Community Development Framework (CDF)

Structure

The structure includes multiple components working together at the neighbourhood, community and system levels.
At the neighbourhood level, related Community Health and Resource Centres initiate Framework implementation. The designated neighbourhoods work closely with service providers and various agencies through Local Steering Committees.
The community level includes a coordinating function to connect what is occurring at the neighbourhood to the systems level.  The Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres lead the Community Table that facilitates the sharing of approaches, continuous learning and good practices across prioritized neighbourhoods. 
 
At the systems level, Municipal Services, Resource and Knowledge Transfer Tables contribute and provide support to the CDF.

CDF Structure Click view hi-res image

The Municipal Service Table brings together Staff from across the municipal services of the City to work collaboratively by sharing community intervention strategies and, knowledge and assets, and by identifying and breaking down organizational barriers with a goal to contributing to neighbourhood outcomes. 

The Resource Table brings together stakeholders with specific funding mandates to work together and  identify various resource leveraging opportunities to support the Framework. 

The Knowledge Transfer Table brings together academics, researchers, data specialists to conduct research that guides and supports the implementation of the CDF and endeavours to identify and share research results and standardize evaluation tools for use at the neighbourhood level.

The Community Development Roundtable works as a “community leadership team” to promote, guide and facilitate the implementation of the CDF within the city of Ottawa.

The Community Developers of the participating CHRCs coordinate the implementation of the NCLB community engagement and local level planning process at the neighbourhood level.

The CDF Coordinator represents CHRCs, act as a resource to the CHRCs and represents CHRCs in consultations with the City and other agencies to establish consultative frameworks, to broker solutions, and ensure successful implementation of the community engagement process at the grassroots level.

The CDF team coordinates system level action planning and interaction among various tables.”

Processes

Two simultaneous processes are taking place: one at the neighbourhood level and the other at the over-all systems level. At the community level, residents, community associations, businesses, front-line city staff, and community developers are engaged in putting the NCLB community mobilization and neighbourhood development process in place.

CDF Processes Click to view hi-res image

At the broader level, the process started with neighbourhood action planning moves to the next step of assessments and recommendations to the systems level. Action planning at the systems level leads to action planning at the community level, followed by implementation and participatory community based evaluation.  

Progress to date

Neighbourhood Selection
- University of Ottawa's  Neighbourhood Study (ONS) was used as a guide and narrow down selection of the at-promise neighbourhoods across the City.
- a short questionnaire was circulated to all the centres to assess readiness of the CHRCs for implementing the CDF.
- CDF Community Roundtable finally picked up four neighbourhoods (Bayshore, Carlington, West-Centre Town and Overbrook-forbes) for the CDF implementation in November 2008.

Secondary neighbourhood selection

- Each of the four Steering Tables followed a slightly different approach to selecting areas which residents considered as their neighbourhoods and where they could effectively implement the CDF community level process.

- In Bayshore, partnering agencies and residents suggested working in what is called Bayshore Proper - the Minto-Units along Woodridge Crescent off Bayshore drive.

- In Carlington, the Steering Committee consulted residents; invited more information and data; looked at all possible aspects and indicators of the status of a neighbourhood to help identify the most vulnerable neighbourhood. High-rises and garden units along Caldwell and Bellevieu were finally picked up for launching the CDF initiative.

- Somerset West Steering Committee also collected additional information; had several deliberations and finally started working at Rochester Heights with the decision to move to Lubreton flats and also focusing on Bell Street.
Overbrook Forbes Steering Table met several times and organized some sub-committee meetings to finally agree on commencing implementation of the CDF community engagement process at 255 Donald Street and move out to Loyla and other neighbourhoods.

Establishment of the Steering Tables

All CHRCs were consulted in the initial planning meetings in November/December 2008. The purpose, composition and role of a Steering Committee was shared with the CDers, Managers and Staff.  By February 2009, Steering Tables were established in all the four neighbourhoods. In fact, the Steering Committees are mandated to provide support and guidance to the catchment areas of the four CHRCs. Service provides from various agencies, representatives of community association and residents are members of these tables.

 Community Assessment

Community surveys
- The Knowledge Transfer Table played a key role in developing the questionnaire.
- CDers and other agencies, such as Ottawa Police Service, were also involved in the consultation process.
- The survey was translated in five different languages. It was also run by a literacy specialist and pre-tested in four neighbourhoods.
- Most of the suggested changes were incorporated in the final version of the questionnaire.
- Survey administering criteria was discussed at decided by the KTT and conveyed to the frontline staff and Steering Tables.
- Each Steering Table followed a slightly different approach to reach out to all the households in the selected neighbourhoods. 
- Carleton University Data Centre helped in Data processing and reporting the results.
- Volunteers in the neighbourhoods were trained for data entry.
- Survey reports have been finalized and shared with the Steering Tables.

Prioritization and Action Planning.
Prioritization and action planning phase is in progress in which the survey results are being shared with residents, who categorize and prioritize the residents identified issues. Meetings with various service agencies are underway in the selected neighbourhoods to identify solution and roles and responsibilities for implementation. Community action plans would be the outcome of this phase of the process which will be ready to share with the Steering Tables towards the end of 2009.

 

 

© 2008-09 City of Ottawa and Partner Agencies

Collaboration, Coordination, Community Participation and Leveraging of Resources