Quick Tips

Improve the ability of communities to manage the environment effectively and sustainably through training, policy development, and institutional strengthening. Activities build on educational programs to create social capital for effective and sustainable participation.

For more information about when to use capacity building, consult one or more of the following Knowledge Areas:

• Communication Principles
• Principles of Adult Education
• Principles of Environmental Education
• Leadership Development Principles
• Civic Empowerment Principles
• Citizen Participation/Community Involvement Principles
• Non-Economic Social Science Applications
• Social Marketing Principles

QUICK TIPS

1. Work in or with representative groups, including the target audience (i.e. the people who collaborate represent all the interests associated with the issue).

2. Work towards a positive outcome to a specific concern.

3. Relate actions to long-term community vision and goals.

4. Take into consideration the community as a whole.

• Evaluate context
• Consider sociopolitical, economic, historical, cultural influences
• Look to the future

5. Build on locally existing skills and resources and scale actions appropriately to community resources and skills.

6. Generate and make use of data about the local condition.

7. Involve citizens in gathering and analyzing data.

8. Respect, encourage, and reward local initiative.

9. With public officials, build skills for:

• Education as part of policy development and implementation.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to environmental issues and for facilitating community engagement.

10. Work with public officials to offer avenues for participation which are competent, fair, and enhance involvement for all levels of responsibility.