Community Meeting Toolkit

Planning, Facilitating and Motivating Small Group Action Community Meeting Toolkit

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Contents PART 1

What is a Community? ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Where is the Community in your Organization? .................................................................................................................................... 3

What are Community-based Participatory Methods? ........................................................................................................................... 4

Why Use Community-based Participatory Methods? ........................................................................................................................... 5

Who Decides what to Focus On? ............................................................................................................................................................ 6

Meaningful Youth Participation .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

What is Facilitation/a Facilitation Team? ............................................................................................................................................. 10

Facilitation Team Tips ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Working with Groups ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16

PART 2

Planning a Community Meeting ........................................................................................................................................................... 22

Community Meeting Tool: Identifying and Ranking Community Problems ....................................................................................... 23

Community Meeting Tool: Identifying Key Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 25

Community Meeting Tool: Draft a Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................... 28

Community Meeting Tool: Shared Vision ............................................................................................................................................. 29

Community Meeting Tool: Cause and Effect Tree ............................................................................................................................... 30

Community Meeting Tool: Play-back Theatre ...................................................................................................................................... 32

Community Meeting Tool: Mapping Community Assets ..................................................................................................................... 34

Community Meeting Tool: Action Planning ......................................................................................................................................... 35

Community Meeting Tool: Project Monitoring & Evaluating Action .................................................................................................. 37

Illustrations- AIDS Alliance Tools Together Now- 100 Participatory Tools to Mobilise Communities for HIV/AIDS Practical Action Publishing Where There is No Artist Graphics and Photos- Sara L. Krosch Designed, Published and Facilitated by Sara L. Krosch March 6-7 in Negros Oriental, Philippines The author can be contacted at [email protected].


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What is a Community?

Different communities are shaped by their unique surroundings and their members’ experiences. Communities can be in conflict even when they share common goals. As a Community Meeting Facilitator, it is your job to help community groups organize, plan, collaborate and act more effectively.

Types of Communities I belong to I see around me shared location

shared trait

shared interest or value

Which type of community is based on choice?

Which type of community determines a person’s identity?

What issues have the most potential for finding common support amongst different communities?


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Where is the Community in your Organization?

You have probably been to many community meetings and maybe even led them. Do the pictures below look familiar to you?

This Toolkit aims to help you become more confident and effective in putting the community first in your organization. You will learn to take on roles as Facilitators and Partners and practice Participatory Methods where those who have a stake in a community problem have a voice and gain power in solving issues that affect them. You will learn to lead discussions and plan action WITH community members, or Stakeholders.

What are the differences between these two community meetings?

Which meeting would you like to attend? Why?

A Stakeholder is a community member who has a stake in an issue. She or he stands to gain or lose depending on how the problem is addressed.


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What are Community-based Participatory Methods?

Participatory Methods put the community first. It is a problem solving process that engages those most affected by the problem. Community members decide what issues are most important and what resources can be used to solve them. Your organization--your staff, building and other materials-- is one of these community resources to be used in addressing community problems.

There are different levels of community participation your organization can achieve.

What level of community participation does your organization currently achieve? (give examples)

What do you feel you would need to do to reach a higher level of community participation?

Empowerment- Decision-making, management and resources are in the hands of the community.

Collaboration- The organization and community members share decision-making and management roles

Consultation- Two-way communication, community members are asked and assigned tasks.

Information Sharing- One-way communication, community members are told and assigned tasks.

Tokens/Decoration- Community members are recipients of project activities.


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Why Use Community-based Participatory Methods?

Advantages Disadvantages Inexpensive- use few resources Mobile- can be done and shared in any setting Engaging- methods are interesting and fun Growth- self-confidence, knowledge and skills Empathy- understand other’s point of view Equalizing- all education/wealth levels can gain Unity- forms new shared identity and purpose Open- welcoming to all and provide a ‘voice’ Simple- ways to analyze complex situations Transparent- outcomes documented openly Powerful- experience is memorable, moving Sustainability- Increase chances of lasting project or project effects Versatility- use for many topics, strategic planning, evaluation, projects and programs

Logistics- difficult to plan Personalities & Schedules -need flexibility and time No “In Charge”- Pupils must be Participants Lack Skills- Facilitation takes time to master Me, Draw?- techniques can be uncomfortable Recording- Not easily documented (unless take photos, good observations) No Commitment- not a one-off event but an ongoing process Conflict- Community members do not always agree and consensus may be hard to reach Power-shift- Organization comfortable with the way things are Burn out- Volunteer-based efforts can be hard to sustain, frequent turnover of experienced people Unfamiliar- Not report or statistics based so may not be taken seriously All Talk- Action Plans not implemented

Challenge Wall & Solution Tree in American Samoa.

Participatory Video & Road Show in Nigeria.


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Who Decides what to Focus On?

There are two main ways to use participatory methods with the community.

Open Participation Cycle

Focused Participation Cycle

Community Identifies Problem

Community Identifies

Stakeholders

Stakeholders Analyze Problem

Stakeholders Create Action

Plan

Stakeholders Implement

Stakeholders Evaluate

Organization Identifies Problem

Organization Identifies

Stakeholders

Stakeholders Analyze Problem

Stakeholders Create Action

Plan

Stakeholders Implement

Stakeholders Evaluate

Which model community participation would you choose? Why?


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Meaningful Youth Participation

Special attention should be paid to organizations who work with youth to build meaningful Youth-Adult Partnerships. Youth of all ages need not be only recipients of your programs.


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Meaningful Youth Participation continued


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Meaningful Youth Participation continued


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What is Facilitation?

A Facilitator does not do for others what they can do for themselves.

Facilitation is the process of making something easier.

What is a Facilitation Team?

A single blade of grass will not sweep the yard.

A Team is a group of individuals organized and motivated to work together towards a common goal. Facilitation Teams usually have 3-4 members with different responsibilities. The Leader can also be a Facilitator or Recorder. The Facilitator and Recorder can switch roles for different sessions. The Community Links should be encouraged to Co-Facilitate and Co-Record.

Facilitation Team Roles

A Facilitator

• helps people organize, share knowledge, learn and feel more in control.

• structures conversations, asks open-ended questions and actively listens.

• is a neutral person, with no decision making power, who leads the problem solving process.


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Facilitation Team Tips

Attitude + Actions= Experience = Results & Respect

What traits do you feel Facilitation Team members should have?


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Facilitation Team Tips continued


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Recording who attends a community meeting and what happens is important for project planning and evaluation, Facilitation team improvement and overall transparency. Recording can be done on formal Recording Sheets, using photos, video or audio recordings.

Discussion activities are often documented on large pieces of paper, chalk/white boards or even drawings done on the ground. Large manila paper sheets are inexpensive and serve as a record the community can refer to later and your organization can use in summary reports.


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Working with Groups

As a member of a Facilitation Team you will have to be flexible and observant when working with community members to encourage their active participation.

When would you decide to divide the participants into focus groups?

Why would it be effective to lead a discussion with a mixed group?


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Working with Groups continued

What could be gained by separating the large group into gender groups or age groups?

If you choose to break into focus groups, allow time for each group to present their results to the others and for discussion.

If community group members are not used to speaking publically, or if you are discussing a sensitive topic, start the discussion activity with individuals, who form pairs, who share with the small group, who finally present to the large group. This helps each person participate more fully and consensus might be reach easier.


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Ask the community Meeting participants to agree on simple ground rules and possible consequences for breaking them.


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Working with the community is not always easy. Have you ever experienced a saboteur?

What can the Facilitator do to avoid bullying and side-tracking by community members?

What might happen if you ignore or argue with a saboteur?


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Brainstorming sessions are common in many participatory community meeting activities.


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Planning a Community Meeting

Community Meeting Plan

Facilitation Team

Leader- Recorder(s)-

Facilitator(s)- Community Link(s)-

The purpose of the meeting is to

Stakeholders

Who is invited?

How will you advertise?

Logistics

Place

Date/Time

Special Needs

Back-up Plan

What challenges may you face?

How will you overcome them?

Activity Plan Which discussion activities will you use?

What materials will you need?


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Community Meeting Tool: Identifying and Ranking Community Problems

If you have decided to practice an Open Participation Model at your community meeting you must first facilitate a problem identification discussion. If your organization has already decided the topic of the meeting (Focused Participatory Model), you can skip ahead to Drafting Problem Statements.

Steps

1) Ask community members to brainstorm answers to the question: What are the main problems people like you experience in this community? (Decide the best way to brainstorm in order to get the highest participation- as 1 large group, in smaller focus groups or start as individuals and move to small groups before presenting to the others.)

2) As a large group list any and all ideas. Do not discuss them at this time. Continue brainstorming until the group cannot think of any new ideas.

3) For each problem identified you might ask the group to draw a picture or a symbol to represent it. This is helpful when stakeholders have different language and reading abilities.

4) Draw a large chart. List all identified problems horizontally across the top of the chart. Write the name of the problem and/or draw a symbol for the problem at the top of each column. Then, in reverse order, list the problems vertically down the left side of the chart.

5) Fill in the table by comparing two problems at a time. Start in the upper left box. Ask your community members Which is a bigger problem in the community? (In the example the community would (1) first compare the problems of suicide and violence.) Seek consensus or majority rule and record the bigger

An example of problem identification and pair-wise ranking from a community meeting focusing on youth problems in Micronesia


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Identifying and Ranking Community Problems continued

of the two problems being compared by drawing the symbol to writing the name in the numbered boxes. Continue to fill in the chart by following the numbered squares.

4) Facilitate discussion on aspects of the problems such as

• frequency- How often is this problem experienced?

• severity- How much does this problem affect the wellness of the community?

• duration- How long has this problem been here? How long does it last?

• scope- How many people are affected by this problem?

• range- Is this problem experienced by other communities?

• legality/human right- Does this problem involve illegal activity or the basic needs/rights of people?

5) When each pair of problems has been ranked, count up the results to determine the biggest problem overall.

The problem recorded most often will become the focus of the rest of the community meeting sessions.

The community members most directly affected by this number one problem are the key stakeholders. Their participation in all other community meeting sessions is vital as their input is most valuable.

Many Problems? If your community members brainstorm a long list of a variety of problems, group them into logical categories first.

Discuss the general aspects of each problem category using questions in above (4). Pair-wise rank each category to arrive at the most important problem area. Then do a second pair-wise ranking of separate issues under that category.

Alternatively, if your community members are quite organized, create committees to address a priority problem in each category.


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Community Meeting Tool: Identifying Key Stakeholders

It may be helpful to explain the concept of a Stakeholder using a simple story. Each character in the story below has a stake in the problem, whether they know it or not. Draw this picture and present it to the community members while you read the story below. (Optional- Add the text.)

The Story- It is a nice sunny day, but not everyone is having a good time. There is a person in a boat caught in waves crashing over the reef. Although the waves seem to be the immediate problem, it is the jagged coral reef under them that is the hidden cause of the trouble. The person in the boat is aware of the danger they are in and concerned about the risk they face being directly involved in teh problem. This person could possibly escape the problem on their own but they have a better chance with help of others. The person swimming is aware of the nearby problem, and may experience it sometimes, but is she concerned? Maybe this person feels they are a safe distance from the problem so they are not motivated to become involved. She is the closest to helping the person in the boat, so if she does nothing the consequences could be bad. The person on the shore is aware of the problem and concerned for the people in the water. he is trying to be involved but he does not know how to swim and he has no boat. He is stuck on land, unsure how to help. The person on the hill has the best view of the entire scene. they are aware of the problem, but they have placed themselves above and awy form it. Are they concerned about the wave or do they see this as someone else's problem? She has the ability to oversee and direct the actions of others but she is currently not involved in helping those most at risk. And the last person in our story is relaxing behind the hill and cannot see the problem affecting those in the water. He is not concerned and has no reason or opportunity to be involved. This person is not typically asked to help solve community problems in the past so we do not know what knowledge and resources they may have that could help.


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Identifying Key Stakeholders continued

Discussion Questions-

What do the waves and the reef represent in this story?

Which stakeholders (individuals, groups and institutions) are represented by the characters in the story?

How can these different stakeholders be encouraged to attend the next community meeting?

Concerning our chosen community problem, which character are you in the story?

Identifying Key Stakeholders

Steps

1) Facilitate a brainstorming session with your community members to list all possible stakeholders (individuals, groups, agencies, organizations, institutions, businesses etc.) related to the problem.

2) Next decide which stakeholders are the most vital to involved by completing Stakeholder Analysis

Tables.

3) On Table 1, list all stakeholders identified in the brainstorming session in column 1.

2) Determine each groups “stake” in the problem. Write a few words that explain what stakeholders might gain or lose by being involved in activities to reduce the problem in column 2.

3) Rate each group’s importance to the process in column 3. Consider if that particular stakeholder group was NOT involved, how much difference would it make?

4) In column 4, rate each group’s level of influence (power) over the short-term and long term impacts of any project aiming to reduce the problem.


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Stakeholder Analysis Table 1

Stakeholder Group Interest or “stake” in the Problem

Importance of involvement for project success U= unknown 0=Not important 1= Some importance 2=Moderate importance 3= Very important 4= Critical player

Influence over project success U= unknown 0=No Influence 1= Some influence 2=Moderate influence 3= Very influential 4= Critical player


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5) Next, transfer stakeholders into the appropriate boxes in Stakeholder Analysis Table 2 based on their level of influence and importance.

6) Note the gray squares. If the interest or importance of a stakeholder group is unknown, consult with representative members of this group to decide their true stake in the issue rather than assuming you can speak for them or omitting their participation. Stakeholders with the highest levels of importance and influence are Key Stakeholders whose participation should be highly encouraged to attend future project planning meetings.

Stakeholder Analysis Table 2 Importance

Influence

Unknown Not Some Moderate Important Critical

Unknown

Not

Some

Moderate

Influential

Critical

Focusing on the most important and most influential stakeholders is not intended to exclude any community members. Instead this tool will help later project efforts be more effective and efficient. You cannot work with everyone in the community at all times and targeted projects are more likely to succeed.


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Community Meeting Tool: Draft a Problem Statement

Every problem has complexities. Each Stakeholder sees or experiences the issue uniquely. As project planners it is important to not over simplify a community problem but rather to seek consensus about the main aspects of the problem. Drafting a Problem Statement the community members can agree on will be the basis for problem analysis and action plans.

Problem Statement Step 1- Individuals

Finish ONE statement about the problem

I know____________________ I see ____________________ I have experienced __________ I have learned ______________

Think of Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Step 2- Pairs

Share your statement with a partner and discuss. Add to your statement if necessary.

Think of Frequency- How often does the problem happen? Duration- How long has it been a problem? How long does it last? Scope & Range- Who/what is affected by the problem? How wide spread is the problem? Severity- How deeply does the problem affect individuals, families and the community? Perception- Does the community see this as a problem that needs to be changed?

Step 3- Small Group

Share your problem statements and note similarities. Create a single problem statement all members of the small group agree on. Do NOT try to include all aspects of the issue

Possible Statement Starters We know____________________ We see ____________________ We have experienced __________ We have learned ______________

Step 4- Large Group

Small groups share their statements with the large group and similarities are noted. Create a 1-2 problem statements the majority of community members can agree on.

Focus On… aspects of the problem community members feel they have the most power over. This will make for more feasible action plans that are more likely to succeed. Community confidence will grow for taking on more challenging aspects of the issue in the future.


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Community Meeting Tool: Shared Vision

Many times community members can feel so overwhelmed by the problem they have difficulty imagining a brighter future. This tool allows community members to imagine a future when the problem is under control or even solved. Visioning exercises like this one are also done with organizations during strategic planning to develop Vision Statements, lofty goals that may never be reached but they inspire people to continue to work toward a better tomorrow.

Steps

1) Ask community members to close their eyes and clear their minds.

2) Imagine it is the future and the problem has been solved. You wake up on a sunny clear day and take a walk around your community. You see your family, friends and neighbors. You have worked together for the problem to be solved and now you can be proud of your efforts knowing the future is brighter for you all.

How long has it taken to solve the problem? What has changed in the community surroundings and the people? What difficulties were overcome? What activities, services and resource are now available? What new attitudes and values do people have? Why are the people confident that the problem has been solved and will not return? Whose life has changed the most? Who did the most to solve the problem?

3) Ask the participants to open their eyes. Have small groups write down what they saw in their individual visions OR draw a picture of the community without the problem. Vision Statements and pictures will serve to inspire the next activities and beyond the community meeting.


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Community Meeting Tool: Cause and Effect Tree

Every problem has several root causes. In order to reduce the effects of the problem, the underlying causes must be discovered and changed.

Root causes of problems can be lack of awareness or knowledge lack of skills or resources unsupportive or risky environments harmful attitudes disempowerment

Steps

1) Draw the trunk of a tree on a large piece of paper and write the problem statement in the middle.

2) Ask community members Why do we have this problem in the community? Write answers below the problem statement on roots of the tree.

3) For each answer follow up by asking Why do you think this happens? and record these further roots underneath the main root. Keep asking Why? until community members don’t know. Do this for as many root causes as the group can think of

4) Now ask the participants to think of all the ways the problem effects the community. Write the main effects on tree branches. For each effect, ask, Why do you think this happens? and record these secondary effects on smaller tree branches.

5) Discuss what the problem tree shows? What are the main root causes of the problem? What are the most harmful effects?

6) Now you can turn negative effect statements into project aims (objectives) and learn how they can be achieved by looking at their root causes. Turn negative root causes into positive ones.


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Community Meeting Tool: Cause and Effect Tree continued


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Community Meeting Tool: Play-Back Theatre

Another way to look at the causes and effects of problems is to act out stories based on real life events, with a twist. Instead of passively watching the performance, audience members will have a chance to change the events in the story so that the ending gets the characters closer to the shared vision.

Steps

1) Remind community members of the problem statement and shared vision as these will serve as inspiration for play-back theatre performances. Ask small groups to come up with a 5 min skit based on the problem statement. The action should be true to life.

2) Plan out the scene: Where does it happen? Who are the characters? What is the action?

3) Give a short introduction of your scene and then act it out. Make sure the audience can see and hear you and tell them to watch the play closely. Remember to speak loudly and do not turn your back to the audience.

4) After the play is finished, ask the audience to tell you what they saw. Then ask the audience to provide missing information: What do you think was happening before the scene started—1 day, 1 week, 1 month earlier—that may have led to this ending. Ask them to explain their answers.

5) Now explain to the audience that the skit will be performed a second time. Re-play the scene with the additional information given by the audience. But this time the audience is allowed to stop the action at any time they want to change what is happening. They do this simply by yelling, “Stop,” or by raising their hand. The actors must then freeze and the audience member(s) must tell them what to do


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Community Meeting Tool: Play-Back Theatre

different so as to have a more positive outcome. When audience member(s) say, “Go,” the play resumes. The action can be stopped as many times as the audience feels changes need to be made.

6) After the second performance, ask the audience:

What changes were made to the first act? What impact did those changes have?

Did the changes have positive or negative results?

Were the changes realistic? Do people act that way?

What caused the ending in the first play?

What changes were made in the second performance? How did they change the ending?

Ask the actors if there was anything difficult about playing their roles?

What root causes and alternatives were discovered?


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Community Meeting Tool: Mapping Community Assets

Planning action to reduce the effects of the problem will require using the community’s assets. Most small scale action plans do not require resources beyond what the community has already. It is important to revitalize awareness in all of the human, material and environmental resources any community has to begin to solve their own problems and not to feel completely dependent on outside support…which may never come.

Steps

1) Ask participants to draw a map of their community. Include the people, places and things you value most. (It may be helpful to divide into focus groups based on gender or age so diverse perspectives can be shown.)

Think of a typical day-

What roads/path do you travel? What places do you go to?

Which people do you interact with most? What activities do you do and where do you do them?

2) Share small group maps with the large group. Discuss the following questions:

What are the most valuable locations to the community as a whole? To specific groups?

What activities take place at these locations?

Who can be found at these locations?

Where are the problem causes and effects seen and felt most?


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Community Meeting Tool: Action Planning

You’ve come a long way in working closely with the community to define and analyze a problem. But now it’s time for a little less talk and a lot more action! Don’t lose the momentum you’ve achieved with the community by not following through with a simple, do-able plan for action based on all your new collective knowledge about the problem.

Steps

1) Gather all documents, drawings, photos, etc. you have created during community meeting sessions.

2) Fill in the Community Action Plan Template.

3) Ask all participants to sign the Action Plan as a visual commitment to achieving it.

4) Use the Community Meeting Planning Sheet to schedule the next 1-2 community meetings to focus on carrying out the Action Plan.


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Community Meeting Tool: Action Planning continued

Community Action Plan Template Problem Statement Vision Statement

Problem Cause

Project Aim What will we work to change about the root cause?

Problem Effect Project Result What is the desired change we hope to see?

Who is Logistics

most affected by this problem

most important and Influential to our success

When will the project happen (start-stop)

Where will the project happen

Community Assets

Knowledge/Skills

Resources

Project Monitoring Project Evaluation How will we know we are on track during the project? Who will we ask?

What tools will we use to measure our overall success? Who will we ask?

Community Supporter Signatures


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Community Meeting Tools: Project Monitoring and Evaluation

There are hundreds of participatory Tools you can use with communities to develop action plans. There are also hundreds of tools that can be used to monitor and evaluate community-based projects. Now is your chance to explore a comprehensive, user-friendly resource full of these tools.

Participatory Community-based Project Cycle

Steps

1) Read through AIDS Alliance’s Tools Together Now-100 Participatory Tools to Mobilise Communities for HIV/ to familiarize yourself with many more participatory tools you can use with community groups.

2) Look specifically at tools that can help you monitor and evaluate your action plan project and choose some to list in your Action Plan:

Community Engagement

Problem ID & Analysis

Project Planning

Project Monitoring

Project Evaluation

Documents

Community Meeting Toolkit