The most pressing social problems facing humanity in the 21st century are what systems theorist Russell Ackoff referred to as "messes"--complex dynamic systems of problems that interact and reinforce each other over time. In this article, the authors argue that the lack of progress in managing messes is in part due to the predominance of…

The purpose of this report is to disseminate the findings from an analysis of the proposals submitted by English councils under the Sustainable Communities Act for England 2007 (SCA), conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in August/September 2009, as requested by the Local Government Association (LGA). It aims to…

The arts can play a role in regeneration of areas of economic, social, cultural, and environmental disadvantage. Field study of four arts projects in Scotland identified (1) the need for community consultation and involvement; (2) uses of hard and soft data; (3) strategic use of the arts within overall community regeneration policy; and (4) the…

Two approaches for evaluating community development are: community stories--locally developed ethnographies for community-led change; and sponsor-backed evaluation using coproduced indicators and standards. (SK)

This report documents results of Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester Neighborhood Transformation (NT) Initiative, focusing on key decisions that helped shape the initiative. NT was one of the first attempts to systematically bring together diverse strands of thinking about comprehensive community change to overcome conditions that undermine…

One of the expressed aims of the Teacher Corps project is to encourage community members to develop their own potential for self-development. The present course on Community-Based Education (CBE) has been constructed with this goal in mind. The central issues of the course are presented in modularized format in an attempt to guide the first steps…

Documenting the impact of 1978-79 Community Resource Development (CRD) projects, this national study presents data in response to a congressional mandate calling for assessment of the consequences and effectiveness of Community Resource Development projects. The report presents findings derived from questionnaires sent to 47 state CRD leaders, 120…

A 1979-1980 nation-wide study of 113 Community Resource Development (CRD) projects evaluated socio-economic impacts, as seen by CRD staff, state leaders, and knowledgeable citizens. Questionnaires were sent to the three groups to determine consequences of the programs in the categories of family income, community facilities and services, public…

The evaluation of three Ford Foundation supported Community Development Corporation (CDC) programs with performance relative to output targets (milestones) that are both identifiable and quantifiable are presented in this paper. The milestone targets, developed in 1973 for the following year, are targets over which the CDC would legitimately be…

The workbook which was the subject of this evaluation was prepared to aid disenfranchised community groups participate in the nonprofessional planning and decisionmaking process. It was written at a time when extensive technical assistance to local groups concerned with community planning and housing situations was envisioned. The intent behind…

Examines the effect of community development projects on Detroit (Michigan) over the past decade. Concludes that community development has failed to increase the number of jobs available and has contributed to neighborhood deterioration. (FMW)

Data were gathered from Community Resource Development (CRD) field staff and from knowledgeable citizens, to obtain multiple indicators of the impact of CRD projects on economic and noneconomic changes and to assess the degree to which special client/audiences had shared in positive and negative consequences resulting in part from the CRD program.…

The systematic, practical ideas presented for improving the quality of life in a community are based on the belief that people, working together, sometimes with and through local government and sometimes through the vigorous efforts of voluntary organizations and associations, can help their communities increasingly become the kinds of places that…

In 1965 Concerted Services in Training and Education (CSTE) began operation in three selected rural counties of New Mexico, Arkansas, and Minnesota with objectives of: (1) developing general operational patterns for alleviation and solution of occupational education problems, (2) identifying employment opportunities and occupational education…

This monograph is devoted to the first Ford Foundation Gray Area Project in Oakland, California. In 1961, the Foundation granted $2 million for an interagency project whose goals were to: (1) reverse the process of social disorganization, (2) accelerate the integration of newcomers, (3) salvage and improve human resources, (4) preserve a…