Sustainability is a key challenge in community programs. In practice, many community programs are funded on a short-term project basis. Program implementers often face uncertainty over the renewal of resources and funding due to short funding cycles, changes in commitment from funders, partners, and participants over time. Encouraging local ownership of the program, not only increases its likelihood of success, but ensures networks, knowledge and outcomes initiated from the program can be sustained, for long-term impact.
- Set up more long-term funding pathways for successful community programs. For example, encourage local governments or agencies to commit early on to co-funding programs that demonstrate positive outcomes from the pilot phase. This is widely practiced in Philippines, where non-government organizations work with local government to institutionalize pilot programs they fund, if it is successful Case Study 3.2a.
- Seek out multiple sources of funds which typically involve both public and private entities.
In the Philippines, legally binding contracts such as a memorandum of understanding is usually signed between non-government organizations funding pilot programs and local government to ensure the latter is committed to supporting the program after its pilot phase. This includes providing technical assistance, ensuring the program’s institutionalization through codified rules, adopting it or co-funding it as part of government programs. Besides looking to government for funding, NGO/communities can seek out private entities or international government bodies as well.
- Appoint local community figures as program advisors to advise on sustainability and availability of resources for the program. This promotes local ownership and accountability for the program.
- Collaborate with key organizations with longstanding presence in the community to do outreach, understand community needs and co-develop the program for greater buy-in and effectiveness, see Case Study 3.2b.
In Chinatown, Singapore, arts-based organizations such as DramaBox, worked closely with social service agencies on the ground, to do outreach, gain access to community members and market their community theatre, Chinatown crossings, see Case Study 1.3b for details on Chinatown crossings. Collaboration with key organizations with longstanding presence in the community to endorse and participate in the theatre production, brought out a high sense of ownership from the community of the program.
- Select reputable and trusted community figures such as authorities, professionals, known leaders or public servants as coordinators or volunteers of the new program. This will increase the trust and confidence of community members to participate and sustain the program, see Case Study 3.2c.
In the Philippines, persons who are known to be reputable and trusted in the community – mostly grassroots leaders of authority, with experience in community service, or leaders of an organization are tapped to introduce a new program in the community. The high respect and trust of the community towards these key persons are utilized as this encourages community participation. Trusting that that these community figures will only sign them up for their own and community’s benefit, community members become more confident to take part in the program.
- Promote co-ownership of the program with participants, offering them opportunities to participate actively and decide on areas of program implementation. This can range from involving participants to help with daily operations, to working with staff to plan and co-design activities according to their strengths and interests, see Good Practice 3.5 for details.
- Tap on participants to collectively contribute resources or look for resources to run the program and keep it afloat. The cooperative model can be one way to do so, and increase participation, see Case Study 3.2d.
Participatory approaches are important in encouraging and sustaining mutual aid initiatives such as the community savings groups set up by COSE in Malabon, Philippines; see Case Study 3.3b for details. COSE staff built the group’s capacity to develop and enforce guidelines to manage their pooled savings. Participants also decide whom to invite into their group based on trust and personal networks, and how to manage defaulters on loans provided.
Through multi-stakeholder collaboration and ownership of community programs, Organizational Partnerships, Networks (CC12) and related Sense of Community (CC4) are often strengthened in the process. The practices above emphasize buy-in, commitment and closer collaboration with local government, community members, and other stakeholders in the community to develop, endorse co-fund and manage important community programs. In turn, stronger multi-stakeholder collaboration not only diversifies the community’s access to program funding and resources but strengthens local governance of program and services (CC10) for greater sustainability and impact.
- To ensure smooth transition of pilot programs to local communities, capacity-building is required to ensure sufficient skills and confidence of participants, stakeholders, and government staff to implement the program. More intensive coaching may be required in the initial phase to train local staff and participants, especially in face of increasing stress on local communities.
- Ensure that knowledge and good practices on the program are well-documented, regularly updated and discussed among appointed leaders, coordinators, and volunteers. This ensures continuity and a wider pool of people who can do training and disseminate the program knowledge to other community members for sustainability.
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