Our Capacities
Our staff's collective knowledge, skills, experiences, and backgrounds
enable us to use a wide range of strategies and methods
in our work. For further information about the capacities
of ASDC staff, see Our
Assets.
Evaluation Capacity Building & Learning Systems
Translating Research into Practice
Community Initiative Support System Design & Implementation
Valuing Diverse Cultures ASDC staff is fluent in several languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Malay,
Italian, and French. Language proficiency, however, is not the most important
element of our capacity to work across cultures. We spend a great deal of time
learning about the social organization, customs, norms, and history of the
groups with whom we work, enabling us to build upon the strengths of different
cultures; for example, we currently support several national and regional initiatives
that engage with immigrant communities to increase their participation in civic
activities and their relations with other groups. ASDC also leads a national
effort to increase the number of evaluators of color and their participation
in evaluation opportunities. Our staff's own ethnic diversity is among our
greatest capacities, providing us the opportunity to learn about, struggle
with, and value our differences (and similarities).
Conferences, Workshops, & Other Events
Research & Evaluation
ASDC is committed to making research and evaluation a participatory learning
process that enhances the capacity of institutions to meet the needs and aspirations
of community members. With our greatest strength the study of community and
systems change, we also are committed to developing knowledge of how to address
social problems in a way that will benefit all communities. Our methods for
answering research and evaluation questions in various community contexts are
state-of-the-art; to gather outcome and process data, we take both qualitative
and quantitative approaches, including advanced statistical methods, case studies,
surveys (by telephone, mail, Internet, or in-person), and ethnographic methods.
Additionally, we employ the latest computer technology, as well as participatory
research methods, and our staff members analyze archival data sets, including
crime, census, and health data. ASDC is committed to the highest scientific
standards and to making collected information both useful and accessible for
various audiences.
Information, if shared and used, has the power to effect social and community
change, making the ability to collect, share, and use data a critical capacity
for all organizations. ASDC therefore focuses on helping organizations and
participants learn to use data to plan, reflect, and take action in their communities,
while also helping to establish new organizational norms and procedures for
learning. We have helped local and national organizations and individuals (including
program staff, evaluators, etc.) improve their capacity to collect and use
information effectively through developing monitoring and learning systems,
planning workshops, providing technical assistance, designing information systems,
and establishing learning networks. Current examples of these services
include:
Through extensive research, many principles for effective community development
strategies and programs have emerged. Research findings, however, are not always
accessible to or easily adaptable by organizations, community leaders, funders,
or practitioners. A key aspect of community development work is deriving
the essential principles from prior research and guiding organizations to adapt
models that other communities have used successfully. At ASDC, therefore,
we develop materials and tools appropriate to the language and perspective
of end-users. See our publications for
examples of our ability to translate research into practice.
Comprehensive community initiatives must develop an infrastructure that enables
community institutions to support initiative goals. To engage a community at
the level needed for comprehensive change, organizations must have the capacity
to address community needs and promote well-being. Community leaders, agency
staff, and others need the knowledge, skills, resources, and relations to implement
activities. National and local intermediary organizations are essential elements
of the infrastructure needed to develop these local capacities to foster change.
Intermediary organizations, in turn, must be mobilized and coordinated to provide
multifaceted capacity-building supports such as workshops, technical assistance,
peer learning/support networks, educational materials, resource development,
and public information. ASDC facilitates the assessment, planning,
and management of these support systems to help ensure that long-term capacity
to make change is embedded in local communities. ASDC also provides foundation
and government agencies with technical assistance, evaluation, and program
management assistance to support national and local community initiatives.
Because of our cultural competence, ASDC staff members have been able to work
effectively with communities and organizations throughout Latin America,
Africa, Canada, Italy, Russia, and Southeast Asia, in addition to different
ethnic communities throughout the United States.
ASDC develops, coordinates, and facilitates workshops and other events. We
have facilitated meetings of diverse groups, including practitioners, funders,
community leaders, and scientists, both separately and together. We have conducted
national and local meetings of foundation and government grantees. ASDC also
has facilitated a variety of collaborative planning processes. We understand
the importance of providing a comfortable environment for meetings, how to
make the time both enjoyable and productive, and how to manage logistics—whether
participants come from a single neighborhood or from across the country.
438 N. Frederick Ave., Suite 315, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 519-0722 fax: (301) 519-0724
asdc@capablecommunity.com
