ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

2.18. Tips Moving Forward for Facilitators
(Source: Ninnette Eliasov)
Session Title
Session Objectives
Duration of Session
Resources
Training Materials
Tips Moving Forward for Facilitators
Provide practical advice about how to integrate ABCD into organizations
and communities
30 minutes
None
None
Introduction
It is not easy to integrate and implement an asset based approach within a development field where the
conventional (problem-focused) paradigm dominates. Donors, government and the NGO community
continue to be needs focused and supply driven, particularly in today’s globalised world where we are
easily affected by the activities of international development agencies and the changing political and
economic landscape. Communities have also been conditioned in the needs based approach and there
are often a lot of resistance, apathy and dependency attitudes to deal with as well. Some tips are shared
with learning partners regarding how they can take ABCD forward in organizations and communities.
Input: Tips Moving Forward (also included in the Training Materials Guide)
Some of the most important success factors highlighted in our own research are shared below. One of
the tips is to ‘think global and act local.” In other words, it is important for leadership to be conscious
about what is happening in the world and the disabling forces acting on us, but to channel our
knowledge and wisdom into our circles of influences locally. The input is done fairly quickly in about 10 –
15 minutes just to highlight a few points. What is most important is to give learning partners enough
time in the next session to reflect on their own intentions and strategies moving forward.
Success Factors
The capacity to act (or ‘agency’) has been evidenced throughout the world where citizens have selfmobilized
and undertaken development initiatives with little or no assistance from outside. Case studies
of successful communities conducted by Coady International Institute worldwide have shown 3 of the
main keys are:-
• Identifying gifts and dreams of each person is key. There is no recipe: every person is unique and
gifted.
• The importance of citizen space is recognized – the ‘home of connections and associations where
neighbours interact and co-operate with one another.
• Connectors are vital (‘gappers’). They know a lot people and can make connections.
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