The UK-based Changes consultancy presents a framework called ‘Voice’ to help community groups and networks assess and improve the influence (and leadership) that they have on agencies and partnerships.

The ‘two axes’ in ‘Voice’ ( XX and YY) plot existing capacity to influence against how influential a group is, according to the views of members of the group.

It can be used to:

1. assess and monitor community influence,
2. prompt discussion and debate within groups, and
3. help plan how to become more influential.

It’s beauty is the discipline it has in bringing together multiple perspectives, creating some shared order and strategy.

For more, including resources to download, visit the Changesuk.net website.

Paul Born, President of Tamarack (http://tamarackcommunity.ca),  recently spent a day in Auckland as part of a six city stop in Australasia presenting workshops on his book “Community Conversations, Community Engagement and Change”.

Paul is a great story teller and has many fabulous stories to tell. 120 people attended the workshop from right throughout Aotearoa.   Paul started the  workshop  by providing a useful reminder about the strategic context for conversations– solving complex problems . The reality is that many of the problems we seek to solve in communities cannot be solved by one agency working alone. The answers instead lie with multiple agencies talking and working together. The most effective strategies usually involve implementing multiple courses of action, seeing what works and doesn’t, and continually working within a framework of plan-act-review, plan-act-review.

“Conversation is not just about what is said; it is also what happens between people…it is part of a much larger process of change”

Philanthropy New Zealand's Grantmaker's Toolkit was launched in Auckland in March 2010, and was immediately put to good use providing the basis for two seminars on the Essentials of Grantmaking.

The Toolkit contains ideas, observations and challenges to support any grantmaker, whether a beginner or a seasoned player, whether staff, trustee, personal donor or advisor.

That's what this book is about. It's an easy to follow guidebook full of practical tools to help you and your neighbors organise. The lessons, tips, and stories found in this workbook will help you as you prepare for comprehensive, quality-of-life planning in your community.

Download this comprehensive (102 pages) resource from the Indianapolis Neighbourhood Resource Centre as a PDF.

NB: Its a very large file (11MB) so may take some time to download.