Principles of Community Development

Co-Learning: Engage in mutual learning and capacity building among professionals and community members through reflective practice, experiential knowledge, professional development, and scholarship.

Collaboration: Bridge boundaries of place, sector, discipline, identity, and interest to integrate diverse perspectives and resources in shared decision-making and co-creation.

Community-Driven Practice: Center those most directly impacted in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community initiatives, policies, programs, and research that affect their lives.

Community Power: Respect the ability of community members to develop and sustain a strong self-image, create shared power, and think and do for themselves.

Dignity within Diversity: Practice and foster cultural humility, nonjudgmental listening, and accountability for any harm done.

Economic Autonomy: Strengthen local ownership and stewardship of community assets and wealth building opportunities.

Social Justice: Identify, resist, and dismantle systems of oppression experienced by both historically marginalized groups and emerging social identities.

Sustainability: Practice and foster careful deliberation of the cultural, social, economic, and environmental impacts of actions and inactions over time.

1 Community Development Society Principles of Good Practice


The following represents the essential elements of the Center for Community and Economic Development:

Step 1:Identify Problem

Both formal and informal methods may be used to identify community issues, capacities and needs.

Step 2: Identify Stakeholders

Engage the community/organizational stakeholders. Involve citizens who are experiencing the problem/issue.

Step 3: Identify Strategies

Engage community in discussion of issues, and identify possible alternatives to address concerns research alternatives

Step 4: Identify Resources

Select appropriate strategy. Identify local in-kind and cash resources to link with other resources to implement a specific program strategy with the community.

Step 5: Implement

In cooperation with the community implement the strategy with an emphasis on shared leadership and collaboration.

Step 6: Evaluate

Through formative and summative evaluations assess the program impacts on the target audience and others to determine if the stated goals and objectives are met.

Based on the findings modify steps 1-6 to produce the desired outcomes.