Themes:

• Building capacity
• Effective relationships
• Increasing influence

Level 5 illustration:

Building capacity

Leaders at all levels, support partners, staff and volunteers well to identify and work with communities of interest and/or geography. Our work is clearly based on identified community needs and is almost always planned with communities. We work together very well to identify, plan and deliver community development in line with legislation. Capacity building support is delivered to a high standard and on time. It is appropriately resourced and reaches those communities with the greatest needs. We are skilled at tailoring programmes to meet individual and changing needs, including using a variety of delivery methods such as digital technologies as appropriate. This increases the capacity of activists and volunteers and supports them to progress, including taking up leadership roles. As a result, communities are better able to work collectively to co-produce and co-deliver in response to change. They are confident in planning and evaluating the difference they are making and recognising their contribution to decision making, building strong, resilient and empowered communities.

Effective relationships

Our partnership working with communities is based on mutual trust and is valued and respected. Communication is clear and regular. Practitioners are experienced and well supported by leaders in building respectful, inclusive, trusting and equitable relationships with communities. As a result, practitioners' relationships with communities includes an appropriate balance of relevant challenge and support. As practitioners, we understand and help in managing the differing expectations of communities. We achieve consensus and resolution of conflict whenever possible but also ensure decisions are made in a timely manner. We have a strong understanding of the social, political, economic and environmental influences on communities. As result, strong relationships influence decision making and communities report high levels of satisfaction with the support they receive.

Increasing influence

Leaders at all levels value community organisations and representatives as equal partners to make informed decisions about communities of interest and/or geography. In line with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, policies, planning structures and resource allocations reflect a commitment to co-production with communities. This supports a wide range of community members to participate in decision-making processes. We work well with our partners to gather efficiently the views of people of all ages to help inform decisions. We take a well-supported, fair and sustainable approach to moving greater control to community organisations and local people. This may include financial support, help with governance arrangements or professional advice and information. As a result, community empowerment and influence is increasingly informing decision-making processes and the targeting of shared resources.

Challenge questions:

1. How well do we plan our community capacity building offer so that it is clearly based on the identified needs, priorities and aspirations of all stakeholders?
2. Is our community capacity building support delivered to a high standard? What standards do we use to monitor and measure this?
3. How well do we use flexible approaches, including using digital technologies, to ensure that the support we provide to community groups and organisations is effective, appropriate, timely and best meets their needs?
4. How well do we support community groups and organisations to plan, manage and evaluate their work and comply with legislation?
5. How effectively do we anticipate and plan for social, economic, environmental, demographic and policy changes to ensure our services continue to be relevant and responsive to our communities?
6. To what extent are we building the resilience and preparedness of our communities to engage in learning and actions relating to climate justice, the protection of biodiversity and the transition to a net-zero society to realise the ambitions of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
7. How do we know our relationships with communities are respectful, inclusive, equitable and built on mutual trust?
8. How well do we invest in and use workforce development to enhance our capacity and the capacity of partners to support and work with communities?
9. How successfully do we work with partners, including community organisations and activists, to develop policies, plans and services?
10. How well are our plans and services based on identified need? Do they have good buy-in and are mutually beneficial and well understood by all stakeholders?
11. How effectively do we enable community members to take on responsibility and progress in a way that is appropriate, well-supported and sustainable?
12. How effectively do our policies, plans, resource allocations, and practice, ensure appropriate representation, recognise and address power imbalances and shift greater control to the community?
13. How well do our policies, planning structures and resource allocations reflect the aspirations set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015?