Awareness/Value Proposition

Winter Convention, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, 23 March 2006

Feedback from Facilitated Breakout Session

Separate Groups

Questions posed:

Convention delegates were split into two groups and asked to consider the following questions:

“What motivates an individual to move from their own convictions about an issue to initiating community action?”

“What factors sustain community action on sustainable development?”

“How can community action on one issue lead to action on sustainable development more broadly?”

The facilitated session involved two “carousels” – one for each group. The procedure is summarised in the facilitation brief. At the end of the session the facilitators presented key points for each question.

Colour-coding the feedback from the Breakout Groups

The key presentation points and the raw flip chart material from the two groups have been colour coded as follows:

Group 1:Key Presentation PointsRaw Material

Group 2:Key Presentation PointsRaw Material

This allows the feedback from the two groups to be tracked through to the combined analysis.

Question 1: What motivates an individual to move from their own convictions about an issue to initiating community action?

Group 1

Key Points:

A sense of responsibility on behalf of the individual

Belief in success:

from an individual
best practice

Need to socialise

Support – knowing who, what, where, clarity

Enlightened self interest – motivated by:

work place
money
C.V.

Raw Material:

Identifying gaps and filing them in, reacting to a lack of Community action

Wanting to be a part of the community and to get to know people

Passion as a result of a stimulus:

from workable examples inthe next town
seeing a workable model
motivated by an organisation
moved as an individual

As a result of expertise and knowledge/best practice from somewhere else

Knowing:

whom to approach
what support is available, where etc
e.g. Accurate information that’s written down, correct, not too vague

To overcome hopelessness by belief in the possibility of success:

being part or an agent of change
A new feeling of collectiveness, i.e. not being alone.

Frustration with status quo, or sheer despair, or feeling threatened

Working with a visionary, or risk taker, who convinces others

Giving a voice to people who have never been involved in the debate – making sure people are listened to and views are acted upon

A realisation that we can only achieve the wider picture together:

self-realisation
enlightened self interest– will make money for own pocket!

Guilt and a sense of responsibility to a family etc. across the generations

An awareness of the benefits – and realisation of ‘fairness’

Being asked!

Being inspired by the challenge

Being bored:

for personal development

self-satisfaction – an initiative that will utilize my skills

Group 2

Key Points:

Emotional motivators

Belief that you can succeed
Personal experience
Self – fulfilment
Responsibility
Frustration
Love
Threat to locality
Social support

Structural motivators

Community planning
Frame works
Campaigns
Crisis – community focus
Money

Enablers / Things that remove barriers

Confidence
Fresh perspectives of other places
Common interest
Support from organisations
“Leaders”
Getting a job in the field

Education and training – increase in knowledge

Raw Material:

Windows an opportunity for an idea

Crisis = danger + opportunity

Ownership of locality under threat

Common interest

Support from an organisation

encouragement
tools

Knowing the right people

Case studies

A community focus (person or building)

Self-fulfilment

Social aspect:

FUN
friends/family
Social support

Having the right people and skills – and sharing a vision/skills

Virtual communication ( on the net )

Profit:

£
available grants
seeing it as a winnable cause

Personal experience – seeing something you want to change

Sense of:

love and responsibility
injustice
frustration

Belief that you have the ability to change things

Education and training – increase in knowledge

External stimulus e.g. TV, books, friends and family

More structures for action – community planning

Power hungry

Trust in leaders

An outsider:

Broader horizons
Fresh perspectives
Experience of other different places

Redefines sense of self

Confidence

Being dis-satisfied/anger – gap in services

Desire to make a stand

Employment choice – getting a job in the field of concern

Actions:

Capacity building
(DONE JOAN)
Value successes

Question 2: What Factors Sustain Community Action On Sustainable Development?

Group 1

Key Points:

Supportive infrastructure for community action/social enterprise

Benefits of community action being displayed, heard, felt by the Community

Cross–community inter-generational/cultural working:

Feel good factor

Social cohesion
Inclusion
feel of community
mutual aid

Funding (Resources):

but not just for innovation – need core support
getting the night support people involved
Influencing and working with others

Leadership:

community and public/private sectors
Liberating /empowering people’s potential to lead and act

Raw Material:

Good leadership:

Different levels of leadership allow liberation
of potential in people
Do not need all to be involved in everything, but to empower individuals/groups to work on single issues.
But coordination of all individuals to a whole that
delivers SD

Commitment needed:

need to have people who can pitch
Through training
but mentoring for leadership
Meeting/facilitation skills/public speaking skills

All age groups not just youth

Image of SD – is it inhibitory or motivating?

could keep it a ghetto of SD

Need space for diversity and acceptance/encouragement of diversity

Communication about SD:

Successes
Failures etc

Useful feedback loops:

can help selling the positive
move process forward
E.g. good stories – use of PR – important to ensure people can learn and reflect on experiences successes/failures

Working as a community not as individuals:

Mutual aid and support
Human spirit
Fun – feel good factor
Individuals supporting the community and vice versa – this can help individuals stay
Benefits of the community action can be seen and felt by the Community
Engagement and participation has found to be high and sustained if given simple processes and infrastructure to participate/take action.

Youth involvement:

Carry on “doing” community, as they get older

Motivation key – can take many forms:

Positive – carrot
Negative – stick

Counter or rebellion ‘motivation’ culture

Visibility – what you are doing is seen, noticed, understood as successful:

Reward, celebration events
Media coverage

Shared learning of outcomes/process:

Awareness of SD itself, which helps sustain the action

Funding:

Long term
Enough

Do not need ‘innovative’ only funding – we need support where you are at if its delivering what’s needed

Short term success:

pointing way forward as well
and leading to ongoing

Good monitoring, recording and on – going comparisons

Having fun!

Community Ownership key:

not parachuted in from outside
does not preclude shared learning etc
projects being generated within the community
Across the whole of the community – all to see their part and benefits and how it all relates

Being aware of history of SD activities:

Success
Failures

Local success to be retained locally and moved on into future projects:

not just short term
need to be long term
need to be sustainable

Time frame:

need long term – on-going
nature of projects

Mainstreaming some successful projects – not just waiting for community to develop things themselves.

Key point that it has to become sustainable in its own right – self-sustaining in whatever point

Moving community actions to social enterprises:

Generating jobs etc.
to become truly sustainable

Definition of “community” in this context – needs to be explored

e.g. need community to be broader than a geographical area and someone who lives there

Suggested that engagement should also involve others to help you deliver or achieve it

You need to engage with those (non-spatial) who can help deliver your action:

Community of interests
Sectoral

Not a problem to stay at a particular point:

should not expect all to grow – Southeast etc?
can stay at “fit for purpose” stage

Lack of success – so keeps you going!!

Group 2

Key Points:

Clear vision and points of entry for individuals, but flexible and evolving

Clear democratic structures in place and a financial plan

Recognition. Say ‘thank you’ and have succession plan in place. Feedback

Explaining ‘what is in it for me?’

Embodiment. Expand, but stay true

Wider support network (Cynnal Cymru!)

Raw Material:

Feedback:

Ensure still being sustainable
Understand benefits and achievements

Clear aims and objectives

S.M.A.R.T targets

Regular meetings (preferably in a pub!!)

Dedicated people

Formal democratic and inclusive structure – being part of a team

Being part of a wider supportive network

Communication

Thanks

Sustainable income (self-generated, long-term grants etc)

Retaining integrity and effectiveness (despite growth and change)

Sustainable financial and business plan

Appropriate skills and knowledge (e.g. financial, marketing, etc)

Engaging across sectors – Public, commercial 3rd sector

Enthusiastic people and sustaining them

Celebrate success

Flexible

Succession plans

Involving all generations

Local people becoming part of the decision-making process

“Agroa” – runescape; using IT to engage people

Entrepreneurial

People having time and awareness

Education

Rewards

Achievement

Acknowledgement

Embodiment

Strategy versus tactics

Shared big picture

Enabling structures

Avoid ‘date stamping’

Going mainstream and persuading people it makes sense

Identify opportunities

Question 3: How can community action on one issue lead to action on sustainable development more broadly?

Group 1

Key Points:

Evidence of a precedent – something someone has done before

Maintaining continuity e.g. success, leadership, relationships etc

Making ‘SD’ real – bringing it to life

Having an organisation in place – can draw in finance, personnel

Education – learning and training development

Raw Material:

Awareness/value proposition - campaign from local authorities & Government to promote these issues

Making contacts with like-minded people

Acting as an example

Develop leadership skills

Linking one issue with another and explaining how they can allbe inter-related

Understand what the problem is and also the opposition

Co-operation and team work

Success breeds success

Demonstrating that you can achieve your desiredobjective/outcome can lead to transferable solutions

Develop confidence, self-esteem and empowerment

Learning and training development

Education

Challenging single issue thinking

Financial support

Communication/explanation of what ‘SD’ label is

Plain and simple communication of the connection of issues

Partnership - build on relationships and more networking

Finding ways of making ‘SD’ relevant – bring ‘SD’ to life

Having an organisation in place:

Cynnal Cymru
Supporting a new organisation

Mass of inspiring speakers

Learning by doing (actions speak louder than words)

Through one issue you can learn how much more there is to do – connection

Awareness and understanding of what your goals/actions are: Why?What is the point?

Maintaining continuity e.g. leadership, success etc.

Group 2

Key Points:

Capacity building:

training support
tool kits

Awareness raising:

communicating impact and success
using media
awareness of SD

Fostering interaction

Inspiration from others

Local economic health:

Create opportunities
People start to listen
Community vibrancy

Raw Material:

Capacity building:

success breeds success
encourage empowerment

Awareness raising:

learning and knowledge

Focus

Beliefs/values

Attracting more people

Fostering social interaction

Providing tool kits

Inspiration from exemplars

Links/communication – removing isolation

Partnering:

crossing sectors
complementary
building mutual strengths

Initial target achieved

Pro active not responsive

Structures in place e.g.:

Grant programme
Constructive supportive policy framework

Technical support from all types of sources

Community identity

Partnership process can facilitate development process

Market pull – society changing

Local economic health – creates opportunities

Seeing that it works