If you want to have a successful community project, you must foremost have respect, praise and honor among all participants. The success of any project needs to have the participation and support of individuals, as the very foundation of community building. We must work towards a mature society which is capable of having a higher level of insight, morals, human relations and technological skills that will turn turmoil and conflict into peace and unity.
Another element of success is justice. Justice protects the human rights of people within the community. It is not easy to apply the principle of justice in a project. To be effective, it requires that those involved to strive to forget prejudices and wipe out every trace of suspicion. When we look deeply into a higher level of success and satisfaction, it also includes trying to develop the virtues of genuine love, extreme patience, true humility, consummate tact, sound initiative, mature wisdom and deliberate, persistent and prayerful effort.
These are possibly very aggressive goals for any project, but perhaps they in themselves might be a goal. Let’s look now about a fundamental belief that will be a handicap in any project.
Some project managers will look to blame any failures in completing a project on the individuals involved. This evaluation is often incorrect. A good number of the problems in any project are not always, but usually, because of the process, rather than anything that an individual has done. The perceived remedy for the problem is to change the person. This method, while on occasion is the answer, more often than not, only creates the same failures, just with different people. The real cause is the absence of an effective process.
If we discard this practice of placing blame, then what is process management suppose to look like? “A process is a set of related activities that together achieve a defined purpose. A process is comprised of specific steps or tasks, which can be measured, and continuously improved. One way to understand processes is to look at the following five steps of process management: 1) define the purpose or goals; 2) define the steps; 3) assign responsibility; 4) measure and evaluate; 5) continuous improvement. Following these step leads to learning, competence, and reduces the reliance on personalities.” (Mottahedeh Development Services, “Developing Patterns of Community Life”)
Whatever goals and plans are adopted in this project, they will largely be the result of consultation of all those involved. When deciding on a suitable project, or working on an existing project, the focus is on developing human capacity and on individual transformation. In areas of individual and community development, thought may be given to many areas that would benefit both the individuals and the community. These are just a few ideas that may be useful in activating and achieving success in your project:
• Leadership training with emphasis on service
• Improving public speaking skills
• Management skills training
• Improved and expanded role of women
• Skill training in community development
• Literacy classes for various age groups
• Preservation of indigenous culture
• Expression through the use of the arts, and with craft projects
• Income producing activities for both men and women
• Care for the aged and infirm, and the physically and emotionally handicapped
Following are some suggested guidelines and characteristics of a successful project. These are focused on the higher level of insight, morals, and justice as mentioned earlier in this article.
• It is in accord with high principles and fosters unity
• It springs from the aspirations of the participants and affiliated institutions
• It considers the existing capacities of the participants and assists them to increase their capabilities
• It concentrates primarily on the liberation of human potential through educational processes
• It seeks greater degrees of self-reliance and interdependency, and avoids dependency
• It provides for the permanent and systematic exchange of ideas and opinions among all participants
• It considers not only the material aspect of life but also the social and moral components
• It recognizes the interrelation of social structures and the individual, and works simultaneously for the development of the individual and the improvement of the social environment.
• It utilizes the fruits of advanced science and technology, and operates in accordance with the highest standards of human and cultural values and wisdom
• It is conducive to the best interests of society, and not to the vested interests of a few individuals or groups
• It may not entail responsibility for the implementation of large-scale development plans, but enhances the capability of peoples and institutions to participate in such plans
• It contributes to the strengthening of unity and harmony and avoids any relationship with divisive forces or movements
• It promotes cooperation and mutual assistance, and does not engender a competitive spirit.
The study of social and economic development is enormous. It has as many approaches as the experiences of those involved. If there is a desire to establish a project such as some of the ideas mention herein, do research and make yourself familiar with the needs of the community you will serve. The best results come from not what you do for the community, but what the community identifies as their needs and are willing to support.
The content of this document is largely extracted from “The Evolution of Institutional Capacity for Social and Economic Development” prepared by Office of Social and Economic Development for the Baha’i World Center and from the publication by Mottahedeh Development Services, “Developing Patterns of Community Life”.
