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| People living and working in rural Scotland have never been more keen to be brought into the centre of their local development. They are a valuable asset to rural areas capable of giving expert local opinion to agencies who are willing to ask and will give positive help in return. |
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| This report is aimed at local authorities, agencies and local partnerships who want to involve rural communities in their plans for development. It advocates a model of getting close to local people and finding out their preferences for local development. |
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| The Approach |
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| The report advocates use of the CADISPA model for agencies to get close to local people and find out their preferences for local development. CADISPA stands for Conservation And Development In Sparsely Populated Areas and aims to engage rural communities with the intention of enabling them to work towards a more sustainable future. |
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| At the heart of the CADISPA approach is close involvement by local people and their control of a project from the very beginning. |
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| Key Issues |
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| The Case for Participation - Local people know the intricate details of their life in their community, its strengths and weaknesses and what has, and has not, worked in their locality. Local agencies know that their success is dependent upon local people feeling that their needs are being met and that their concerns are being heard and acted upon. |
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The Advantages of Local Participation - The benefits of making local people central to the development process are: - Local support, understanding and commitment
- Lack of friction and blocking action
- Effective and high grade political benefits.
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| What options are open to a Local Authority? - Local authorities and agencies have responsibilities to the wider community, as well as being bound by political and resource constraints. The report describes a range of options open to authorities and agencies but advocates a full participation process which engages local people in policy design, implementation and feedback, and seeks to make them central to decision making based on an understanding about resourcing, prioritisation and possibilities. |
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| Local people want to be involved - The CADISPA model begins with the assumption that full participation is the way in which local people will feel most able to support and own their development agenda; however, it recognises that the resource constraints on local authorities will make for difficult choices. |
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| How to Participate - Existing community groups should be used to gain accurate information and opinion from local people. By doing this, an agency is acknowledging that ordinary people are credible, able, interested, committed and important: |
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| Building Capacity - In making contact with an existing group agencies are asking to be allowed access in a way which services agency needs whilst contributing to the group's aims and skills. A "soft" contract - that is, one which is flexible and friendly - should be made with local groups whereby the agency gains access to the group, and, in return, helps the group to pursue its own agenda. |
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| Reflecting on Policy - Many existing groups will have a long term programme of work. The agency should be aware of this and adapt to it or seek more formally negotiated time from local people. With a partnership, either is possible. |
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| Models of Participation - The choice open to agency workers is to: work with the group in developing an issue-based agenda drawn from their locality and personal experience and reflect this against agency policy; or declare the agency interest and agenda and ask people to match this to their experience and locality. |
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| The first model runs as a partnership with local people and their programme, whereas the second runs as a contract with local people in a negotiated and specific part of their programme. |
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| Role of Community Development Agent: The Animator - Central to either of these models is the role of Community agent or animator. Local groups will not work with an animator who does not understand and practice sensitive groupwork skills, and who does not have a clear understanding of purpose. The worker should also be clear about their role as supporter and advocate and understand the agency limitation upon them. The group must have increased capacity following the intervention of the animator, not increased dependency. |
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| Review Cycle - In the review cycle, the animator engages the group in reflection on the action they have taken. For local people, this is a valuable technique which helps them achieve a much more critical and informed position about a particular issue. The information generated can also inform the agency of the preferences which local people have for development. |
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| Leaving the Group - The process by which an agency withdraws from the group must be handled sensitively. It must be planned and carried out in such a way that the sustainability of the group is maintained. |
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| 'New Ideas in Rural Development: No 3 - Involving Rural Communities: The CADISPA Approach', the research report which is summarised in this Research Findings, is available priced £2.50. |
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Cheques should be made payable to The Stationery Office and addressed to:
The Stationery Office,
Mail Order Department,
21 South Gyle Crescent,
Edinburgh EH12 9EB
Telephone: 0131-479 3141, or Fax: 0131-479 3142. The report can also be ordered online from:www.thestationeryoffice.co.uk |
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Further copies of this Research Findings may be obtained from:
The Scottish Office Central Research Unit
Room 2J CRU
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Telephone: 0131-244 7560 |