Disconnected residents

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Disconnected residents groups. Many are
disengaged.
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Building Political Will for Participatory
Governance within Neighborhood Governance Bodies

• Participation Confronts an Advisory Neighborhood
  Commission in Washington DC
• Mary Jacksteit, Collaboration DC

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Washington D.C.
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or as locals call it, the District of Columbia

• Population Diversity
• Majority African Americans with Caucasians,
  Hispanics and increasingly other immigrant
  groups
• Wide disparity in income between highest and
  lowest income. Redevelopment placing pressure on
  low and moderate income residents

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Neighborhood Councils, generally

• Governmental or non-governmental bodies
  composed of local people
• Handle neighborhood problems.
• Promote more citizen participation in
  government and make government more
  responsive
• Generally Neighborhood councils have an advisory
  role

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DC Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

• Established by law to give input and
  recommendations to city government on behalf of
  residents.
• Elected by voters
• Neighborhoods official voice in advising the
  District government on matters that affect their
  neighborhoods

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ANC 6D and its Neighborhoods

• Multi racial, and diverse
• economic levels with poorest in
  public housing projects.
• Urban renewal in 1950s-60s
• bulldozed historic area and
• displaced thousands of residents,
• mostly African American.
• Site of intensive real estate and commercial
  development bringing rapid change.

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The Threat

• Massive Real Estate
• Development
• Dis-united Community
• Reactive Opposition
• Low community influence
• Decline in quality of neighborhood life,
  displacement of middle class and poor.

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STARTING POINT
Community groups and activists stay apart, high
level of conflict and/or competition, alienated
residents, discordant voices.
Disconnected residents groups. Many are
disengaged.
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The Opportunity
Massive Real Estate Development United
Community Negotiation Community able to
achieve benefits from development -- investment
in people, increased economic opportunity, retain
mixed income neighborhood.
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Community benefits task force/coalition- unified
community action
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Key Players
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Chronology

• Phase 1 Early organizing attempt
  Collaboration DC assessment
• Goal Get community-government-business to the
  table to negotiate how to minimize the threat and
  maximize the opportunity of development.
• Result ANC will not participate, process
  cannot move forward

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Phase 2 Building community capacity (social
capital) 1.
Training negotiation, CBs 2. Convening and
Facilitating 3. Building relationships 4.
Preparing for negotiations Result Community
Benefits Task Force
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• Phase 3 Political Wont creates a
  roadblock
• ANC publicly opposes Task Force, declines to
  participate and blocks negotiations
• Result CBTF unable to proceed

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THE POLITICAL WONT
Community benefits task force/coalition- unified
community action
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Why the Political Wont?

• Perceived challenge to status and power of
  official representatives (ANC).
• Resistance supported by higher political
  leadership. (negative incentive)
• Small number dominate civic sphere. Low income
  residents disconnected.
• Insularity and non-engagement of public by the
  ANC.

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• Structural issues in ANC system including
• Pure representational model with no requirement,
  expectation or guidance about fostering broader
  public participation.
• No training or support for ANCs in participatory
  governance and good process.
• No protocol for ANCs working with other groups.

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• Phase 4 Political Will emerges
• Accommodation between ANC and Community Benefits
  Task Force/Coordinating Committee
• CBTF role (1) Venue for coordination and
  planning joint efforts (2) Engage residents to
  set community benefits priorities for official
  representatives (ANC).

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The Political Will
New Possibilities
Community Priorities consistent message,
broadly endorsed, based on inclusive public input
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Strategies for Shift to Will

• Organize and train community residents leaders
  in new forms of participation
• Foster bridging relationships and networks
• Facilitate collaboration
• Demonstrate value of expanded participation (in
  face of opposition).

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• Recruit appealing new community leadership
  favoring participation and collaboration.
• Make and utilize key alliances
• Be prepared to modify plans as needed (consistent
  with goals)
• Keep the door open.

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Key Factors of Success

• Community facilitation and good process
  (inclusive, participatory, fair)
• Persistence
• Willingness to take all interests into account
  -Commitment to community-building, not
  competition
• New leadership, new allies

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• Staying focused on -
• Common ground and important shared values
• The GOAL - Maintaining a mixed income community
  and avoiding the displacement of low income
  residents.
• (An important Facilitator Role)

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Lessons Learned

• Anticipate resistance - plan how to address. The
  value of participation is not obvious to
  everyone.
• Persist - Find ways to show the value of
  expanding participation ( Seeing is believing)
• Address power-related interests and legal claims
  of formal representatives.

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• Educate and train residents and neighborhood
  leaders in skills supporting participation ,
  creating
• Capacity to analyze issues, initiate ideas,
  negotiate effectively
• Higher expectations and hopes about what is
  possible by participating, working together.
• Familiarity and greater trust for new working
  relationships.

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• Within the neighborhood council system
• Institutionalize (create norms and tools)
• Provide resources
• Create accountability
• for citizen engagement and participation.

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The Political Will
New Possibilities
Community Priorities consistent message,
broadly endorsed, based on inclusive public input
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www.Collaborationdc.netmary.j_at_collaborationdc.net