Community Development Practice
Community Development Practice
Community Development Practice
• when considering a single city (town or village), it is also important to realize that citizens may not be
residents.
• Those who make investments in, work in, or operate businesses in a city but live outside of the city
boundaries are still very much citizens and stakeholders of that community.
• Major corporations may also be corporate citizens who invest in a community and represent the interests
of the many individuals who have invested in their company.
• As the city goes, so go the fortunes of the investing corporation and its shareholders.
• when organizing a community development initiative, it is important to carefully define the community
and who should be included in the process.
• The community should not be too narrowly defined.
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Inclusiveness
• CD is based on the idea that all people are important and should have a voice in community decisions, have
potential to contribute, resources to share, and a responsibility for community action and outcomes.
• citizens are entitled to make informed decisions
• is always open and transparent.
• CD is an inclusive approach
• the professional community developer uses many techniques
• these techniques may include responding to a survey, being interviewed, and participating, task force,
subcommittee, or strategic planning committee.
• these actions greatly increase local citizen involvement and to improve their quality of life.
• CD is guided by a set of values and beliefs.
• these may be thought of as mental tools
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6. All individuals have the right to be heard in open discussion whether in agreement or
disagreement with community norms.
7. All citizens may participate in creating and re-creating their community.
8. With the right of participation comes the responsibility to respect others and their
views
9. Disagreement needs to be focused on issues and solutions, not on personalities or
personal or political power.
10. Trust is essential for effective working relationships and must be developed within
the community before it can reach its full potential.
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THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
• establish an organizing group
• create a mission statement
• identify community stakeholder
• collect and analyze information
• develop an effective communications process
• expand the community organization
• create a vision statement
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Professional values
• the following values guide the professional practice of community
development:
- Honesty - Respect
- Loyalty - Tolerance
- Fairness - Duty
- Courage - Lifelong learning
- Caring
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Professional principles
to raise living standards and improve the quality of life for all citizens.
seeks to build initiatives around shared values and critical issues after identifying existing
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. positive change begins with creating a
shared vision
is inclusive and involves developing leaders and building teams across class, gender,
racial, cultural, and religious lines
is more than social service programs and “bricks and mortar” construction.
to improve all aspects of a community’s interdependence: human infrastructure, social
infrastructure, economic infrastructure, and physical infrastructure.
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Professional principles
involves consensus building that looks for the best solutions to community problems
rather than only those that are politically expedient or popular or that benefit a few
citizens.
is directed toward increasing a community’s leadership capacity for solving problems and
moving citizens from dependence to interdependence.
leadership in community initiatives is shared so that responsibility and commitment are
encouraged across a broad base of the population. • development leaders work to
transform their communities for the better and inspire others to do the same.
is an educational process that helps citizens understand the economic, social, political,
environmental, and psychological aspects of various solutions.
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Ethical standards
establish and maintain a professional and objective relationship with the client community
and its representatives, one that advances the ethical standards of practice.
always perform in a legal and ethical manner.
immediately disengage from activities when it becomes apparent that they may be illegal or
unethical, reporting illegal activities to the appropriate authorities as required.
adhere to the professional principles outlined above.
clearly and accurately detail personal knowledge, experience, capabilities, and the outcomes
of past consulting when requested.
clearly and accurately detail the scope of work to be performed (and its anticipated
outcomes), and the fee for and terms of that work prior to engaging in consulting.
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Ethical standards
avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships, especially those that could result in or
appear to result in personal benefit (outside the scope of work) at the expense of a client
community or its representatives.
disengage from activities that may result in one group or individual unethically or illegally
benefiting at the expense of another.
adhere to all professional principles and practices regarding selecting, administering,
interpreting, and reporting community assessment measures.
keep confidences, and only reveal confidential information at appropriate times and with
proper authority.
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Ethical standards
maintain confidential records in a secure location and under controlled access.
discuss ethical dilemmas that arise with other certified professional community and
economic developers or the community development council to solicit guidance and
opinions regarding possible actions.
when feasible, consult confidentially with professional colleagues whose behavior is in
question or when the colleague requests assistance in resolving ethical or legal dilemmas at
a personal level.
notify the community development council when ethical and legal dilemmas are unable to
be resolved at a personal level.
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Getting started
Ground rules
Ice breaker