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The Sankofa Bird is a mythical bird in West African tradition, which has its feet firmly planted forwards, while also looking backwards. The Sankofa Bird, in showing that you cannot move forward until you’re looked back, is a useful symbol of evaluation.
DAY ONE
What did you find most useful about the day?
- Afternoon worksheets exercise
- Being able to put things into context
- Overview
- Discussions involving the whole group
- Tools
- Networking
- Good mixture if information and practical application. Need to allow groups to adapt to their situations
- Good mix of interactive work
- How the main ideals are the same
- Group discussion
- Having different perspectives and enjoy debate
- Context discussion
- Getting down to case studies
Anything you would have changed about the day?
- Local councillours attending
- More links to Adur/Worthing working for future
- Unsure about afternoon group sessions – subjects unclear
- More specific case studies
- I don’t like games and icebreakers
- No
- No
- Community group, felt some stuff went over their heads, maybe day geared-up for them
- more group work, less lecturing
- Afternoon session purpose was a bit vague
- Deciding on groups for case studies could have been quicker
DAY TWO
What did you find most useful about the day?
- Setting up a partnership to tackle an issue exercise
- Handouts
- The task and presentation exercise
- Talking more to colleagues in groups
- Whole group discussions and questions
- Meeting others
- Presentations and the resume
- Exercises
- Engagement benefits
- Group discussion
- Exercises and discussions
- Opportunities for action learning
- Discussion about case study
- New views about subjects
Anything you would have changed about the day?
- Local councillours attending
- More links to Adur/Worthing working for the future
- The content for me lacked explanation, still feel unclear
- More specific case studies
- I don’t like ganes and icebreakers
- More notice – could have stayed longer and/or attended first day
- No
- No
- Nothing
- Nothing in particular
- Clearer about task presentation
- No
BOTH DAYS
What were your aims in attending the days? To what extent did you achieve them?
- to meet other workers and discuss together the tools and uses of community development in our work – listen and learn – Yes
- To learn about CD principles, the ways/hows
- To be more aware of community, become more involved in discussions
- To understand more – yes!
- To begin to build a community development community
- How it works, planning on a whole patch
- Better understanding of community – Yes
- To listen and find out more about how Adur ‘does CD’
- Understand better about local communities and planning with/for them – Yes!
- To see others views and ideals
- Networking and developing way forward – 55%, but other things, like meeting up there was just as important and broadened the focus
- To listen, contribute and feedback – Fully
- Stimulating discussion, moving forward, yes has begun
- Improve understanding about CD – 100%
- To learn more about issues covering both Worthing and Adur – not enough people to learn that from Worthing and turned into general CD theory and practice which by the way, I have enjoyed
What skills do you think you need to carry on the work we have been discussing over the two days?
- Have a background in community development work but good to reflect
- I think I need to go on a course!
- More communication and contact with local government representatives
- Many! Listening and enjoying
- Administrative help., continued external interest and occasional facilitation help, help in keeping the energy going and enthusiasm. Info on what is going on elsewhere. Internet links
- Communication, communication, communication
- Practical exercises, experiences the effects using the tools we will bring into the community
- More time than I currently have available. CD work takes time. Good to involve Executive Head of Service
- Tools, ideas, help with planning the process for Service Review
- More people to sign up (in right jobs) Councillour etc
- Yes, via the Community Development forum that Adrian set up, hopefully now including more people from Worthing
- More practical techniques
- No additional skills
Any other comments
- Thanks for your help!