Integrated Community Development
Solertia has created and is implementing an innovative approach for integrated socio-economic development, with primary operative focus on local community and regional levels. A comprehensive Model Program has been developed to guide the process, and to facilitate and stimulate the active participation of all community members, while promoting the constructive and coordinated involvement of all others concerned.
The transparent comprehensive community development process starts off in motivated communities, and expands directly from each of these to neighboring and other communities with comparable cultural, social and other significant characteristics. Demonstration and proliferation mechanisms are thus incorporated from the start of each new initiative to help sustain, accelerate and proliferate the development processes, and to ensure increasingly favorable cost-benefit ratios.The Model Program
A key feature of the Solertia approach is the Model Program for the Advancement of Capable Communities, expressed in the following:
The model program consists of the following four major partially overlapping phases that guide the overall process from the start of a demonstration operation in a selected community to the continuing proliferation from there to neighboring and other comparable or related communities within a region and beyond;
| Phase 1: | Development of base knowledge, community objectives, and action network; |
| Phase 2: | Creation of integrated operative support structures and services; |
| Phase 3: | Creation of new economic, social and other activities; |
| Phase 4: | Proliferation of the approach. |
Phase 1: Development of base knowledge, community objectives, and action network
For each participating community or cluster of communities is developed the necessary shared overview, insight, vision, and collaboration within the perspective of the Program. Based on this generated overview and insight, the Solertia Model Program is adapted into a Specific Local Program. The main elements of this Phase are: 1.1 Collection, review and sharing of relevant information A continual process is undertaken with the local community and others, of compiling, creating, discussing and disseminating knowledge and information from written, oral and other sources, about or affecting the community and its development. The process includes extracting information from contextual literature such as legislation, regulations, statistical data, geographic and geological maps and studies, and news reports, thus generating developmentally relevant up-to-date overview and insight about local perspectives, economic structures, markets, history, culture and traditions, etc. 1.2 Assessment of resources and barriers Significant actual and latent human, natural and other resources and barriers within and otherwise relevant to the community are assessed together with the community, for the purpose of building on and further developing the resources while removing or alleviating barriers. Diversity of interests and concerns of the various groups within a community, including those of the aged, youth, men, women, handicapped etc. and where applicable, migrant or kinship groups, is acknowledged and made part of the assessment. 1.3 Initiation of support network After establishing the incipient development collaboration, a continuous series of broad coordination meetings is initiated in the community with the participation of committed external stakeholders.1.4 Participatory visioning, programming and planning
A community vision, as well as objectives and particular goals are discussed and defined guided by the Solertia Model Program. A Specific Local Program is developed and agreed upon within the community and with key outside stakeholders. Immediate projects are prepared as required and possible.
Phase 2: Creation of integrated operative support structures and services Integrated local development support structures and services are created with appropriate operative links to all substantial external stakeholders. While the Model Program assumes the establishment during this phase of five key support structure and service elements, the actual number of such key elements decided on during the programming and planning process of a Specific Local Program may differ depending upon the local conditions. The key elements of Phase 2 of the Model Program are: 2.1 Center for community development A local multi-purpose center for community development is created as the primary physical framework for the development support services. Within and through the center all members of a community can have easy and equitable access to information, technical assistance, training, and the integrated facilities and other services necessary to enable everyone to participate actively in the development of their community. The center will also hold social and cultural functions. Depending upon the geography and size of a community the center may embody functional extensions to help assure easy access also in areas of some distance from the center. 2.2 Information and communication infrastructure Central Internet technology supported information, communication and transaction facilities and services are established and maintained in the Center for Community Development, acting as a hub for electronic and other connectivity and services throughout the community. These services are specially devised for ease of use by all people within the community including people of limited or no formal learning, and of diverse cultures and languages. Each community will have their own local Internet development portal with both pragmatic and catalytic functions. 2.3 Support structure for economic development and employment A local organizational and technical support structure is established or augmented with relevant internal and outside stakeholder participation. Suitable physical (incubating) facilities and services are set up to promote and sustain equitable economic growth and employment. 2.4 Support structure for non-economic development A broad coordinating support structure and related facilities and services is created with appropriate internal and outside stakeholder participation to reinforce existing social, health, educational, cultural and environmental activities, and to initiate and sustain new ones. Disaster prevention and mitigation are also among the responsibilities of this structure. Close continuous coordination and synchronization is to be ensured also with the economic development support activities. 2.5 Coordination of development financing A special entity is created to coordinate and synchronize financial development services, and to meet the needs for more specialized financial initiatives and assistance.
Phase 3: New economic, social and other activities During this (continual) phase is initiated, implemented, improved and expanded a multitude of specific economic, job generation, health, social, cultural, educational, infrastructure, housing and environmental projects, programs and other activities. Special attention is given to multi-benefit and synergistic projects, to projects that contribute to broad improvement of the quality of life, and to those that lend themselves to advantageous replication.
Phase 4: Proliferation of the approach A fundamental part of the Solertia integrated community development model is the direct proliferation of the approach from the initial demonstration operations in selected communities to neighboring and other communities with comparable cultural, social, environmental or other characteristics. The course of spreading to other communities within a 'micro-region' and region is prepared in the early phases of each Specific Local Program. Thus, representatives from 'neighboring' communities take part as trainees and otherwise in the demonstration operation of the first community in order to be able to participate with special knowledge and experience in the staggered start of the approach in their respective home communities. New communities joining the program will equally host trainees from subsequently joining communities. In the larger context, the communities will benefit from sharing resources, delegating responsibilities among themselves, and from being part of a shared dynamic community development 'movement'.