realistic understanding of their time and energy commitment. - The chairs exercise also provides a change of pace for people who may have been sitting for a long time.
- The small interest-based action groups further commit the participants to manageable action. This prevents people being overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. At this stage the major tasks will be talking to more people and bringing back more information to the larger group.
- Because the action groups have developed from the vision, they do not have to be prioritised. This allows people to work on the things they are passionate about and they will find the energy to act while fitting in with the community's vision.
Winding up: before the group leaves they should decide on
- How all the work during the workshop is going to be recorded.
- How this record will be shared with the wider community.
- How each action group will let the larger group know of their activities.
- If and when the large group will meet again.
Evaluating
How did it go?
Questions to ask
You may find the Reflecting on Experience Tool [PDF | Word] is useful here.
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Describe the visioning workshop.
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Who was there? Who facilitated? How long did it take?
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What was the feeling in the group?
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How did the participants feel about the workshop? How do you know?
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What happened in the community as a result of the workshop?
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Are the original fields of action still valid for this community? How do you know?
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Do you need to do this bit again?
What would you do differently next time and why? -
What difference will it make to how you go on?
Record your response to these questions. You may now wish to set up a monitoring process for each of the actions groups within the Fields of Action Core Module. This module will raise the same sorts of questions as those raised in the small, interest-based groups. Work through the Accountability Core Module.
