Section 1: Setting and Resetting the Stage
Community Systems Development first begins when a group of people realize a need to work with others to achieve common goals in a community. In some cases, an organization or community resident decides to establish a collaboration.
Other times, state or funder requirements compel organizations or communities to participate in collaborative efforts. In either case, participating in a collaborative requires the recognition that there is work to be done that cannot be accomplished by a single individual or organization, and that others in the community have a stake in the process and outcomes and have something valuable to contribute.
Activities centered on finding the right people to participate in the effort, establishing a process for working together, and ensuring a shared vision are critical steps in planning for collaboration and building a community systems development approach. There are a number of variables to consider in this component of the collaboration building effort.
The work of setting and resetting the stage is broken down through the following subsections; click on a subsection to learn more about the activities included and find available tools.