A note: What needs attention?

Think+DO Tank Foundation seeks to disrupt the status quo of community engagement that presumes to know what it is that we are solving for, and that proposes solutions for community members to comment upon.

Instead, we think there is a preliminary inquiry to be made. Into which challenges should we be investing our attention and resources? We ask:
What would make life here easier, better or more affordable?

Many community engagement methodologies ask you to name the problem or purpose before you begin to engage with community members.

We don’t think you can do that without a preliminary dialogue with the relevant community about what they experience as the challenge or problem or issue to be worked upon.

Here are links to:

(Think+DO Tank Foundation, Sydney Australia).

 

Mapping Assets

Here is a selection of assets to help you with:

  • assets-based mapping
    (what useful skills, institutions, networks, skills and energies are or could be in play) (ABCD Institute, DePaul University, Chicago USA)

  • empathy mapping
    (getting inside the head of your users) (Tamarack Institute, Canada)

COVID Recovery Assets

This is a useful toolkit about emergent practice as we begin to think about our work after lockdown - what should be ditched, what should be developed and strengthened, and what might need to be brought back into play?

Thank you RSA (Royal Society for arts, manufactures and commerce) for this guide (RSA, UK).

RSA Download

Planning for change

Ready to design a new service or offer? The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) has some useful tools to help.

Develop your Theory of Change with this tool.

Theory of Change Tool

Design a purposive service or offer with this tool.

Service Blueprint Tool

(TACSI, Adelaide, Australia)

Lining up your Library’s Culture with your Community Engagement Intentions

We talked a little about the importance of attending to your internal governance and systems of work - what is valued, what is rewarded - to ensure that the community engagement strategies you propose to undertake are sustainable.

If you’re looking for help in doing that, here is a great open source tool from Fearless Culture.

Culture Design Canvas

(Fearless Culture, USA)

Aotearoa Local Expertise

Looking for help closer to home? We admire the work of Inspiring Communities, a New Zealand based community development agency.