Community Capacity: Understanding how things get done in rural communities Tom Beckley University of New Brunswick for the NRE research team Tweed Site Day 13 October 2004

Objectives for the afternoon session l Define community capacity l Present a model of that describes community capacity l Hear stories about how things get done where you live l Talk about ways to revise, refine the model l Talk about how we might increase or enhance community capacity

Defining Community Capacity l Community capacity is the collective ability of a community to create desired outcomes by combining various forms of capital within institutional and relational contexts. l It is essentially about how things get done (e.g. how goals are achieved) l It is also about how to avert negative outcomes

Other scales of capacity l We are most interested in community capacity. l Capacity works at other scales as well. Households Individuals Community sub-groups Firms

Capacity in Your Community l Take 15 minutes to write down a story of about how something was accomplished in your community. What was achieved? Who was involved? (groups & institutions) What resources were necessary? Where did the idea come from? Was it in reaction to a specific or general threat or challenge, or simply pursuing an opportunity?

Process for the afternoon l I will introduce the topic l I want you to contribute stories or data about community capacity l I will describe our capacity model l Break out groups to discuss our stories l Reconvene to discuss improving the model and… l How to create or enhance capacity

Market Communal Associative Bureaucratic Challenges Opportunities Threats Capitals Capacity Catalysts Relational Spheres Capacity Outcomes Financial Natural Human Social Economic Vitality Access resources from the State Civic Vitality Subsist/ Persist

Economic Capital Social Capital Natural Capital Human Capital Financial Infrastructure Entreprenurialism Leadership Knowledge Healthy population Teachers Clergy Doctors Civil service Volunatry sector Diversity Churches Sports Groups Networks/Trust Kinship networks Tax revenue Schools Personal Savings Hospitals Transfer payments Churches Transportation Community Centres Tillable land/Soil Landscapes Wildlife Water Climate (wind, sun, rain) Forests Fossil Fuel Stocks Minerals Forms of capital

Capital Stocks in Tweed

Capitals and Processes l Captials Economic Financial Infrastructure Social Natural Human l Processes (relational spheres) Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal

Relational Spheres Market Communal Associative Bureaucratic Communal Market - Trade, business, commercial Bureaucratic - Local, prov., fed, govts, but also regional dev. Associative - Local voluntary orgs., clubs, churches, interest groups Communal - Family and kin networks, informal exchange and mutual aid

Not new but noteworthy l There are many types of capacity outcomes l Some but not all have to do with economic development l Others have to do with various other aspects of quality of life Doing for oneself, helping neighbours, creating an active community of volunteers, etc.

Capacity is about OUTCOMES We have organized them into categories. - They may not cover everything - Part of our discussion today is whether these categories work. - Maintaining or creating civic vitality - Maintaining or creating economic vitality - Accessing resources from the State (Fed, Prov.) - Subsisting or persisting

Specific outcomes Dealing well with unexpected catastrophe (ice storm, flooding) Dealing well with long-term stresses (drought, climate change) Simple things…building a playground, Complex things…saving a mill (and its associated jobs and way of life) Now, you tell us!

Break out groups l Groups of 4-5 people l Mix of NRE researchers and site people l Site people will tell their capacity stories l NRE researchers can record

Is the model useful… l For organizing elements to the stories? l For helping understand missing elements? l For showing stages in a process?

Time T1 T3 T2 Capitals = X (F, N, H, S) Catalyst #1 Threat Relational Spheres Feedback #1 #1 Capacity Outcome #1 Time T1a Capitals = X +1 (F, N, H, S) Catalyst #2 Opportunity Relational Spheres Capacity Outcome #2 Feedback #2 Capitals = X +1.5 (F, N, H, S) T2a T3a Catalyst #3 Threat Relational Spheres Capacity Outcome Capacity Outcome #3

How do we enhance, build, or maintain community capacity? l Whose responsibility is it? l Who needs to do what? l How do we start? l ?????