The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Outcomes in Grassroots Support Work

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Summary

Outcomes in Grassroots Support Work

Conversations with CPC's GrassrootsPartners

The Center for Participatory Change



Excerpts from the evaluation follow:

The Center for Participatory Change (CPC) creates positive change in low-wealth communities across Western North Carolina by organizing and supporting grassroots groups. The goal of our work is to strengthen the participation of poor and marginalized people in decisions that affect their lives...


This Evaluation Brief focuses on the outcomes in CPC's work - the effects or impacts that CPC's work has on the grassroots groups with which we partner and the communities in which these groups work.


The outcomes discussed in this report are:

  • Intangible Outcomes
    1. Increased collective efficacy - collective confidence
    2. Increased social capital - webs of friendships and relationships
    3. Increased knowledge and skills
    4. Increased community participation
  • Tangible Outcomes
    1. Stronger and more sustainable grassroots groups
    2. More grassroots groups in Western North Carolina
    3. More productive and participatory meetings within groups
    4. Community improvement projects - crafts store, farmers' markets, history quilts
    5. Extra income...

Conclusion

...There are very few data on outcomes in grassroots support work, and very little evaluation data where grassroots leaders have been asked to identify theoutcomes that they feel are most important. Most evaluation of community-based work focuses on outcomes identified by outside evaluation researchers or staff at nonprofit organizations...


We also learned that intangible outcomes are as important as tangible outcomes, if not more so. For instance, when asked to talk openly, in an unstructured conversation, about the outcomes or effects of CPC's work on their lives, grassroots leaders spent a lot more time and energy talking about collective efficacy (about gaining an individual and collective confidence that they can create positive change in their community) than they did about how many projects their group carried out, how many grassroots leaders their organization trained, or much money they earned through income-generation projects...


Click here for the full document in PDF format.


Source:

Evaluation Brief No. 2 - Fall 2002.