3. Assets Base & Enabling Environment tools
Visual and verbal tools and approaches which can be used to identify assets in a local area including physical, financial, environmental; skills, and knowledge.
Defining boundaries
Defining Local (DOC 120kb)
Defining Local - Portuguese (DOC 221kb)
Defining Local - Spanish (DOC 126kb)
This exercise is designed to help establish a clear and flexible understanding of the term local. Being too rigid about boundaries to local can make people blind to opportunities or make them miss potential customers lying outside the core local area.
Visioning
Quick Visioning Questions (DOC 110kb)
Quick Visioning Questions - Spanish (DOC 144kb)
The short session described here can be used by individuals or groups in a meeting or workshop environment. It is a short and easy session to get people thinking about the future.
ImagineLite (DOC 134kb)
ImagineLite - Portuguese (DOC 134kb)
These are facilitators notes for a visioning workshop. The purpose of the visioning is to gain views from a wide range of people - residents, workers from different agencies, businesses, schools - on what they would like their local area to look like, be like, smell like, sound like and feel like in 5 years time. This is then examined to find common ground that can be put together to create one vision.
Open Space (DOC 111kb)
Open Space is an intensely democratic framework which enables an unlimited number of participants to create their own programme of discussions around a central theme. It is particularly effective in generating high-energy participation, learning and commitment to action.
Wishing Tree or Wishing Well (DOC 145kb)
A quick and simple tool to be used at outreach events, visioning events, piggy backing events - or can simply be left in a public space. Allows people to write down what they would like in their area under the headings economy, environment and community.
Recognising skills and knowledge
4 A's Challenge (DOC 214kb)
4 A's Challenge - Portuguese (DOC 200kb)
This technique will help a group to understand how much latent potential there may be in their community and will demonstrate how action is driven by assets, abilities and attitudes - the 4 A's.
Affirmations (DOC 125kb)
Positive statements about the self that help people overcome negative self perceptions and visualise new possibilities for themselves in the future.
Abilities Audit (DOC 105kb)
This technique allows a group of people involved in a project focus on the abilities they already have.
Identifying and Mapping People and groups (DOC 138kb)
Identifying and Mapping People and groups - Portuguese (DOC 126kb)
A tool that allows an individual or a group to identify their networks by drawing them and then develop them by comparing their own to others. Can be used to help people think about outreach, temporary teams, marketing, getting involved or sharing skills.
Identifying Assets Asset Mapping (DOC 107kb)
Identifying Assets Asset Mapping - Hebrew (DOC 568kb)
This process engages local people in the process of asset mapping to help identify whether they have all the appropriate people involved and where they need to network to engage other asset holders.
Matching Abilities and Assets (DOC 112kb)
This technique considers how to match abilities and assets. It brings together people with influence over different assets with people with ideas and know-how in order to stimulate the action.
Recognising physical assets
Identifying Assets Making a Map (DOC 116kb)
Identifying Assets Making a Map - Portuguese(DOC 116kb)
A map is the most visual and interactive way to record assets or the lack of assets. This tool takes time to construct a map but is worth it and the outputs can also be used in conjunction with visioning.
Identifying Assets the Walk (DOC 108kb)
Identifying Assets the Walk - Portuguese (DOC 108kb)
This fun technique involves getting a group to walk around the area in order to notice and record economic, social and environmental assets. This is especially good if the group struggle to identify assets without the external stimulus.
Property Search (DOC 114kb)
An asset awareness exercise that can be done by an individual or group in a local area. The idea is to become aware of what property (and other assets like open space, derelict buildings, leisure facilities, etc.) are available (and, usually, vacant) in the area so that this information can be passed on to others requiring premises.
Involving more people
Reaching Out Approach Tools (DOC 132kb)
A selection of approaches to help groups and individuals to decide who to reach out to and how to do this. Can cover people and groups across all sectors.
Reaching Out Events (DOC 137kb)
One way of reaching out to a community, talking to them and getting their input is by holding an event.
Collecting data
Access to Information (DOC 219kb)
Provides tips on how to conduct surveys in the area. More information on surveying is available here.