Glossary of Terms

advocacy

An advocate is "one who pleads, intercedes, speaks for another; one who argues on behalf of a proposal or tenet".  (Oxford English Dictionary)

Advocacy can take on many different forms and functions. Usually the term is association with a planned and systematic series of activities aimed at achieving a specific change. It may be conducted through the legal system, as in a class action suit, or be directed at changing organizational policies or practices. A coalition may be formed to advocate for a change in government policy. Many organizations avoid the use of the term advocacy due to concerns that it may jeopardize their charitable registration or relationships with funders and members.

assets

Assets are useful or valuable skills, facilities or tools within a community that can lead to positive change.

asset-mapping

This is a technique for group to identify the assets of their community and connect them in order to increase the capacity of the community to meets its needs. The "map" may take many different forms. It could be a geographic map onto which physical assets (e.g. parks, schools) are marked, or particular characteristics, such as areas of high traffic. It could be a database of the skills and knowledge of community residents, or a graphic representation of community networks.

communal

Communal usually refers to collective ownership and use of property by members of a group or community.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communal.

community capacity

Capacity is the combination of assets such as leadership, skills, resources, knowledge and tools of individuals and organizations within the community that enables them to address and have control over those conditions that affect community well-being. Communities with high capacity engage in participatory processes to develop shared vision, leadership, resources and skills and have strong linkages and networks in place.

Source; From the Ground Up, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition p. 89.

comprehensive community initiative

These are neighbourhood based efforts that seek improved outcomes for individuals and families as well as improvements in neighbourhood conditions by working comprehensively across sectors.  CCI's are:  

• comprehensive; i.e. they address a range of areas rather than a single concern. They usually select an 'umbrella' issue as their focus (e.g., poverty reduction or air pollution).
• holistic - they break down artificial boundaries
• "multi-sectoral" they encourage collaboration among health, business, faith-based organizations, etc.
• long-term - results will not be seen for several years
• developmental - these are not discrete interventions to reduce or compensate for identified problems. Rather, these efforts aim to build the capacity community from the perspective of decision making and resilience.
• inclusive - to involve diverse sectors and groups that have typically been excluded, such as people living in poverty, youth, Aboriginal Canadians and members of racial minorities.
• concerned with process and outcome - they set tangible goals, and carefully track and evaluate their work, and also establish effective structures that can enable the community to address problems effectively, change policy and introduce innovation.

Source: Torjman, Sherri and Eric Leviten-Reid. Comprehensive Community Initiatives. March 2003. www.caledoninst.org/Publications/Detail/?ID=4. (accessed Jan 16, 2008)

constituents

Members of a constituency; i.e. a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative (as to a legislative or executive position)

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Constituency

duplication

To duplicate is to make a copy of, to produce something equal to or to do over or again often needlessly.

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Representation (accessed Feb. 19, 2008)

In community services, duplication is often equated with inefficiency; however, it is important to clearly define what constitutes duplication. Two similar services being made available to different people is not duplication, nor is a service that has been altered to appeal to or meet the needs of a particular portion of the population.

empowerment

Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities. enable and help others to gain the power to influence planning and decision-making. within the organization. Effective leaders empower them with responsibility, authority and trust to make decisions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowerment

equity

Equity refers to the right of the individual to a fair share of the goods and services in society, However, equal treatment will not necessarily guarantee equal results. Creating equity sometimes required training people differently from each other; e.g. providing additional resources to some individuals so they are better able to compete for jobs, obtain education, or access to other programs and services.

Source: From the Ground Up, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition; p. 127

facilitator

To facilitate is "to make easier or less difficult; help forward (an action, a process, etc.): e.g.; Careful planning facilitates any kind of work. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facilitate.  A facilitator is a neutral presence who assists the group to meet their self-defined goals. The facilitator does not push their own agenda onto the group, but help the group to develop and follow its own agenda. In the context of a potential role within a collaborative, a facilitator assists in community problem-solving process by liaising among various players and being a source of fairness and encouragement.

Source; From the Ground Up, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition p. 40, 63.

gemeinschaft and gesellschaft

In his book, Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft, published in 1887, Ferdinand Tönnies suggested that societies evolve from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft. Gemeinschaft (loosely translated as "community") is the earlier form, and is organized around family, village, and town. The economy is largely agricultural and political life is local. Gesellschaft societies are organized at the larger levels of metropolis and nation-state, and the economic system is based on trade and modern industry. Tönnies did not conceive of the evolution from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft in unilinear terms; any society always has to some degree both Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft.

Source: Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward Craig. London: Routledge, 2001. http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zToennies.html  (Accessed Feb 19, 2008)

inclusion

The Ontario Inclusion Learning Network defines inclusion as follows:

A society where everyone belongs creates both the feeling and the reality of belonging and helps each of us reach our full potential. The feeling of belonging comes through caring, cooperation, and trust. We build the feeling of belonging together. The reality of belonging comes through equity and fairness, social and economic justice, and cultural as well as spiritual respect. 

We make belonging real by ensuring that it is accepted and practiced by society

Source: www.oiln.ca (Accessed Feb 23, 2008)

information literacy

There are many definitions of information literacy just as there are many definitions of literacy. For some people, information literacy means being able to cope and adapt to technology. In its broadest sense, information literacy refers to the ability to access and use a variety of information sources to solve an information need. The American Library Association's definition of information literacy is the one that is used most often today, partially because it was widely publicized and distributed.

To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information . . . . . Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand. (ALA, 1989)

Source: Hayden, Alix K. Information Literacy. EDCI 701 - The University of Calgary

http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~ahayden/literacy.html

in-kind contributions

Dollar-value of non-cash contributions (which directly benefit a project) by the grantee or another party other than the funder (volunteer services, equipment use, facilities use, staff time or other resources, as distinguishable from a monetary grant.)

Source: A Glossary of Grant-Related Terminology The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/grants/Glossary%20Terms.htm

mobilization

Mobilization is the process of organizing people and resources to create change. It puts ideas into action and brings momentum to a project. It fosters initiative and wide community participation, secures the necessary resources and navigates obstacles and opportunities.

organic process

A process occurring in living organisms; a phenomenon of gradual changes through a series of states. http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/ORGANICPROCESS This phrase is often used to indicate that change must originate and develop from within the target (e.g., the community), rather than being imposed by an external agent.

qualitative and quantitative evaluation

Program evaluation plans may involve the collection of both contain both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the outcomes and impacts of a program. Quantitative methods focus on things that can be counted or directly measured, e.g., number of participants involved, number of sessions conducted. Qualitative methods, such as open-ended interview questions, focus groups or visual depictions, provide more in-depth information about individual experiences, perspectives and context.

Source: Strategies for Effective Proposal Writing, Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition http://www.healthycommunities.on.ca/publications/misc/fundproposal.pdf

This is the action or fact of one person standing for another so as to have the rights and obligations of the person represented.

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Representation

When working with communities it is essential that the scope of representation of individual members of Boards, committees and community groups be clear; particularly in terms of whether the represents has the authority to speak on behalf of or bind the organization or community s/he purports to represent.

self-help

The term self-help group refers to more than two people who come together to deal with a shared concern or problem. Such groups exist all over the world; they are sometimes called mutual aid or support groups. These groups are run by and for the members, "experts" themselves.

Source: Self Help Resource Centre. www.selfhelp.on.ca/start.html

social capital

Social capital is the value generated by various forms of civic engagement, trust, norms of reciprocity, networks, associations and information sharing within a community.

Family and friends are the most basic forms of social capital. Then there are the more organized examples, from youth sports clubs, neighbourhood associations to service groups and government representatives. Robert Putnam, in his book, Bowling Alone, warns that our stock of social capital has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities.

Source: The Sgauaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America http://www.bowlingalone.com/

social justice

Advocates of social justice believe that "every individual and group is entitled to fair and equal rights and participation in social, educational, and economic opportunities". 

Source: Scottish Museums Council 

http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/about/glossary_terms/S.asp

social support

Social support is a network of family, friends, colleagues and other acquaintances you can turn to, whether in times of crisis or simply for fun and entertainment. Family ties, friendships and involvement in social activities can offer a psychological buffer against stress, anxiety and depression. Social support can also help you cope better with health problems. Social support can also increase your sense of belonging, purpose and self-worth, promoting positive mental health. It can help you get through a divorce, a job loss, the death of a loved one or the addition of a child to your family.

Source: CNN Health Library - http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/MH/00041.html

synergy

Synergy (from the Greek syn-ergo, meaning working together) refers to the phenomenon in which two or more discrete influences or agents acting together create an effect greater than that predicted by knowing only the separate effects of the individual agents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy. It is originally a scientific term but has become more popularly defined as "the whole being greater than the sum of the parts", or" 2+2=5". It is ofte used to describe the advantages of collaborating with others to work towards a shared goal.

universality

Universal services are available to everyone, without the need to meet eligibility requirements or to demonstrate financial need.  For example, in Ontario we have universal access to elementary and secondary education and most medical services (for Canadian citizens and landed immigrants), whereas we do not have universal access to day care or housing programs.