On this page:

Building Community Capacity: Resources for Community Learning and Development Practice: A Guide Compiled by the Scottish Community Development Centre for Learning Connections

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Section Five: Planning, management and assessment

Planning, management and assessment: resources that help community organisations plan, manage and assess their work effectively

The best guide to assessing the capacity and effectiveness of a community, including its organisations, networks, and level of support is undoubtedly Assessing Community Strengths. It contains useful checklists, and unlike most other community assessment tools, focuses on the capacity for change, rather than on needs or issues. For community groups and organisations we recommend Changing Places: Changing Lives, designed to help such groups assess their impact on the quality of life in their community.

Key resources

  • Assessing community strengths: A practical handbook for planning capacity building, Steve Skinner and Mandy Wilson
  • Changing Places: Changing Lives - Understanding and developing the impact of your organisation, BASSAC

Recommended resources

  • Planning for your community: a Sourcebook, Alan Caldwell Associates
  • Action Checklists for Capacity Building/ Capacity Building Action Checklists: A Guide for Community Groups, Adept Community Development Agency
  • Measuring Community Capacity Resource Kit, Horizons Community Development Associates
  • A good practice guide to participative community appraisal in Wales, Communities First Support Network
  • Communities count! a step by step guide to community sustainability indicators, Alex MacGillivray, Candy Weston & Catherine Unsworth

Other resources

  • Aberdeenshire Organisational Health Check materials
  • Have You Been PA'd? Using Participatory Appraisal to shape local services," Oxfam
  • 'Participatory Learning and Action: A trainer's guide,' International Institute for Environment and Development
  • Scottish Community Action Research Fund ( SCARF) guidance, SCDC / Communities Scotland
  • Community Research - Getting Started, ARVAC

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Page updated: Tuesday, December 11, 2007