Community Table

Terms of Reference

A working draft

Background

The City of Ottawa is facilitating the creation of a community development framework within the city.  The CDF approach to community development/problem solving brings multiple stakeholders together to explore and implement tailored approaches to address community identified needs and issues within a targeted geographical area.  The goal is to create healthy and safe environments and provide accessible, integrated and holistic health and social services to vulnerable and marginalized communities. 

At the interface between the system and community levels, the Community Table has a key role in the overall CDF structure and processes.

 Community Development Framework

The CDF Framework has been constructed on the four key principles inherent to the No community Left Behind's (NCLB) community engagement strategy: Collaboration; Coordination; Community Participation; and Leveraging of resources.

The Framework goals include:

  • Increase neighbourhood capacity to enact positive change;
  • Improve planning and service delivery to achieve neighbourhood-defined goals by increasing collaboration and coordination between and within city services, community agencies and their partners and residents;
  • Improve social determinants of health in neighbourhoods;
  • Increase neighbourhood safety and perception of safety; and
  • Promote sustainability of resources.

Key components of the Framework are:

  • A Community Development Roundtable (shared leadership)
  • Community Table (shared experience)
  • Knowledge Transfer Table (shared knowledge)
  • Resource Table (collaborative processes)
  • Municipal Services Table (coordinated services) 

Purpose of the Community Table

Community Development Framework provides opportunity for collaborative work with multiple stakeholders for creating healthy and safe neighbourhoods.

The Community Table facilitates the sharing of approaches and best practices across the neighbourhoods where the CDF framework is being implemented.

The Community Table interacts with the system level tables in various ways, including identification of solutions to common neighbourhood issues.  

Objectives of the Community Table:

  1. Promote a common neighbourhood-based approach to identifying system level supports that enable effective delivery of programs and services that address neighborhood needs and priorities.
  2. Create a forum for multiple service providers to share best practices/successes and coordinate to address the issues/gaps identified by residents.
  3. Ensure a bridge between Steering Tables and the Systems-level Tables.
  4. Increase capacity of residents, community leaders and Community Developers to engage neighbourhoods around the Framework goals and objectives.
  5. Support the CDF neighbourhoods in reaching their objectives. 
  6. Create an environment of continuous learning.

Actions and Responsibilities of the Community Table:

The Table is chaired by an Executive Director representing the Coalition of the Community Health and Resource Centres.

Members will:

  • Provide opportunities for sharing and learning from best practices in various CDF neighbourhoods.
  • Consider various possibilities for supporting the CHRC’s level Steering Tables in implementing their respective Neighbourhood Action Plans.
  • Develop and apply criteria for identifying issues that require system level support.
  • Discuss and share issues identified by the Steering Tables with appropriate system level tables.
  • Establish sub-committees to develop strategies as required.
  • Identify gaps in services and resource commitments.
  • Identify trends across neighbourhoods.
  • Explore leveraging and partnership opportunities at the neighbourhood and systems levels.
  • Review progress of the CDF approach in various neighborhoods as part of the comprehensive evaluation mechanism of the CDF approach.
  • Contribute to the development of an inventory of common tools and best practice.

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually.

Membership:

The membership of the Community Table will be diverse and comprised of a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 members.  Community table members will bring several qualities and skills to the implementation efforts at the neighbourhood level and represent various agencies/groups including.   

  • Representatives from the local CDF Steering Tables
  • Representative from the Community Developers Coalition
  • Representative from the Community Houses Coalition
  • Representative from the EDs CHRC’s Coalition
  • OCISO
  • Leadership Ottawa
  • United Way
  • OPS
  • CAWI
  • City of Ottawa
  • Youth Services Bureau
  • Boys and Girls Club

Frequency of Meetings

Meetings will occur minimally once every two months or as required and called by the Chair.

Decision Making/Accountability:

Whenever possible, decision making will be by consensus.  Should the Committee not be able to reach consensus, decisions will be reached by majority.  Fifty percent (50%) of the voting members will constitute a quorum. If a vote is necessary the outcome will be determined by a simple majority of members present.

The Chair of Community Table will be a member of the Community Development Round Table and ensure communication between the System Tables.  The Community Table is ultimately accountable to neighbourhoods who are involved in and committed to implementing community development initiatives in their neighbourhoods.

 

© 2008-09 City of Ottawa and Partner Agencies

Collaboration, Coordination, Community Participation and Leveraging of Resources