Making changes: practice into policy: a strategic framework for community development learning in England

This framework aims to show the connection between practice and policy. It provides guidelines to the creation of short to long term strategies which have community development at their heart. Strategies which recognise that community development learning is an effective process and practice leading to community involvement and influence. The framework is divided into three sections. Section 1 gives an introduction and context, placing current practice alongside recent policy initiatives, exploring why community development learning is necessary and how it needs to be incorporated into learning strategies at a range of levels. Section 2 examines how to develop a strategy at local, regional and national levels. It gives guidelines to drawing up community development learning strategies appropriate to the range of environments and levels at which community involvement is needed to influence and implement policy. Section 3 provides practical tools with guidelines to planning and implementing effective community development learning opportunities wherever they take place. The framework was produced by the Federation of Community Work Training Groups, UK, in Association with the Community Work Forum, a UK wide consortium of national organisations with an interest in community development learning. It is written by practitioners and involved extensive consultation with individuals and groups