A Very Intense and Complex Balancing Act

A Reflection by Former Making Connections Oakland Director Fred Blackwell

By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

June 26, 2007

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Read or Download the Report

8-page PDF

In This Report, You’ll Learn

  • The delicate balancing act between local engagement and national expectations.
  • The challenges of including residents in preconceived community change outcomes.
  • How Oakland, CA implemented Casey's Making Connections community change initiative.

About This Report

Summary

Fred Blackwell gives an insider look at managing local conflict and community change as a site coordinator for Casey's 10-year, 10-city Making Connections initiative. 

Key Takeaway

Accolades for Casey's focus and technical assistance in moving Making Connections forward

According to Fred Blackwell, the foundation deserves a whole lot of praise, "The way the technical assistance delivery was set up was innovative and fantastic. The development of a set of core capacities that needed to exist in a community in order to deliver outcomes was right on point. The notion that you need to focus on a set of common ground outcomes was very important. In this kind of work, without that kind of focus, you rarely accomplish anything."

Findings & Stats

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