Asset based community development (ABCD):
- focuses on the positive—what a community does have, rather than what it lacks, and how existing resources can address needs and improve community life (which is especially helpful when external funding is not available)
- enables residents to feel empowered and educated to create change from within their community
- collects data that can be used to provide evidence when applying for grants or funding, and to become self sustaining
- identifies and reaches out to possible partners—both individuals and organisations—that can help you inventory your community’s various assets.
After you have read this information, head over to the Assignment 3 Q&A discussion board to ask any questions and see what your peers are saying about this assignment.
Assignment overview
This assignment builds on the ideas in Assignment 1. It involves the planning of a community development strategy in response to the issue you identified for change. It requires you to develop a framework to approach the issue i.e. a theoretical perspective and some practical actions and tasks.
The assignment is all about thinking through the process from identifying an issue, to planning and implementing a strategy that would resolve the issue in a way that can be shown to have made a difference. It requires you to not only put forward a strategy, but to rationalise why you would do what you propose to do.
This assignment supports unit learning outcomes 2 and 4.
Assignment details
Step 1: Recap Assignment 1
Briefly recap the issue you identified for change in your community in Assignment 1: Essay.
What are you trying to change? Write around 150 words.
Step 2: Identify an appropriate theoretical perspective
Identify a theoretical perspective that will inform your strategy and give a rationale for why you have chosen this perspective.
In your eText, Chapter 3: Foundations of community development: Ecological and social justice perspectives (Links to an external site.) outlines several theoretical perspectives. You may use others or combinations if you wish, but please check with your OLA before you do.
Why does it suit the issue? Write around 500 words.
Step 3: Describe your strategy
Describe the specific practical actions and tasks that the strategy will involve. Identify the relevant stakeholders.
What are the practical things you will do and who will they involve? Write around 500 words.
Step 4: Present expected outcomes
Present ideas about the expected outcomes and how you might demonstrate that an improvement has been brought about.
What would show it worked? Write around 350 words.
Supporting resources
Harvard WesternSydU referencing guideLinks to an external site. (Western Sydney U Lib 2019).
In-text citation using the Harvard WesternSydU Style (Western Sydney U Lib 2017).
Submission details overview
This assignment will be submitted through Turnitin. You will find the relevant submission point below.
Allow a 24-hour turnaround for an originality report to be generated.
Assignment support
Don’t forget that in addition to your OLAs who provide discipline-specific content advice, you can access the 24/7 draft writing service from Studiosity.
If you need assistance with academic feedback on a draft of your assignment, see Assignment support: Studiosity.
Assignment criteria
- A community issue is identified and described.
- A clear theoretical perspective is described with a rationale for its choice.
- Clear strategies and tasks are defined with the relevant stakeholders identified.
- Ideas about expected outcomes are presented, with suggestions about how the outcomes might be evaluated.
- The essay is coherently written and appropriately referenced.
