SCDC

Strengthening Scotland's Communities


The Scottish Community Development Centre was funded by Learning Connections to deliver the Strengthening Scotland's Communities programme on Community Capacity Building (CCB).  The practice development programme was designed to improve understanding of CCB as one of the three national priorities for Community Learning and Development and used to promote the new national CCB Resource Guide.  To download a copy of the guide click here

 

The programme comprised 20 events across that were attended by over 200 participants working at different levels and across a range of sectors.  The events included:

 

  • Strengthening Scotland's Communities Briefings
  • Planning a Community Capacity Building Strategy
  • Achieving Community Change
  • Effective Community Organisations

A number of issues emerged from these events which are useful when considering how CCB practice can be further developed in Scotland.  SCDC submitted a report of the programme to Learning Connections giving recommendations on how to take the development of CCB practice forward.  To download a copy of this report click here

 

SCDC can still provide these workshops to interested organisations.  Their intended audience and content is described below.

 

Planning a Community Capacity Building Strategy
This workshop is primarily for managers or senior staff in Community Learning and Development or other sectors responsible for taking forward a capacity building strategy - either at authority-wide level in a community planning context, at organisational level for community / voluntary organisations or at a local level when planning a capacity building plan for a locality or interest area. The workshop covers:

 

  • Assessment of needs and issues in relation to Community Capacity Building
  • Linking capacity building to engagement and community planning
  • Identifying capacity building resources and support
  • Reviewing the components of a capacity building strategy

 

Achieving Community Change
This practitioner / community organisation workshop gets to grips with the ways communities can best prepare their case for change, build alliances and support, and develop strategies for change and sustain change.  It is primarily for community organisations and practitioners working with them.  The workshop covers:

 

  • Assessing needs and issues
  • Assessing community strengths and weaknesses
  • Building alliances
  • Researching, preparing and presenting a case
  • Advocating and negotiating

Effective Community Organisations
These practitioner / community organisation workshops begin with the question of what makes for an effective and credible community organisation.  It looks at issues of leadership, learning, representation, influence, sustainability and impact.  The workshops are based on and informed by the National Standards for Community Engagement.  The workshop covers:

 

  • Maximising community involvement and accountability
  • Engaged excluded groups
  • Working together and working with others
  • Planning and purpose
  • Learning lessons and feeding in