Mission Australia's role in community capacity building
Mission Australia's role in community capacity building
The increasing divide between rich and poor is a phenomenon which can be felt on both macro and micro levels. Globally, the gap between developed and developing nations continues to expand. Even in an affluent nation like Australia, the growing divide between job rich and job poor communities continues.
People living in remote and regional areas have suffered greatly from the closure of banks and a general reduction in services. The decline in job opportunities in these areas has left many people with limited opportunities to participate in their community in the numerous social and economic ways many of us take for granted.
As Mission Australia's recent research into community building shows, 'communities are more than just the physical spaces in which we live, work and play. They are as much about the people we interact with in the different facets of our lives, as they are about geographic locations'.
The aim of this research was to determine the extent to which new approaches to community capacity building were being trialed in Australia. Community capacity building refers to the process of increasing the level of human, financial and social capital in disadvantaged communities. There are four approaches needed to build stronger communities: community economic development, social enterprises, community-business partnerships and fostering micro-businesses.
In surveying staff in our community and employment services in 300 locations across Australia, we sought their views on what was happening 'on the ground' in their communities, in terms of capacity building programs and schemes. While the responses cannot claim to be entirely representative of Australia as a whole, the range of services offered by Mission Australia to some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged people gives an indication of what is happening 'at the coal face'.
Most respondents (85%) said they knew of new or innovative programs operating in their area. Although many experts in the area of community capacity building point to the need for more programs, which have an economic as well as a social focus (community economic development), it was disappointing that 'non work related programs' were cited in 50% of all responses we received about new or innovative programs operating in communities. This was somewhat surprising, given that most responses (69%) came from staff in our employment services.
Any attempt to redress the declining fortunes of 'job poor' communities must offer employment opportunities for people, as well as making changes to the social 'feel' of a community. By increasing people's abilities to participate in their community, particularly in economic activities like work and occupational training, we offer people a way to move forward with their lives. An example of a project which does just that is the landscape traineeship program operating in Airds in south west Sydney. Rather than just beautifying the large public housing estates in the area, the project also offers traineeships to the long term unemployed people living on the estates, as the following case study highlights:
Community 2168
Miller, in southwest Sydney, provides an example of a community regeneration project which deliberately moves beyond traditional 'place management' approaches. In the late 1990s, Miller faced some of the problems that have beset many other Australian communities. These include a lack of employment opportunities, the withdrawal of public and private services, high levels of welfare reliance and the motivation of young people in the community proving particularly difficult. Faced with these problems, Liverpool City Council in conjunction with the NSW departments of Health and Housing looked at ways in which they could work together in Miller to rebuild the community.
It was agreed a long term approach was needed to address the area's long standing problems. Leadership was also seen as a critical issue. The project, Community 2168 (after the postcode for the Miller area), is run by a Board of Management comprising representatives of the three government agencies and others operating in the area (eg: schools, charities, police, etc); residents also have a representative on the Board. A project manager for Community 2168 is employed full time to co ordinate the community building projects agreed by the Board of Management.
There has been some criticism that the aims of Community 2168 are yet to be realised - some claim the approach does not provide residents with sufficient opportunities to solve their own problems. However, it should be noted that Community 2168 was originally envisioned as a 'pathfinder' program - where approaches to community regeneration are piloted and evaluated. The aim is to implement best practice lessons from other communities, but also to develop a unique response to the community's problems. As such, the Board of Management is now served by a number of sub-committees which deal with residents' problems on specific issues - leaving the Board to tackle more of the longer term, strategic issues.
Social enterprises are profitable business concepts, which also develop self sustaining solutions to social problems. Although the term is new, social enterprises are not. 'Op shops' are an example of a social enterprise that we are all familiar with and which have assisted many charitable and not for profit organisations in financing their programs and activities.
A slight majority (58%) of respondents to the survey said they had been involved in a social enterprise in some way. This was mostly at the design/planning/set up phase, but other levels of involvement occurred as a result of networking, consultations or providing advice.
Mission Australia's Community Café in Brisbane was formerly a soup kitchen. It has been transformed into a profitable business, which in tandem, contributes to the social needs of the community. The café offers high quality, low cost meals to the whole community. Homeless people, who previously used the soup kitchen, eat side by side with local businesspeople, students and other community members. For people in need, there is a meal credit system (which is highly successful with excellent rates of repayment). The café also provides those in need with access to community workers who help people in overcoming employment and social barriers and get their lives back on track.
Community business partnerships allow both parties to pool their skills and talents to improve social and economic conditions. Businesses are advantaged through the enhancement of their reputation, improved employee morale and their contribution to the community. The majority (81%) of staff in our services provided examples of how they participated in partnerships in their communities. Mostly, these partnerships involved nominating staff to the management committees of other organisations, by sponsoring programs, but also included nominating individuals and local businesses for awards.
There was a strong feeling among the respondents to our survey that communities and individuals place a greater emphasis on the value of partnerships than either business or governments at any level. Three quarters (76%) of respondents felt partnerships were never or seldom initiated by local government, with two thirds (67%) saying the same about business. On the other hand, 65% felt partnerships were often or always initiated by non-government organisations, and 78% said the same about other community groups.
Theses findings contrast with the results of a recent survey by the Centre for Corporate Affairs, which indicated 75% of businesses believe community involvement contributes to their long term sustainability. Given the financial resources and expertise which exist in the business world, community organisations need to be prepared to look at new ways of engaging with companies. Equally, businesses must be prepared to make long term commitments to their local community.
The need for trust was identified in our survey as being the most important factor in partnerships. Almost one in four respondents (23%) identified it as the most important factor, with a further 23% putting it second, and another 12.5% placing it third.
The fostering of micro-businesses is the final approach needed to build stronger communities. Micro-businesses, small operations employing no more than four people, are vital to a community's health. This is due to the local jobs they provide, the cash they circulate through their local economy, the goods and services they buy and sell, and the local networks they foster. Micro-businesses account for more than 800 000 enterprises across Australia, employing in excess of 1.7 million people. A recent study by the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia determined that, overall, some 67% of small businesses (including micro-businesses) support community organisations and activities. This support is estimated to amount to a contribution in the order of $500 million in cash and $1 billion in kind each year.
The research findings reported here are drawn from our recent advocacy statement, there's something different about this place. This report is available on line on our website. In addition, Mission Australia has begun developing an on line database, aimed at helping people and agencies involved in community capacity building. Community organisations, government agencies, individuals and other groups (including business) engaged in community building activities can place details of their project on the database at: http://www.mission.com.au/social/handleProject.asp. When the database goes 'live' in August/September, it will contain listings of a range of community building projects - allowing people to find out more about the different types of activities being trialed across Australia, their results to date, as well as finding out more about specific projects operating in their area. It is envisaged that the database will be accessible through a large number of related community focused sites.
