Spectrum of Engagement

Many characteristics can be added to various core players in a community, but for institutions and community members one key characteristic is the level of engagement in the reform process. What we’re proposing here is not a simple matter of engaged/disengaged, but rather a spectrum of engagement. This gives the community builder a framework within which to place people and institutions, and a sense of how to move people towards greater engagement. The ultimate goal would be to have a community in which every member is actively engaged in its vitality.

• Disconnected/not engaged
• These are community members and institutions that, on the whole, are going about business as usual. Thus they are fully engaged in the status quo community, but not in the reform of the community.
• Squelching
• Members of the community who are actively engaged in hindering reform/active defenders of the status quo
• Come into importance at middle/later stages
• Supporting
• Individuals or organizations that actively contribute to reform of the system not by innovating but by providing other kinds of support in the form of various resources
• Enthusiastic but not innovating
• Can be moved along the spectrum of engagement to become active
• Supporters at the leadership level help provide ‘air cover’
• Full Engagement
• Fully engaged community members graduate beyond supporting to become either a resource, network access point or innovator