Asset-Based Approaches to Community-Driven and Citizen-

Led Development

Brianne PetersCANGO

May 2011

The Coady International InstituteSt Francis Xavier University

Established in1959

Emerged out of “the Antigonish Movement” in the 1920’s

Educational Offerings in Canada and Onsite Over 5,000 graduates in 130 countries

19-week Diploma in Development Leadership: Three-week Certificates in:

Advocacy and Citizen Engagement Community-based Conflict Transformation and Peace Building Community-based Microfinance Community-based Natural Resource Management Community-based Health Impact Assessment Facilitation and Training Approaches for Community Change Livelihoods and Markets Mobilizing Assets for Community-Driven Development Organizational Learning and Change Women’s Leadership for Community Development

Master of Adult Education: Community Development Stream - STFX

Research for Action (in ABCD)

Research and action-research initiatives that support our educational focus on community organizing for economic and social change

A growing critique of “problem solving” or

“needs-based” approaches

Asset-based Community Development emerged as a result of:

Consequences of a predominant focus on needs

Leadership emphasizing community “needs” in order to secure resources

Community members internalizing what their leaders are saying (a deficit mentality)

Funding by categories of needs, andMoney going to the institutions filling

the needsA dependence on external rather than

internal relationships

Asset-based Community

Development also

emerged as a result of the recognition of the

existence of a multitude

of assets in even the

poorest communities

What do we mean by assets? (community level)

Stories Knowledge, experiences, innovations, talents and skills of

individuals Physical assets and natural resources Financial resources (including the assets accumulated through

iddirs, equbs and other informal savings and credit associations)

Cultural assets (including traditions of mutual aid and collective action)

Rights, claims and entitlements Local institutions Associations and social networks (including the

community’s diaspora)

An asset based approach

Recognizes and builds on existing strengths and assets

Provides tools and strategies for mapping, making inventories, analysing the local economy, linking and mobilising assets for community initiative

Promotes community analysis and action for local economic development

Examples of Internal Agency

In every country there are countless stories where citizens have self-mobilized and undertaken development initiatives.

They have “used what they have to secure what they have not.”

Learning retrospectively from successful communities: What are the roles of “agency” and “assets” in explaining community driven development?

a

Retrospective cases

Positive Deviants

Common Threads in these Examples: Internal Agency

Started with what they had (not what they needed from outside)

Started quite small and then grew to be more ambitious over time

Local Leadership is Key!

Leadership was spread throughout the community – not just vested in a particular charismatic individual

There were both formal and informal leaders – “gappers” – people who can bridge the gap between informal associations and formal institutions; between generations; between residents and ‘come from away’

These Leaders:

Tended to keep people focused on opportunities rather than problems or needs

Were able to get people to sacrifice something now for later benefit

Were able to motivate citizens to act by appealing to community members’ pride, sense of civic duty or responsibility towards others or future generations

External Agency

External agency was characterized by an “investment” rather than “service delivery” orientation – investing external resources in the community’s own initiatives

Encouragement and support for, multi-stakeholder arrangements

Responsive investment

Focus on needs needs Responds to problemsproblems CharityCharity or entitlemententitlement

orientation Emphasis on external

agenciesagencies Power comes from credentialscredentials “Motivation to act”- incentives, incentives,

terms of employmentterms of employment Goal is excellentexcellent serviceservice People are clients, consumersclients, consumers ProgramsPrograms are the answer are the answer

Focus on assetsassets Builds from opportunitiesopportunities InvestmentInvestment orientation Emphasis on associationsassociations Power comes from

relationshipsrelationships “Motivation to Act” – dreams, dreams,

fears, being asked to fears, being asked to contributecontribute

Goal is community-driven community-driven developmentdevelopment

People are citizens, memberscitizens, members PeoplePeople are the answer are the answer

Service Delivery Responsive investment

Can outside agencies stimulate asset-based and community-driven development where it is not occurring already?

a

ABCD action research sites

Oxfam Canada Ethiopia: 2003-present

There is no blueprint!

The choice of methods you use to stimulate ABCD depends on:

The relationship your organization has with the community – What are the expectations of the community? How have you explained your interest in working there?

Their experience and expectations of other NGOs or local government

Power dynamics in the community

ABCD as a Methodology

Discovering Strengths

Organizing and Mapping

Community Economic Analysis

Linking andMobilizing

Monitoring andEvaluation

Appreciative Interviewing

Tell me about an activity you consider to have been successful in your community that started with no help from the outside?

What was it about you that made it successful?

What was it about others?

What was it about the situation?

Individual Skills: Gifts of Head/Hand/Heart

CarpentryFarming CookingMechanicsSewingWeavingAnimal husbandryHouse construction

Analysis AccountingOrganizationBusiness and tradingManagementLiteracy Problem solvingMoney management

CompassionCare of elderlySense of humourConflict resolutionWillingness to collaborateCooperative spirit

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Associations and Institutions

By mapping associations, the community

Identifies existing organizational capacity Sees where the energy is in this

community Understands what motivates people to

organize Recognizes existing leadership in the

community Can think about how existing associations

can be modified and expanded to meet new opportunities

Associations and Institutions

CommunityOrganizing

(associations)

Institutions & Programs

Policies, Markets, etc.

Leaky Bucket

Linking and Mobilizing

Linking and Mobilizing

e

Individual Skills

Crop Production

Animal Husbandry

Civic Skills Construction Skills

Handicrafts& Artisans

Artistic Skills

Health Skills Other

- Farming- Weeding- Thrashing- Sowing- Harvesting- Irrigation- Flood protection

- Rearing- Breeding- Fattening- Castrating- Taming horse, ox, and mule- Milking and milk processing

- Conflict mediation- Group leadership- Advising - Counseling- Organizing

- Masonry- Carpentry- Plastering & roofing- Surveying construction of irrigation canals- Hand dug wells

- Blacksmith- Pottery- Weaving-Embroidery- Basket making- Tailoring- Spinning- Plating hair - Barbering- Tanning - Musical instruments

- Singing- Dancing- Poetry- Playing traditional musical instruments - Story telling

Ttraditional healing- Bone setting- Midwifery- Herbalist- Cautery- Veterinary- Birthing- Childcare, socialization

- Petty trading- Weather forecast- Time reckoning- Natural resource managing- Farm tool making- Silo making

e

Other Community Assets

Social Institutional Physical Natural

Local Associations:Formal Farmers association Women’s association Youth association Community cereal

bank association Local development

clusters Informal Idir (farmers, women,

youth) Senbete Mehaber Iqub Environmental

protection club Women Dabaree

association Mutual cooperation

(Dabo,Jigi,Wanfal)

Local Institutions: Kebele

administration Multi-purpose

service cooperative

Primary school Health post Farmers training

center Orthodox church Protestant

church Traditional

Qalluu Institution

Gadaa Institution

All weather road School Health post Grain stores Farmers

training centre Churches Residential

houses Irrigation canals Bridge Cattle trough Flour mills Local

government offices

Land and water Wildlife Sand/soil Cattle Hills/mountains Trees People Crops (wheat,

barley, peas) Vegetables Hens Stone Grass Pack animals

Leaky Bucket

e

Opportunities Identified

Priority economic opportunities Improving fertility of the land through:

Composting and crop rotation Terracing Planting commercial and indigenous trees (Irrigation)

Other economic opportunities identified Reducing alcohol consumption Construction of high school Reducing expenditures on social festivities

e

Future Change

Steps

RequiredLocal Assets to

ContributeOutside Assistance

Required

- Organic

manuring &

crop rotation

- Planting

of indigenous

trees

-Terracing

- Irrigation

- Mobilizing associations

- Collecting plant & animal

waste using pit method

- Spreading compost on

farmlands

- Using crop rotation

- Identification of lands

exposed to erosion

- Mobilizing people to plant

indigenous as well as

commercial species

- Planting fodder trees along

the contours of the terrace

- Mobilizing farmers on cultivated land

- Manure, crop residues

- Household tools and

equipment

- Labour

-Seedlings from nursery

- Labour

- Indigenous

knowledge & skills

- Sand/stone/soil

- Communal and household labour

- Legal and technical support

(Woreda, Hundee)

- Support of agricultural and

nursery operation (Hundee)

- Tools, material and equipment

that are not locally

available (Woreda)

Results

Change Examples

Organizational Capacity Increased value placed on cooperative action More democratic and inclusive groups More effective linkages with external actors More motivation to mobilize resources Strengthened leadership

Attitudinal Appreciating the value of previously overlooked assets

Increased confidence

Tangible Assets Road construction/clearing Milk collection centre Upgraded school Communal shop User rights to additional land Improved land through terracing, irrigation

and compost

Increased savings Savings associations Creation of bank accounts Reduction of “extravagant” spending on

festivities or alcohol

Draw what ABCD means to you:

Issues

Identifying the “low hanging fruit” Power structures within the community (entry

point) Unpredictable nature of ABCD Sometimes principles have to be sidestepped Differing approaches of other NGOs Changing Mindsets: God and Government Local and Global Contextual Issues that are beyond

community control Finding comfort in a new role

Thank you