The cases all portray characteristic which are consistent with our UPBEAT/PUMR approach and the related work on ‘Positive Deviance (PD)’; both approaches are aimed at Citizen Enablement, leading to Citizen Empowerment. All our, and the PD, efforts (with the best example of the highlights shown in brackets and in italics):
- Believe Citizens can have, or can learn to have, the skills to do things for themselves (All the cases and especially the community Bank and Community Land Trust projects which were our early attempts at Citizen Enablement)
- Use Active Listening of Citizen needs and wants and enabling them to hone their good practices within their own communities (This is best shown in the UCLL, Contraception the Board Game and by the projects of Unlimited Potential)
- Understand there may be strong socio-technical and geo-political issues that have to be dealt with in any development (Case Studies 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 for instance have strong political issues to confront.)
- Action Learning are extremely useful in supportive Groups which continuously drive each citizen to their own better working practices (with the Bouncing Higher project having Action Learning as the Centre piece)
- Have Enabler Facilitators that give the communities the confidence to do more of the things that work for them. (All the Citizen Enablers in the cases shown)
- Use a simple feedback structure, UPBEAT, which enables them to evaluate progress for themselves and build onto higher, more sustainable and meaningful practices for themselves
- Continuously share best practices and build on the positive that works. (PUMR and UPBEAT)
- Put the ideas of what can be done, into ideas that work for themselves (nearly all the cases show this)
- Share ideas via a conferring process that engages citizens/community/ small businesses in their own terms (Smart City Futures).
