Chapter 3: A Community-Led Approach to Addressing Water & Agricultural Issues
Characteristics of community-led initiativesÂ
Characteristics of community-led initiatives
While the following graphic identifies the two competing paradigms, the degree to which the characteristics of each either exists or is appropriate for a given engagement project is best considered as a continuum rather than a dichotomy. Accordingly, effective engagement initiatives consider where along the continuum their initiative lies, where they might want to be with respect to each characteristic, and what opportunities exist to ensure that your initiative is as community or stakeholder-led as possible (Adapted from Adams, 2013.).
Because every issue and community has a unique set of political, structural, operational, and historical characteristics, a community-led engagement strategy will, by necessity, be responsive to the situation and influences in which it occurs. While your choices are as varied as the communities and circumstances you will work within, the distinctions highlighted above provide several important criteria by which you can begin to develop your overall engagement strategies.
Consistent with the principles of community-led engagement, the levels of influence, decision-making, and authority embedded in your group (rather than the conveners) are expected to increase as you move along the continuum from left to right. Â
Engagement questions to consider
- Which approaches will work best for fostering a system-focused series of discussions?
- How important will developing a long-term vision be to your success?
- How can you foster or ensure joint decision-making between participants or the community and those convening the engagement?
You will see in the next three chapters, the Water for Ag project’s engagement process model and research design was developed to address community issues within this context. Throughout the multi-year process, we have developed an evidence-based approach to better understand the characteristics and conditions under which community-led engagement can be most effective – and equally important – where the tensions and challenges are so that others may be able to develop their strategies as effectively as possible. We have a Community-Led Continuum worksheet to help you identify the degree to which a community-led approach is likely to be appropriate for your project. While the graphic above identifies the goals you may want to achieve in your engagement efforts, the strategies, and challenges of getting there require thoughtful consideration (see left box). These, and other related questions require a purposeful and adaptive design and mindset. They also inherently require a wide range of considerations and decisions along the way.
Tools & worksheets
Community-Led Spectrum Tool – Tamarack Institute
“Community-Led approaches are those that are led not by an organization or other outsiders but by a collective, community process. It has become an essential way of working to combat power imbalances that exist between traditional ‘authorities’ and the communities who are facing inequities.
This tool is designed for leadership teams to distinguish between Community-Led approaches and to develop a more discerning understanding of various engagement strategies and their effectiveness in cultivating community leadership. These discussions are most effective when community representatives are involved to develop a shared intention, understanding of roles, and commitments.”
Worksheet: Community-Led Continuum
A worksheet to help you assess where along the continuum of community-led considerations your project is likely to want to be.
Worksheet: Community-Led Decision Considerations
This is worksheet to assist you to identify the options you will want to consider as you formulate your strategies.
Additional resources
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