Strengthen the organisational development of groups
Overview
This standard relates to the role community development practitioners have in supporting groups to review the way they operate so they can organise more effectively and efficiently to achieve their aims. It involves encouraging groups to think ahead and to gather information about their current situation, what might change in the future, and how they can plan for the longer term.
This standard is relevant to community development practitioners directly working with community groups.
The community development standards are arranged in six key areas:
- Understand and practise community development
- Understand and engage with communities
- Group work and collective action
- Collaboration and cross-sectoral working
- Community learning for social change
- Governance and organisational development
This standard is within Key Area Six.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- support groups to take a strategic approach to planning for their future sustainability
- support groups to examine their potential commitments against their capability to deliver
- facilitate groups to review their current practice and organisational policies ensuring alignment with established good practice and compliance with relevant legislation and policies
- support groups to gather and interpret information on internal and external opportunities and threats to their organisation
- support groups to understand how to use relevant national indicators and evaluation frameworks in their review
- facilitate groups to review their procedures for meetings and decision-making processes to ensure all voices are heard
- support groups to review the effectiveness of their internal and external communication systems
- assist groups to agree on the changes they need to make and how to manage the implementation of these changes
- support communities to make use of their legal rights
- provide support to access information about employment legislation and signpost to specialist employment advice organisations where appropriate
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- participatory techniques to assist organisations to review their aims, priorities and practice
- participatory techniques to assist organisations to plan and allocate roles while developing and utilising skills within the organisation
- organisational systems, procedures and benchmarking frameworks
- how to support the management of change and contingencies
- how to support the long-term sustainability of organisations
- organisational and legal structures appropriate to community organisations
- basic legal and accountability obligations of different organisational structures and the associated responsibilities for board/committee members, trustees, staff and volunteers
- how to support communities to develop their knowledge of relevant law and legal remedies
- organisations that provide detailed advice and support on legal and organisational structures
- legislation relevant to community organisations including that dealing with the role and function of policy development throughout an organisation
- statutory requirements relating to establishing, constituting and closing down an organisation
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Community development is underpinned by a set of values which distinguish it from other, sometimes related, activities in the community. These values are at the core of community development and underpin each of the standards. The values are;
- Social justice and equality
- Anti-discrimination
- Community empowerment
- Collective action
- Working and learning together
The following examples illustrate how each of the community development values might inform practice in this standard. These statements are not part of assessment requirements.
- policies and procedures are proofed against and comply with equalities legislation
- communication strategies incorporate inclusive practices that reach and inform at all levels
- time and space is created for effective long term planning, drawing on the knowledge and experiences of everyone within the organisation
- planned goals and actions are informed by the voice of the community
- commitment is demonstrated to creating a learning organisations and processes are put in place to support this
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Accountability
Involves being responsible within and to communities for the actions taken and decisions made; and the opportunities for members of communities to hold to account representatives, decision-makers, groups and individuals working on behalf of communities
Collective action
Working together with others to achieve a common aim.
Community
The web of personal relationships, groups, networks, traditions and patterns of behaviour that can develop among those who share a geographic area or identity or interest.
Community development practitioner
A person doing community development work as a paid worker, unpaid worker, group member, community activist or volunteer.
Community Engagement
A way to build and sustain relationships within and between communities, community groups or organisations, public sector, third sector and other agencies. It provides a foundation for collaboration helping them to understand and collectively take action.
Community groups and organisations
Located within communities of geography, identity or interest. These groups are controlled by their users and are usually small and informal with no paid staff. They are often referred to collectively as the community sector.
Empowerment
A process where people gain control (eg confidence, knowledge, skills, resources) to affect decisions impacting on their communities.
Evaluation
Entails an overall assessment of the achievements, effectiveness and impact of work carried out.
Learning
Can be informal, formal and non-formal:
- Informal refers to experiential and personal learning
- Formal learning refers to what we gain from courses, academic studies and continual professional development
- Non-formal education is that which can be informal or formal but occurs in non-traditional settings e.g. in communities.
Organisation
Any collection of people in the community, voluntary, public and private sectors and any hybrid configuration across these sectors. It refers to community groups, charities, community and social enterprises, statutory agencies, businesses.
Resources
This covers any physical or human resource that supports the community development process and could include technical equipment, IT-based resources, buildings, sources of specialist knowledge, local assets
Support
The work a community development practitioner may undertake to ensure the group can pursue its aims. The types of activities may include: providing information, moral and motivational encouragement, researching particular topics, identifying sources of help, listening to group members' ideas and thought processes and reflecting them back, facilitating decision-making, acting as an advocate, coach, mentor, critical friend.
Technology
This refers to both hardware and online tools/apps which can be used in practice and communication (including social media).