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| The guide aims to inform and assist both rural development and community development agents themselves. It highlights the considerable benefits that can be gained from the involvement of community development agents and discusses the wide range of roles that they can undertake. By drawing on the experience of agents already working throughout rural Scotland, it addresses some of the rural issues that will need to be considered. |
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| Main Findings |
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- A wide range of people are able to undertake the role of community development agent, drawing on a variety of backgrounds and training to assist them in their work. Community development agents will benefit from a having a mixture of formal learning and 'real-life' experience. Many rural community development agents work in isolated circumstances and need to be able to work alone and be self-motivated.
- There are both advantages and disadvantages to being from the local community: a local benefits from familiarity with the local area, people and culture, but needs to be able to recognise they may have prior prejudices; non-locals, on the other hand, whilst not being part of local politics, require time to get to know the community and the issues.
- There is no ideal technique for involving communities in rural areas - the community development agent must choose the most appropriate technique bearing in mind the community they are assisting and what they are trying to achieve. However, when working in a rural area rural characteristics need to be considered such as: large geographical areas; the influence of climate; the seasonal nature of some employment; the low levels of expectations, community identity and community activity in some rural areas; and the conflicts which can arise within geographical communities.
- Careful thought needs to be given by sponsoring agencies when involving community development agents in their work. How will success be measured and what balance should be struck between the functional (product) and developmental roles (process)? What support will be available to the worker in terms of networking and training?
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| Background |
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| The involvement of community development agents to assist agencies and local communities to work together has increased in recent years. The guide is intended to inform rural development organisations, particularly local rural partnerships, as well as community development agents themselves, about the the work that community development agents can undertake and the way it is carried out in a rural context. |
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| About the Guide |
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| This guide draws together information from a number of sources on rural community development and the experience of community development agents, based on a sample survey of 30 community development agents working in a variety of situations throughout rural Scotland. |
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| Key Issues |
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| Roles of Community Development Agents |
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| Community development work is based on two main roles: the 'functional' which involves formulating and progressing projects and the 'developmental' which involves increasing the ability of local communities to control their own affairs. Most combine these two activities, although the emphasis on each varies according to the main objectives of their sponsoring agency. |
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| Working for Whom? |
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| In order to perform the linking role between the community and agencies, the community development agent must be viewed as 'independent', or at least neutral in terms of representing the community's view to the agencies, rather than having divided loyalties by being closely aligned to one agency. These 'divided loyalties' were most likely to arise if there had been little community involvement in the preparation of the agencies' development strategy/ programme for the area and for agencies who could provide project funding directly. |
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| Working in Rural Areas |
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A number of rural characteristics influence the way community development agents work. - working in large geographical areas often means it is necessary to choose between giving some sort of support to all communities within the geographical area or to target effort and resources on particular localities or specific needs. Training and networking with other agents are important issues for rural community development agents to help to overcome the isolation they often experience.
- rural traditions of self-help and 'individualism', low levels of action, combined with low expectations, means the rural community development agent will often have to work through key individuals or 'activists' and put more effort into developing local groups and capacity.
- some rural areas lack a sense of community identity, and differences arise within communities. The ability to deal with conflict, recognise different viewpoints, act as mediators and understand existing power structures is very important.
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| "New Ideas in Rural Development No 7: Community Development Agents in Rural Scotland", the research report summarised in this Research Findings, forms one of a series of guides issued on behalf of the Scottish National Rural Partnership and is available priced £2.50. Cheques should be made payable to The Stationery Office and addressed to: |
The Stationery Office Bookshop,
71 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh EH3 9AZ
Telephone: 0131-228 4181, or Fax: 0131-622 7017 |
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| This report can also be ordered online from: www.thestationeryoffice.co.uk |
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| Further copies of this Research Findings may be obtained from: |
The Scottish Office Central Research Unit,
2J, Victoria Quay,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QQ
Telephone: 0131-244 7560 |
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| or from the publications section of The Scottish Office Website: www.scotland.gov.uk |