Looking for impact in all the wrong places: Setting realistic expectations and measurable outcomes for small-scale community building initiatives

IF 1.5 Q2 SOCIAL WORK

Journal of Community Practice Pub Date : 2023-04-03 DOI:10.1080/10705422.2023.2214547

M. Meyer, Karen M. Hopkins, Jenny Lee, Nicole Mattocks, Jonalyn Denlinger

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper examines the process and outcomes from a five-year, community-based participatory research (CBPR) study of a community building initiative to strengthen two neighborhoods in a mid-size, Mid-Atlantic city. In addition to supporting over 50 resident-led projects during the five-year initiative, outcomes included positive changes in resident perceptions about some aspects of neighborhood safety, cleanliness, greening, and vibrancy, and in both neighborhoods respondents who were most involved with the lead community-based organizations (CBOs) reported significantly higher social capital compared to those least involved. Nevertheless, analysis of the evaluation process revealed certain data were more meaningful to stakeholders during and at the end of the initiative, and other data were less worth the effort and cost to collect. This study offers insights for how foundations and nonprofit organizations can best use their evaluation resources in small-scale community-building efforts.

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在所有错误的地方寻找影响：为小规模社区建设举措设定现实的期望和可衡量的结果

本文考察了一项为期五年、以社区为基础的参与式研究(CBPR)的过程和结果，该研究旨在加强一个中型中大西洋城市的两个社区的社区建设倡议。除了在五年计划期间支持50多个居民主导的项目外，结果还包括居民对社区安全、清洁、绿化和活力等某些方面的看法发生了积极变化，并且在两个社区中，与主要社区组织(cbo)参与最多的受访者报告的社会资本明显高于参与最少的受访者。然而，对评估过程的分析表明，在项目进行期间和结束时，某些数据对涉众来说更有意义，而其他数据则不值得花费精力和成本去收集。这项研究为基金会和非营利组织如何在小规模社区建设工作中最好地利用他们的评估资源提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Community Practice SOCIAL WORK-

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

18.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Community Practice is an interdisciplinary journal grounded in social work. It is designed to provide a forum for community practice, including community organizing, planning, social administration, organizational development, community development, and social change. The journal contributes to the advancement of knowledge related to numerous disciplines, including social work and the social sciences, urban planning, social and economic development, community organizing, policy analysis, urban and rural sociology, community health, public administration, and nonprofit management. As a forum for authors and a resource for readers, this journal makes an invaluable contribution to the community"s conceptualization, applications, and practice.