Building the capacity of local groups

Objectives To be an effective group in working and acting together To improve record and note keeping To enhance the communication and openness within a group To encourage groups to take positive, autonomous action without outside interventi... More >>

Aim  broad, long-term, important goal.    Assumption  the hope that something wanted will happen.  Co-ordinate  to manage activities by working together with others. E-mail message sent by computer.    Evaluate  to study or measure the signific... More >>

Understanding how a group works can be rather like understanding how an onion is made! All we see of the onion is the outside layer unless we cut it open and see the different layers inside. All we usually see of a group are the people and the re... More >>

Within a community, there will be many situations where health workers, farmers, teachers, extension workers and others need to work alongside or co-operate with other people. Successful co-operation needs understanding of other people’s views, con... More >>

One person working alone may feel unable to do much to change their situation. They may have no confidence to make changes, take action or speak out. A group of people who share the same situation, commitment and values, however, can achieve a gr... More >>

A good leader should provide a stable base for a group, should be able to inspire group members to take action, should be able to keep the group united, should have the confidence to speak out if things go wrong and should always be open to new ide... More >>

There are three kinds of leadership: Leaders who command – they make decisions on behalf of the group and allow little or no discussion with group members. In times of trouble, this may be necessary but in other situations it is unlikely to encou... More >>

Discuss the purpose of the group. What kind of leadership style will be needed? What particular knowledge and skills might be helpful? The likelihood is that there will be no-one in the group who will make a perfect leader, but there may be someone... More >>

A leader may often take the role of Chairperson during meetings, but the two roles are different and can be done by different people. During meetings a Chairperson needs to: carefully explain issues under discussion and regularly review where the... More >>

The role of a Secretary is to provide support for the Chairperson, to keep careful notes and to organise the smooth running of the group. A Secretary needs to be: literate so that a record (minutes) can be made of all the important points discuss... More >>

A Treasurer may have many roles. They need to be: trustworthy able to keep careful records of all money paid in – as contributions, fees or sale of produce, and of all money paid out – as loans, or expenses able to look after the group’s mone... More >>

The role of an animator is rarely given a formal title within a group. However within most successful groups there will be at least one animator. These are people who bring new ideas, enthusiasm and a vision for making change possible. They rarely ... More >>

Groups are made up of all kinds of people but there are a few types that can be found in nearly all groups: Complainers – people who rarely find anything good in other people’s views and decisions and are quick to complain. Know-it-alls – peopl... More >>

How often are meetings dominated by one or two ‘important people’ telling everyone what they should be doing? How productive is this kind of meeting? Are people more likely to become involved in taking action if they have been involved in the decis... More >>

A new group must take time to carefully agree on the purpose of the group. Most groups come together because members all have an interest in a similar idea. This is usually the main ‘aim’ of the group. However, they should first meet with others ... More >>

Once a group has agreed its objectives it can begin to take action. For successful activities, it is always helpful to first plan them carefully and put them in order of priority. The Five Finger Questions are a very good way of planning: Discu... More >>

When a group plan their aims and activities, it is easy to be positive and to assume everything will go well. However, all kinds of things may change how planned activities work out. Often things don’t turn out as planned. When planning activitie... More >>

Consider what the signs of progress will be for various different activities planned. How can you measure whether there has been any progress? If you think health, agriculture or income may have improved a bit as a result of your planned activities... More >>

A group with clear objectives and plans will usually find it has a need for new skills or more information. Sometimes these can be found within the community or nearby and can be arranged informally. Sometimes group members do not know where to fin... More >>

Within the local community there are often many valuable sources of information. Elder people in particular are often a huge store of information about the local environment, cultural traditions and customs, and the uses of local plants and animals... More >>

New ideas often require new sources of information and resources. All groups need to develop their methods of obtaining such new information. This will often mean building relationships with individuals in organisations, especially where they may b... More >>

Clear, brief and accurate records should be kept of every meeting. Good records (minutes) mean that any disagreements about decisions made can quickly be checked. They can also be used to look back and check progress. Good records should also be ... More >>

Contact with groups in similar situations and with similar objectives can be very rewarding. Each group can bring different experiences to share. Networking with several such groups may be even more rewarding. Usually one group or individual needs ... More >>

However much a group has managed to achieve, there will always be many more things that can be done. Sometimes a group will be very successful in some of its actions, whereas other actions may prove of little use. It’s always good to set aside time... More >>

These Bible studies are designed to use in small groups. They may provide a useful introduction to a meeting where different topics from the Guide are being discussed. Choose a study that will be linked to the topic you plan to study or that is relev... More >>