Strategic Plan: Community Capacity Building

First 5 LA's new strategic plan refers to community capacity building as "building and strengthening the ability of communities and community residents to support desired changes in the well-being of children and families."  In other words, First 5 LA will work with community members, organizations, and leaders to identify their own needs, and help give them the tools to close the gaps themselves in the 10 to 20 communities in which First 5 LA will focus its place-based investments.

An example of this would be First 5 LA helping build upon the leadership and advocacy skills of community members so they can organize and advocate for what they believe children in their community need. This approach leads to policy change not only in a specific community but also has the potential to create long-term policy change countywide.

In preparation for planning community capacity building strategies, First 5 LA held a panel discussion with three experts at First 5 LA's November Joint Planning Committee Meeting (JPCM). The panel was exceptionally helpful in framing the opportunities and challenges that First 5 LA may encounter in implementing capacity building strategies. Panelists included:

• Robert Chaskin, associate professor and deputy dean for strategic initiatives at the University of Chicago. Chaskin focuses his research on community organizing and development, community social organization, and other social change efforts. At the JPCM, he addressed topics that included defining community capacity building, effective strategies, lessons learned and expected outcomes.

• Diana Marie Lee, consultant and former vice president for the National Community Development Institute. She discussed the realities of implementing community capacity  work, including planning efforts, the importance of asset mapping, and potential models of implementation.

• Marqueece Harris-Dawson, executive director of Community Coalition. Harris-Dawson spoke to the interaction of funders with the community, the role of funding in capacity building, and the values that must be clear from the start.

First 5 LA will utilize the expertise and experience provided by the panelists to continue planning efforts that will include developing a menu of capacity building strategies that communities may select from based upon their assets and needs.

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