Section 6. Future Perspectives
6.1 Dissemination through networks6.2 Dissemination through publication
6.3 Dissemination dependent on additional funds
6.4 Future potential
6.5 Conclusions
6.6 Follow-up
6.7 First step forward
6.1 Dissemination through networks
The dissemination strategy for the project takes place at several levels. At the local and national level in each of the countries who participated in the project. Partners will take responsibility for dissemination within their own jurisdiction. The Co-ordinator has taken responsibility for European networking. The model of European networking provided by the European Association for Adult Education is particularly interesting for the members and potential members of the Combined European Bureau for Social Development. The organisations and associations described in Section 5 of this report are the main target for dissemination of project results during the operation of the project. In the next phase the commitment to dissemination and networking will be extended to include more local authority participation and more participation from adult education institutions.
6.2 Dissemination through publication
Interest has been generated in the project through targeted e-mail and phone contact in addition to regular bulletins on the website. A number of sub-groups maintain contact and exchange through e-mail. An e-group dedicated to continuation of exchange has been activated. One sub-group took responsibility for preparing an article on the project for wider dissemination based on Colin Ross's proposal to use an article to help disseminate the project. A European article was drafted, using the sub-group as a sounding board. Specific individuals and networks, who have shown an interest in the output from the project, will receive a copy of the final report.
6.3 Dissemination dependent on additional funds
The project had envisaged a further level of co-operation through contact groups of neighbouring countries. This has proved problematic without funds. It is especially problematic in the larger nations even where those are represented in the partnership. The co-operation between neighbouring countries has proved most successful in Scandinavia where 2 meetings with their own funding have taken place. In Central and Eastern Europe, contact with the CEE network on Community Development has been a boost to networking but this is fragile due to lack of funds to meet. In addition, a broader representation from within large member states is required to reflect some internal diversity. It was agreed that it would be useful to hold a conference after the project to disseminate the results and to involve others, who participated in the project through national networking and European networking. Such a conference would be dependent on additional funding.
6.4 Future potential
Partners met in Rome in June 2006 to discuss potential follow-up to the project. The discussion included the following: -
- a reiteration of core principles of Community Development
- amendments to the draft synthesis of guidelines for Training and Learning for Community Development, produced in Budapest
- the mapping exercise of who is involved in partner countries in the Grundtvig project
- proposals for the future.
The following consensus on future potential: was reached by those present (See appendix A for list):
- We make a commitment to further co-operation and communication (across diversity of cultures and organisations and extended links with other projects)
- We assume responsibility for continued contact oriented towards content or local networking and using e-group (both energy grouping and electronic communication)
- We engage in networking and dissemination at a national level
- We define a step by step action plan identifying the amount of work and what the work will be to set up a European project or network together
- We will organise a laboratory (2-3) days where we make active use of methodology for training and learning in community development and the draft guidelines to compare different experiences. (The laboratory will include trainers, face-to-face 'workers' and beneficiaries.)
- The laboratory will involve institutional partners with shared objectives who will make a commitment to sharing opportunities for exchange, experience, training and learning processes and funding.
6.5 Conclusions
There is considerable work needed on the guidelines developed by the Thematic Seminar. A significant proportion of this is at a national level but steps need to be taken to extend ownership of the work to date in countries not yet represented. Not surprisingly, the project also raised issues that demand further clarification. "Some of these were around the relationships between:
- adult learning, focused on active citizenship;
- supporting learning by people in communities, through community development practice; and
- learning about community development to become a skilled practitioner.
The Grundtvig 4 project helped us to start to recognise the links between these, but also the need to be clear about the differences." (See Colin Ross's article in Learning Connections News Issue 4 Spring 2006, www.communitiesscotland.gsi.gov.uk).
6.6 Follow-up
The main focus of the project was on those who support learning by people in communities through community development practice, but many of those in contact with the project are interested in all three areas referred to in 6.5. This reinforces the view that a network on Training and Learning for Community Development is needed to work on these distinctions and identify possible overlap or duplication between these three areas. The demand for networking exists in both government services and non-governmental organisations. However the lack of co-ordination of community development at a national level in most member states poses significant problems in identifying appropriate involvement in such a network. This is compounded by patchy funding for community-based initiatives and by the provision of training from a wide range of sources. The support of the European Commission in funding the development of a network on community-based learning would help achieve some measure of co-ordination and exchange.
6.7 First step forward
As a first step the Combined European Bureau for Social Development agreed to co-ordinate the plans for follow-up through a thematic conference and a laboratory of exchange, subject to available funding. A core group of 17-25 organisations will be sought to take responsibility for networking. These will be identified through the mapping exercise and responses to dissemination. A lead up time of 1 year is envisaged to enlist the first members of a network and identify appropriate funding. A conference on the theme of in 2007, with the potential of launching such a network, would be included in the priorities of the Combined European Bureau for Social Development.