1. Asset Based Community Development
Buapun Promphalping

2. Why A B C D?
Opportunities disparity (for marginalized populations and communities)
Inconsistent and shrinking funds/resources
Shrinking political will
Victim-blaming
Unsuccessful social policies
Communities and their residents are disempowered

3. Why A B C D? Consistent with “democratic” principles Empowerment
Social justice
Citizenship
Allows engagement with diverse communities
Supported by practice

4. Traditional development approach
Needs, deficiencies, problems
Negative mental map
Client mentality
Resources go to social service agencies
Undermines local leadership
Dependency
Separates community
Outside in

5. ABCD Approach Capacities, assets, dreams, strengths
Optimistic mental map
Citizen participation
Minimizes bureaucracy, resources to community
Builds local leadership and confidence
Empowerment
Builds connections
Inside out

6. What’s good about A B C D?
Begins with what the community/individuals have
Can begin/be sustained without funding, grants
Builds leadership
Builds internal connections – no “them” vs “us”
Builds connections between community and the outside
Issues and solutions defined holistically – as they are experienced
Self-sufficiency/empowerment can be built

7. Outside in – solutions come from outside, self-definition – broken, dependent on agencies
Inside out - solutions from inside, community fabric is built, self-definition - resourceful

8. Principles of A B C D
Appreciative inquiry: identifies and analyses the community's past successes, strengthens people's confidence.
The recognition of social capital as an asset.
Participatory approaches to development; empowerment and ownership.
Community economic development models; makes best use of its own resource base
Efforts to strengthen civil society; people as citizens (rather than clients) in development.

9. Categories of Assets Individuals Associations Institutions
Skills, talents, capacities
Dreams, visions
Associations
Families,
Institutions
Businesses, schools, libraries, police, fire, non-profits
Physical environment
Greenspaces, transportation
Local economy

10. Step 1: Collecting stories
Asking ‘What are their past success and proud of?’ rather than ‘what are your problems and helps that needed’
Informal discussions and interviews
Experiences of success activities and projects
Uncover and realize gifts, skills, talents and assets people have
Strengthen people’s pride and reinforcing their confidence.

11. Step 2: Organizing a core group
From stage 1 people who are taking leadership roles will emerge. These people will be organized to carry out further stage of activities:
Points to be careful: differences inside
Local power structure
Gender, generation, and class

12. Step 3: Mapping the assets
Inventory of skills
General skills and abilities
Civic skills; organizing, communications, ability to work with youth, leadership skills.
Entrepreneurial skills and experience
Cultural and artistic skills

13. Step 3: Mapping the assets (cont.)
Mapping assets of local institutions
Make a list of local institutions
For each institution list its potential assets
Service providers
Spaces and facilities
Material and equipment
Purchase power
Employment practice
Expertise
Personnel
Links to outside institutions

16. Step 3: Mapping the assets (cont.)
Mapping physical assets – community map and transect
A group of people work together to draw out a map and transect of the community to show land use, land turners, water sources, community forests, etc. During doing this activities members of the group discuss various features, locations, their use or access, etc, before agreeing to put on map.

19. Step 3: Mapping the assets (cont.)
Identifying economic opportunity: leaky bucket
Demystifying the community economic as a bucket.
Money and goods flowing in on the top.
Meanwhile there are leaks the sides and bottom.

21. Step 3: Mapping the assets (cont.)
The bucket analogy:
Community is linked to the rests of the world through flow-in and flow-out.
Resources used to produce goods and services may be available locally or purchase from outside
The size and level of community economy is determined by flows: money coming in, money circulating within, and money going out.

22. Another way to illustrate flows

25. Step 4: Convening a broad representative group to build a community vision and plan

27. A B C D Processes Map of community’s assets
Individuals mobilize, contribute gifts, talents
Internal connections
Develop a vision, “common good”
Define and solve problems
Multiple pathways for leadership
External connections
Reinforce internal strengths
Appropriate to community’s vision

28. A B C D and Service Learning
Core principles of social justice and equity
Respect for the community and its individuals
Paradigm shift – missionary mentality
Paradigm shift – community-driven vs research-driven, funder-driven
Conceptual framework/tools to understand communities
As faculty who will be lightening rods for service learning in our own campuses, it is important that we model the principles of partnership in our teaching, mentoring of other faculty, and in the institutional partnerships that we participate in creating.
Asset-based community development is a framework that is based on principles of social justice and equity, respect for everyone in a community, counters labeling, marginalizing individuals and communities
We want our students to become participating citizens – engaged in communities – both as students and for the rest of their lives
Students ill pick up on the missionary mentality that many academic institutions have towards their neighbors, and we as faculty have to counter that. Students will see how grant-writing, following the funding, looking for “what hasn’t been done before” drives much of academic culture. We need to shift that paradigm
Students will find themselves working in communities and may miss the boat without a compelling framework or tool – they may miss what is really happening, who the leaders are, how they lead,
And, for those students who will eventually spend their lives and careers working with or as part of communities, we want to start them off on the right foot 28