In this groundbreaking book, Tom Wolff spells out six proven principles for creating collabo- rative solutions for healthy communities. The Power of Collaborative Solutions addresses contemporary social problems by helping people of diverse circumstances and backgrounds work together to solve community challenges. Filled with clear principles, illustrative stories, and practical tools, this book shows how to make lasting change really happen.
Praise for The Power of Collaborative Solutions
"This is a truly transformative book and a must-read. Tom Wolff crafts a path to change that is at once visionary and achievable."
?MEREDITH MINKLER, professor of health and social behavior, University of California, Berkeley, and coauthor, Community-Based Participatory Research for Health (Jossey-Bass, 2008)
"If you want to bring about sustained positive change in your community, read this book. The stories will inspire you, and the lessons will shine a light on your leadership path."
?TYLER NORRIS, founding president, Community Initiatives
"Here you'll find not just theory, but also the hard-won, down-to-earth detail on how to make collaboration work where you live and act."
?BILL BERKOWITZ, professor emeritus of psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
"Tom has a tremendous fount of knowledge, and he knows just what to do with it and how to help others use it. His kind and commonsensical manner means that his intellect is accessible."
?LINDA BOWEN, executive director, Institute for Community Peace, Washington, D.C.
Web Contents ix
Foreword xi
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi
The Author xxiii
Chapter 1: Why Collaborative Solutions? How Our Helping Systems Are Failing Us 1
Community Solutions Demand a New, Collaborative Approach 3
How Our Traditional Community Problem-Solving Methods Fail 4
What Does This Tell Us, and What Do We Do Next? 21
Chapter 2: Building Healthy Communities Through Collaborative Solutions: An Overview of Six Key Principles 25
1. Encourage True Collaboration as the Form of Exchange 26
2. Engage the Full Diversity of the Community, Especially Those Most Directly Affected 27
3. Practice Democracy and Promote Active Citizenship and Empowerment 28
4. Employ an Ecological Approach That Builds on Community Strengths 29
5. Take Action by Addressing Issues of Social Change and Power on the Basis of a Common
Vision 31
6. Engage Spirituality as Your Compass for Social Change 32
Community Story: The Cleghorn Neighborhood Center 33
Chapter 3: Encouraging True Collaboration 43
Networking 44
Coordination 45
Cooperation 46
Collaboration 48
Learning to Collaborate: Risks, Resources, Rewards, and Responsibilities 50
What If . . . 51
Community Story: The North Quabbin Community Coalition 53
Chapter 4: Engaging the Full Diversity of the Community 67
Mini-Grants 72
Leadership Development 73
Community Outreach Workers 75
Community Organizers 76
Experiment with Simple Options to Engage Community Members 77
Community Story: The Mayor's Task Force on Deinstitutionalization 83
Chapter 5: Practicing Democracy 95
How Much Participation Do We Want? 98
How Do We Encourage Democratic Participation? 102
More Ways to Support the Practice of Democracy 105
Community Story: Valuing Our Children 109
Chapter 6: Employing an Ecological Approach That Builds on Community Strengths 123
Assets and Deficits 126
Setting the Stage to Move from Assets to Action 128
Healthy Communities: A Model Ecological Approach 131
Healthy Communities in Action 135
Community Stories: The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and The Lower/Outer Cape Community Coalition 138
Community Story: The Institute for Community Peace and The Santa Barbara Pro-Youth Coalition 147
Chapter 7: Taking Action and Working for Social Change 155
Key Factors for Coalitions in Successfully Creating Community Change 156
Creating a Common Vision 157
Community Action to Create Community Change 157
Addressing Issues of Social Change and Power 164
Addressing Issues of Social Change in Collaborative Efforts 168
Power-Based Versus Relationship-Based Social Change 179
Barack Obama's Election and the Future of Collaborative Solutions 181
Community Story: Health Access Networks 186
Chapter 8: Engaging Spirituality as Your Compass for Social Change 197
What Really Works? 198
The Current Helping System: How It Is Stuck and How We Can Free It 201
Overcoming the Limitations with the Help of Spiritual Principles 204
It's Profound, It's Not Easy . . . but It's Within Our Reach 226
Community Story: Bringing It All Back to Earth:
The Spiritual Essence of a Regular Meeting of the North Quabbin Community Coalition 229
Conclusion 235
Appendix: Evaluation: Assessing Our Progress and Celebrating Our Success 239
Questions an Evaluation Can Help Answer 240
Community Participation in Evaluation 241
Frameworks for Evaluating Coalitions 242
Documentation and Evaluation in Action: Community Stories 247
Conclusion 264
References 265
Index 279
