Developing Neighborhood Governance What is neighborhood governance The

Developing Neighborhood Governance

What is “neighborhood governance”? The entire neighborhood works together and is involved in achieving the community goal Continuing to learn and implement ways for each neighborhood to work on behalf of children Everyone in the neighborhood connects with each other and with the community’s strengths and resources to reach the community goal. A locally owned and managed group that lead the Good Neighborhoods work and is accountable for the results

A variety of ways There is no one way for a neighborhood to create a neighborhood governance body Many examples exist We’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of 4 examples: Select a lead partner Convene voluntary task forces Appoint a Board of Directors through community-wide elections Use a local foundation to convene a collaborative board

Tips for considering each model Remember -- these are only examples! They can be combined or changed to work best for your community You can come up with something entirely different! Keep in mind a few key questions: Function: What should the group do? Charge: What is it responsible for? Representation: What is the role of residents and community-based organizations? Resources: What is needed so that the group can be effective? Relationships: How will the group interact with other partners, public officials, and the community-at-large?

Model 1 -- Select a lead partner A local community-based organization is responsible for providing local leadership of Good Neighborhoods Residents consider organizations’ proposals and select one (or more lead) partners The lead partner develops the overall plan for the community, builds skills to carry out the plan, and gathers evaluation data

Model 1 -- Select a lead partner ADVANTAGES Builds upon existing organizations and expertise instead of creating something new Identifies a clear partner responsible for leading the Good Neighborhoods work DISADVANTAGES May be difficult to find the right partner Other partners may feel resentful Takes time to grow into and fulfill role of lead partner

Model 2 -- Convene voluntary task forces A group of interested people and organizations work together to plan strategies to meet the community goal Task forces are eligible for workshops, leadership development opportunities, capacity building assistance, and in-kind services Some funding might be set aside to support plans Our Good Neighborhoods Action Planning Teams are examples of voluntary task forces

Model 2 -- Convene voluntary task forces ADVANTAGES The most overall participation – anyone can get involved Builds on strategies suggested by the neighborhood DISADVANTAGES No one group is responsible for an overall plan Task forces might come up with conflicting strategies Residents not participating in a task force may not know how to get involved

Model 3 -- Appoint a Board through community elections The board works with the community liaison to oversee the work of Good Neighborhoods and get other residents involved The neighborhood would determine the structure of the Board meetings are open to entire neighborhood Used by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Boston

Model 3 -- Appoint a Board through community elections ADVANTAGES The most resident participation – from voting to running for the board Seats can be set aside to represent groups Regular elections allow for changes in leadership DISADVANTAGES Board members are likely to have a wide range of experience, so training needs to be ongoing Takes time and effort to establish the board

Model 4 -- Use a foundation to convene a collaborative board The foundation selects a project director and recruits representatives to serve as the governing body for each Good Neighborhood Each governing body is made up of residents, business owners, and professionals The governing body is responsible for organizing the neighborhood around the community goal and planning specific activities Over time, these collaborative boards can incorporate as separate non-profit organizations

Model 4 -- Use a foundation to convene a collaborative board ADVANTAGES A clearly identified group of community representatives Allows for time to gain comfort and capacity through participation before taking on full decision-making authority DISADVANTAGES Neighborhood does not have full decision-making authority