A Community Development Approach: Participatory Action Research with Six English-Speaking Communities in Quebec Mary Richardson, INSPQ

Why: An invitation… To step back from the NPI and take a broader look at a community  beyond health  beyond programs  beyond what we already know To embark on a process that puts us in contact with many different segments of the community 2

What is meant by community development? “… a voluntary cooperative process of mutual assistance and of building social ties between local residents and institutions, with the goal being to improve physical, social, and economic living conditions.” INSPQ and MSSS,

Why is the public health sector concerned with community development?  Physical and social environments are among the main determinants of health  There are major differences between communities in terms of health, well-being, and quality of life  Individuals and communities can help to reduce inequalities 4

The INSPQ-CHSSN community development priority Three phases: 1.Develop a better understanding of English- speaking communities in Quebec 2.Develop tools for engaging English-speaking communities 3.Support English-speaking communities in applying community development initiatives 5

Objectives of Portraits For research  To develop an in-depth understanding of several English- speaking communities in Quebec For the community  To identify the key issues for the community  To determine the interests of the various stakeholders  To find an idea that will bring people together (engagement)  To form a working group  To develop relevant local projects 6

The Approach Community-based participatory action research 7 Centred on the community (village, neighbourhood, community of identity) Involves community members in the process Aims to inform action: future directions for policy, programs, and projects Involves the systematic collection of information

Premises  The community is the expert on itself  Participants develop knowledge, the ability to think critically, and a culture of learning  Communities develop and identify local solutions  This approach supports the empowerment of individuals and communities 8

Community portrait process: 1 S TEP 1: Gather quantitative data on the community (statistics) population economy socio-economic indicators environment health status… * This could be done collectively and used to launch the community forum

Community portrait process: 2 S TEP 2: Gather qualitative information on the community via a community forum A broad range of community members discuss their appreciation of: the environment social and community life the economy policies personal health and well-being VISION FOR THE FUTURE 10

Community portrait process: 3 S TEP 3: Gather other information, according to interest and resources Community history, stories, photographs… Built environment analysis Mapping Individual or group interviews on specific themes Photo essay School survey and kids’ perspectives Storytelling * This can enrich the portrait and mobilize people. 11

Community portrait process: 4 Step 4: Produce a summary of the community portrait Include key statistics Summarize the information for each theme from the forum Present it attractively on just a few pages Include photos, maps or other visuals * This can be used to present to potential partners, to stimulate discussion, to apply for funding, etc… a sort of calling card! 12

Community portrait process: 5 S TEP 5: Get feedback on the portrait Present the portrait at a second community gathering to get feedback on the results of the process. Do people recognize themselves in it? What else do we want to know? How do we want to use this information? Identify priorities or an issue to address… 13

Follow-Up Where does this portrait lead?  Research projects to better understand a specific issue?  Development of a local project?  Action plan?  Continuing the conversation between members of the community?  And more… Extend the process to other communities or NPIs 14

15 Benefits for your network  Opportunity to gain more in-depth knowledge of a community in your network (complement what you already know)  Experiment with different approaches to doing a community portrait  Bring together formal and informal knowledge, qualitative and quantitative information to describe the community  Highlight the capacities and potential of the community as well as challenges and issues for developing future projects  Support in designing an action plan +/or community development projects

Benefits for the community  Network with different people and organizations  Learn about different facets of the community  Mobilize people with interest and enthusiasm  Define assets, issues, ideas from the inside  Complement existing information  Can lead to projects that are locally relevant and based on people’s ideas and interests for addressing issues… 16

Thank you! 17