The Process of CED

The Process of CED

The ultimate goal of community economic development is to improve the quality of life in communities. As a strategy of development, CED integrates both economic development and community development approaches. This integrative approach responds to community needs in a holistic manner to solve problems and to build local capacity. The CED approach is a process characterised by the activities of awareness raising, education, self-help and joint effort.

As awareness of a community problem (or need) increases, the inquiry into the situation leads to a search for knowledge about the context of the situation. Learning helps to further define the nature of the problem and to identify the opportunities for addressing the problem. Those problems which demand a response will impel the community to move forward to determine what can be done through community action. The community will assess how it can help itself, often in partnership with government or others who can offer resources, but led by those who are most directly affected by the problem. Any proposed initiatives will require community members to pool resources and effort; to work together to create a strategy for change and an initiative that focuses action.

The process of CED is thus characterized by:

Awareness Raising,
Education,
Self-Help, and
Joint Effort.

Awareness Raising

CED is about raising awareness of pertinent issues that effect communities. As an awareness raising process, CED helps citizens to undertake social, economic or personal development initiatives. Awareness raising occurs through processes that facilitate reflection and integration of experience. Therefore, CED can help create an evolving understanding the community strengths, opportunities, threats and weaknesses.

Through an investigative and exploratory information gathering process, CED asks the following questions:

Asking, 'What does the community want?,' helps to describe problems and to develop goals and objectives.

Asking, 'What does the community have?,' allows the community to identify the resources and potential inputs that can be deployed to achieve goals and objectives.

Asking, 'How can the community use what it has to achieve what it wants?,' focuses on formulating strategies and tactics.

Asking, 'What will happen when the community gets what it wants?,' addresses the potential impact of the CED activity.

Education
Self-Help
Joint Effort

Education

Education increases understanding of the complex and changing institutional systems that shape community life, such as the state, the private sector and the voluntary sector. As an educational process, CED critically examines the nature of the economy and resource use. The relationship between urban and rural communities, cultural and social diversity, and technology use are forces of change that are also important areas of analysis.

A critical perspective of how all these elements interact can illuminate trends and help citizens to gain understanding of what works, what doesnít and what might. Increased understanding often leads to increased citizen involvement and desire to take action. CED facilitates and directs action by providing the knowledge and skills that can enable people to develop strategies and tactics to address their current problems, thus developing immediate solutions and/or more enduring alternatives.

Self-Help
Joint Effort.

Self-Help

Although governments and other institutions have their unique roles and responsibilities in community development, a pro-active community following a CED approach does not wait for institutions to respond to community needs. Individuals within a community have responsibilities to the place and people where they live collectively and must seize opportunities to offer support and assistance to each other.

Networking and communication draws in ideas and helps to access local talents. Recognition of existing community capacity encourages leadership, creativity and vision. Community problem solving is strengthened by identifying shared values, expressing them through shared vision and planning, and then re-enforcing these values through action.

A community that actively practices the integration of economic, social and ecological concerns will help each other to respond to local challenges and opportunities. Such self-help initiatives combine caring and responsibility and lead to a growing capacity to respond.

Joint Effort

Joint Effort

A participatory, consensus seeking approach is vital to developing CED initiatives. There is a need for collaborative discussion and reflection on specific practical problems (e.g., providing training, improving health, strengthening the local economy, increasing the availability of housing and employment within the community). As well, the resulting actions will usually involve individuals, households and groups in joint efforts. Through such collaborative and co-operative action, those pursuing conventional economic development and those pursuing socially focused community development are brought together for a practical purpose.

Copyright 1997, Simon Fraser University Community Economic Development Centre, unless prior copyright is indicated herein. You are welcome to make a copy for your own use, provided this copyright paragraph is included in full and credit is given. For any other duplication or distribution purpose (profit or non-profit), please contact the CED Centre, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada, V5A 1S6, Phone (604) 291 5850, Fax (604) 291-5473