Paula Allen-Meares
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190463311
- eISBN:
- 9780190463342
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190463311.003.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Communities and Organizations
This introductory chapter describes the Skillman Foundation’s vision for the Good Neighborhoods program and introduces the six communities that were the target of the Foundation’s work for change and ...
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This introductory chapter describes the Skillman Foundation’s vision for the Good Neighborhoods program and introduces the six communities that were the target of the Foundation’s work for change and the theories of change. The chapter further addresses the emergence and development of the partnership between an embedded foundation and the University of Michigan School of Social Work, which led to the creation, organization, and funding of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC). The organization, processes, and planning required for the implementation of the change process is described. The chapter provides a context for the process that evolved during the economic and social catastrophes that impacted Detroit.Less
This introductory chapter describes the Skillman Foundation’s vision for the Good Neighborhoods program and introduces the six communities that were the target of the Foundation’s work for change and the theories of change. The chapter further addresses the emergence and development of the partnership between an embedded foundation and the University of Michigan School of Social Work, which led to the creation, organization, and funding of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC). The organization, processes, and planning required for the implementation of the change process is described. The chapter provides a context for the process that evolved during the economic and social catastrophes that impacted Detroit.
Leslie Hollingsworth and Larry M. Gant
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190463311
- eISBN:
- 9780190463342
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190463311.003.0005
- Subject:
- Social Work, Communities and Organizations
Abstract: This chapter describes how the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Technical Assistance Center (UMSSW/TAC) developed its theory of change as a partner in the Skillman ...
More
Abstract: This chapter describes how the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Technical Assistance Center (UMSSW/TAC) developed its theory of change as a partner in the Skillman Foundation-funded Detroit Good Neighborhoods initiative. The definition of a theory of change accepted was of “a specification of what must be done to achieve the desired goals, what other important impacts may also be anticipated, and how these goals and impacts would be generated.” The chapter discusses the processes in the creation of iterations of Foundation and UMSSW/TAC theories of change. The chapter concludes with the benefits, limitations, issues, and challenges of aligning logic models with the varied expectations and goals of residents, funding foundations, and university partners.Less
Abstract: This chapter describes how the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Technical Assistance Center (UMSSW/TAC) developed its theory of change as a partner in the Skillman Foundation-funded Detroit Good Neighborhoods initiative. The definition of a theory of change accepted was of “a specification of what must be done to achieve the desired goals, what other important impacts may also be anticipated, and how these goals and impacts would be generated.” The chapter discusses the processes in the creation of iterations of Foundation and UMSSW/TAC theories of change. The chapter concludes with the benefits, limitations, issues, and challenges of aligning logic models with the varied expectations and goals of residents, funding foundations, and university partners.
Paula Allen-Meares, Tina R. Shanks, Larry M. Gant, Leslie Hollingsworth, and Patricia L. Miller
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190463311
- eISBN:
- 9780190463342
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190463311.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Communities and Organizations
Urban renewal has been the dominant approach to revitalizing industrialized communities that fall into decline. Detroit, with its vast majority Black population and struggling auto industry, ...
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Urban renewal has been the dominant approach to revitalizing industrialized communities that fall into decline. Detroit, with its vast majority Black population and struggling auto industry, encountered such decline. The Skillman Foundation sought to engage in a joint effort to bring Detroit back to its position of strength. With its mission of enhancing the development and well-being of children, Skillman entered partnerships with six Detroit neighborhoods with the largest concentrations of children whose well-being and development was at risk. The Foundation solicited the technical assistance of the University of Michigan School of Social Work. This book introduces readers to the environment within which the work of technical assistance began. The work is placed within a theoretical and practice context. This includes conducting needs assessments at multiple levels, engaging community members in identifying strategies for problem-solving, assistance in developing community goals for immediate and long-term success, and implementing social work field instruction opportunities. Lessons learned and challenges are described as they played out in the process of creating partnerships for the Foundation with community leaders, engaging and maintaining youth involvement, managing roles and relationships with multiple partners recruited by the Foundation for their specialized expertise, and conducting the work of technical assistance within a context of increasing influence of the city’s surrounding systems (political, economic, educational, and social). Readers will note the role of technical assistance in an evolving theory of change. Case vignettes, case-based discussion questions, and additional resources in each chapter provide an excellent opportunity for classroom use.Less
Urban renewal has been the dominant approach to revitalizing industrialized communities that fall into decline. Detroit, with its vast majority Black population and struggling auto industry, encountered such decline. The Skillman Foundation sought to engage in a joint effort to bring Detroit back to its position of strength. With its mission of enhancing the development and well-being of children, Skillman entered partnerships with six Detroit neighborhoods with the largest concentrations of children whose well-being and development was at risk. The Foundation solicited the technical assistance of the University of Michigan School of Social Work. This book introduces readers to the environment within which the work of technical assistance began. The work is placed within a theoretical and practice context. This includes conducting needs assessments at multiple levels, engaging community members in identifying strategies for problem-solving, assistance in developing community goals for immediate and long-term success, and implementing social work field instruction opportunities. Lessons learned and challenges are described as they played out in the process of creating partnerships for the Foundation with community leaders, engaging and maintaining youth involvement, managing roles and relationships with multiple partners recruited by the Foundation for their specialized expertise, and conducting the work of technical assistance within a context of increasing influence of the city’s surrounding systems (political, economic, educational, and social). Readers will note the role of technical assistance in an evolving theory of change. Case vignettes, case-based discussion questions, and additional resources in each chapter provide an excellent opportunity for classroom use.