Debra Hansen is the WSU Extension County Director in Stevens County, Washington with a program emphasis in Community and Economic Development. She designs and offers classes and workshops to local small farmers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, but finds most enjoyment …
What is a "process observer"?
A “process observer” is a position that some boards and committees choose to appoint. This individual’s responsibility is exactly what the title suggests – to observe the process. Throughout the meeting, the process observer takes note of things that are …
Online Course Explores Community Development
Would you like to understand how communities work? Are you curious about why good ideas sometimes fall flat? Do you watch groups struggle to make decisions without adequate data? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions we invite …
Good Meetings Don’t Just Happen
A focus on three components: preparation, the agenda, the meeting
I. Preparation: a sample of what should happen before most meetings.
- Reserve the room
- Send out the agenda to remind participants of the meeting and what is planned
- Identify who
Can conflict be constructive?
When I was a child, I remember my grandmother telling me that if a married couple did not disagree on occasion, it probably meant that one of the two was regularly acquiescing to the other, to the long-term detriment of …
Articles and Fact Sheets
The following are articles and fact sheets which might be of interest to you. If you have an idea for future topics we would love to hear from you. Can’t find what you are looking for? Please let us know …
Tools of Community Development
Following are tools commonly used in the field of Community Development. Selecting the right tool for the job is important.
…Virtual Learning Center
Webinars
Webinar recordings are available in the following topic areas.
- Board Development
- Conflict Management
- Developing Volunteers
- Leading through Change
- Public Value
- Ripple Effect Mapping
- Staff Development and Evaluation
- Strategic Planning
- Team Leadership
- Working in Teams
- Youth Engagement
Online Courses
…SWOT Analysis: A Tool for Group Planning
At times in the course of a project or an organization’s history, it is helpful to engage in strategic long range planning. Doing so can allow an initiative’s leadership to take stock of the issues currently impacting it, as well
Neutral meeting facilitation – difficult and critical.
You work with groups. Sometimes you lead the group. Sometimes you facilitate the group. Sometimes you are there to train and other times you participate as a member. Sometimes you are in multiple roles.
What is the difference between a …