ASSET BASED COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT
(ABCD)
by Peter Kenyon
Director
Bank of IDEAS
(Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising
Action and Strategies)
14 Bird Road
Kalamunda WA 6076
Phone: 08 6293 1848
Fax: 08 6293 1137
email: pk @ bankofideas.com.au
web: www. bankofideas.com.au
 'Every single person has
capacities, abilities and
gifts.
Living a good life depends
on whether those capacities
can be used, abilities
expressed and gifts given'

(John McKnight,

Communities
have
Communities
deficiencies
and it’s
citizens have
capacities
 COMMUNITY NEEDS MAP

UNEMPLOYMENT TRUANCY

DYSFUNCTIONAL WELFARE
FAMILIES DEPENDENCE

CHILD ABUSE BULLYING

CRIME ILLITERACY

MENTAL GRAFFITI
HEALTH

ALCOHOLISM DRUG
ABUSE
 HOMELESSNESS EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS

COMMUNITY ASSETS MAP

LOCAL INSTITUTIONS
BUSINESS SCHOOLS

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

CLUBS GIFTS OF INDIVIDUALS

YOUNG PEOPLE ARTISTS

SENIOR CITIZENS LOCAL COUNCIL

ALL RESIDENTS LABELLED

PEOPLE

SPORTING CHURCHES
TEAMS

HOSPITAL FACILITIES GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

 ASSET AND RESOURCE MAPPING

 A systematic process for identifying and

detailing resources (individual skills and
organisational resources) and strengths in
a community.

 Focuses on identifying and using the

assets and strengths in the community
rather than emphasising the problems and
deficits.
 Inherently optimistic and rests on the
assumption that everyone has a gift to
give.

Mapped assets are connected and mobilised

for action.

TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY　ABCD　DEVELOPMENT
Top down, outside in Inside out
Weaknesses Strengths
Deficiencies, needs Assets, opportunities

Disabilities Abilities, capacities

Silo provision Collaboration,

Relationships, networking
Consumers of services Producers of services

Dependence on outside Importance of

Professional’s community initiative
And relationships

SOME CONSEQUENCES OF NEEDS AND DEFICIENCY FOCUS

1. INTERNALISATION OF DEFICIENCY IDENTITY BY LOCAL RESIDENTS.

2. DEPENDENCE ON OUTSIDE RESOURCES / PROFESSIONALS TO FIND
AND FIX.
3. OUTSIDE RESOURCES GO INTO ‘NEED’ BOXES.
4. FOCUSES ON ‘LEADERS’ WHO MAGNIFY DEFICIENCIES.
5. REWARDS FAILURES AND ABILITY TO ‘TALK-DOWN’ COMMUNITIES.
6. PERPETUATES DEPENDENCY AND HOPELESSNESS.
STRENGTHS OF COMMUNITY ASSET MAPPING

 A strong community building initiative

 Identifies the community’s individual and
organisational skills and capacities
 Connects resources to community initiatives
 Mobilises residents to address critical community
issues
 Strengthens belief in building community from inside
out
 Builds bridges between groups

COMMUNITY ASSETS

1. TALENTS AND SKILLS OF RESIDENTS

2. ASSOCIATIONS AND NETWORKS
3. INSTITUTIONS
4. PHYSICAL ASSETS – LAND, BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT ETC
5. ECONOMIC ASSETS E.G. LOCAL BUSINESS BASE, CONSUMER
SPENDING POWER ETC
6. HERITAGE AND LOCAL STORIES

MAPPING INDIVIDUAL SKILLS AND CAPACITIES

1. Skills information
2. Community experiences
3. Employment/business interests and
Experiences
4. Gifts/assets
5. Dreams
6. Personal information
 COMMUNITY SKILLS REGISTER

Within all communities there lies an untapped pool of skills,

knowledge and work experiences that can be used in local
development efforts.

A simple skills audit has been used in many communities to

identify these latent skills and interests of residents and their
willingness to share it. Such information needs systematic
recording and can be used to fulfil community needs or to
investigate new initiatives.

The following page provides a simple form for collecting this

type of information. This information then needs tabulating via
Community Skills Register
Our community is rich and diverse in terms of the skills, interests and work experiences of its residents. As a first
step to identifying what skills and talents actually exist we need your help to complete this form.

Please note: Filling out this form is optional. The information you provide will not be shared with other people
without your permission.
Name: ______________________________________________

Postal Address: ________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Telephone: ________________________

Fax: _____________________________

Current Occupation: _____________________________________

Previous occupations: ____________________________________

____________________________________________________

Hobbies: ______________________________________________

Special interests: ________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Other languages spoken besides English: ________________________

Other special skills: _______________________________________

Are you willing to share any of the above skills with others? YES/NO/MAYBE
Thank you for taking the time and effort to complete this form.
If you have any questions or concerns please call (name) on (telephone no)
NEW PROSPECT BAPTIST CHURCH
Cincinnati, OH
Survey Guidelines

INTRODUCTION
My name is ___________. What is your name?
Thank you for coming over. Did someone talk to you about what the ‘Gift Exchange’ is all about? What do you
understand it to be? Basically, we believe that everyone has God-given talents and gifts that can be used to benefit
the community. I’d like to spend a few minutes talking to you about your gifts and skills.

GIFTS
Gifts are abilities that we are born with. We may develop them, but no one has to teach them to us.
1. What positive qualities do people say you have?
2. Who are the people in your life that you give to? How do you give to them?
3. When was the last time you shared with someone else? What was it?
4. What do you give that makes you feel good?

SKILLS
Sometimes we have talents that we’ve acquired in everyday life such as cooking and fixing things.
1. What do you enjoy doing?
2. If you could start a business what would it be?
3. What do you like to do that people would pay you to do?
4. Have you ever made anything? Have you ever fixed anything?

DREAMS
Before you go, I want to take a minute and hear about your dreams – those goals you hope to accomplish.
1. What are your dreams?
2. If you could snap your fingers and be doing anything, what would it be?

CLOSING
First, I’d like to thank you. We’re talking to as many people as we can and what we’d like to do is begin a Wall of
Fame here in the Soup Kitchen highlighting the gifts, skills and dreams of as many people as possible. The ultimate
goal is to find a way to use those gifts in rebuilding the community.

Before you go, can I get your full name? Address? Age?
 APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY IS A POSITIVE
FOCUSSED OPERATION TO CHANGE THAT
CAN BE USED BY INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS,
ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES,
THROUGH AN INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT
FOCUSES ON STRENGTH AND HIGH-POINT
EXPERIENCES. APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
HELPS PARTICIPANTS DISCOVER AND
CREATE A DESIRED FUTURE BASED ON
IDENTIFIED STRENGTH BY LOOKING FOR
STRENGTHS TO ENHANCE INSTEAD OF
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED, APPRECIATIVE
INQUIRY GENERATES HOPE, OPTIMISM AND
ENERGY – POWERFUL FORCES FOR
CHANGE. APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY IS SIMPLY
ABOUT THE COOPERATIVE SEARCH FOR THE
 ASSUMPTIONS OF APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
 Work in the affirmative, continuously seeking to
discover what has and gives life to the community and
it’s members – instead of working from a problem
solving and deficiency paradigm. People can plan best
using the best of what has worked in the past.
 Communities grow toward what they persistently ask
questions about,
 Importance of narrative rich communication – A1 works
through story telling, testimonials and large group
forums,
 Our future images guide our present performance –
positive images enhance community’s performance
and personal motivation. Where images are depressed
or deficient, morale tends to be low,
 Inquiry is inseparable from action. A1 articulates
tomorrows possibilities rather than explains
yesterdays world,
 Inquiry and change are not separate moments. A1
generates conversations about what has worked, the
good, the better and the possible.

SELECT READING LISTS

Kretzman J. R and McKnight J. L (1993) Building Communities From the
Inside Out – A Path Toward Finding and Mobilising a Community’s Assets,
Chicago: The Asset Based Community Institute.

Snow (2001) The Organisation of Hope – A Workbook for Rural Asset – Based
Community Development, Chicago: The Asset - Based Community Institute.

Oklahoma Community Institute (2001), Community Resource Mapping –

Mining Local Resources, Oklahoma City.

Mellish E (2001) The Appreciative Series Chelmer: Mellish and Associates.

Annis S (2000), The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, Planto: Thin Publishing
Co.
THE BANK OF I.D.E.A.S
PH: (08) 9433 2222
E-MAIL: [email protected]