Appendix ii: Community-led development principles

Community-led: local resident driven

• priorities determined and visioned by those who live, work, care, connect and invest in local communities of place – the principle of ‘ahi ka’
• communities see themselves as actors rather than recipients
• residents given rightful place
• a community of place focus, place-based

Work Together– across boundaries and silos

• deliberately developing the 'strength of loose ties' or 'loose links' among people and sectors that don't normally connect with each other
• creating purposeful conversations and ways of working together to build new opportunities, ways of seeing and doing things
• unleashing creative solutions and unexpected resources
• fostering greater understanding of each other's perspectives by residents, business, government, iwi and NGOs working together within a community

Asset/strength-based

• working from the strengths and assets of the people and the place in each neighbourhood and community – not dwelling on, or being overshadowed by, deficits and difficulties
• releasing local resources and finding ways to tap new resources
• supporting catalytic individual leaders or organisations to foster community-led development

Demonstrating change and developments - results and solutions oriented

• creating and celebrating specific and tangible improvements within each community – identified by each community
• increasing connection and the participation of multiple sectors acting together in a community of place

Learning and adapting

• adapting as each community learns what is most or least effective and being open to new and unexpected developments
• reflecting, sharing experiences and developing case stories
• using processes that allow us to notice, learn and adapt – both seeing and understanding complexity
• understanding that change in one area impacts on other areas – it is organic and emergent
• practicing new ways of creating and co-creating

Whole systems change

• influencing policy and legislative change, commercial systems and organisational practice, personal, cultural and institutional relationships for lasting impact
• nurturing non-linear and continuous action/reflection and change - change is not one-off