A basic choice
for the organization of community efforts
| Institution--Strategic | Association--Responsive |
|---|---|
| Board of Directors hires an Executive Director | Ad hoc committee hires a facilitator |
| leadership is mostly top down | leadership is bottom up |
| centered on programs and tasks; the people part is usually an abstraction | focuses first on relationships and actual people |
| tends to become needs- or deficiency-based, and focused on control | structure and operation guarantees that it is asset-based, with a focus on empowerment |
| tends to become funding-driven | outcome-driven |
| programs become entangled in competition and turf issues; community outcomes of the programs depend on politics | programs arise from cooperation and the desire to add value to existing initiatives; community outcomes depend on capabilities and passion of the proponents and how well they are connected with other community assets |
| diversity of opinions is a liability, and interferes with the effectiveness of the organization | diversity is an asset, as it enables the full range of community assets and resources to come into play, not just the politically correct ones |
| tends to be expensive in relation to community outcomes; may be hard to sustain | tends to be cheap in relation to community outcomes; may be easier to sustain |
| difficult and stressful job | fun, results in personal growth, easier for volunteers to be engaged |
| tends to give people the idea that their problems will be solved for them; transforms community into spectators taking bets on your performance | does not give people any excuse for thinking that their problems will be solved for them; motivated community members become participants |
| director becomes so busy that he/she doesn't have time to help actual people | facilitator's only job is to help actual people who are serious about doing something |
| no training is required for basic operation of this model; but there is an entire training industry devoted to trying to increase the effectiveness of this model | initial training is required in order to change organizational habits and behaviors, and LET GO of the ones that won't work, so as to succeed with this model |
| requires a strong belief in the capacity, creativity, and responsibility of people in your community |
See also a summary of the asset-based approach, John McKnight's Regenerating Community essay on cpn.org, and the Enterprise Facilitation page.