. 2021 Jul 13;5(2):305–338. doi: 10.1007/s42413-021-00135-5

Table 2.

A summary of the seven elements

Seven elements	Description
Element One (system governance): Equal partners keeping the system strong for all neighborhoods	1. A structured and functioning public–private governance system comprised of representative community development stakeholders/leaders as equal partners; such a system collaboratively shepherds the entire system, designing new initiatives and advocating for community development as an important strategy for Detroit neighborhoods 2. A structured and functioning coordination and oversight system with community development stakeholders as equal partners; collaboratively shepherding all the components of the system and assuring they are aligned
Element Two (system capitalization): Resources for the entire system to thrive in our neighborhoods	1. A strategy for assuring the availability of public–private system resources for community development work, including operating support for CDOs, capacity-building for CDOs and grassroots organizations, access to shared organizational services, data and evaluation services, and low-cost debt and grant capital for community development projects 2. A long-term strategy to assure sustainable, equitable public, private, and legislated resources for community development work in Detroit
Element Three (data and evaluation): Measuring progress toward vital neighborhoods	1. Accessible neighborhood-level data, research on best community development practices, and an evaluation system, all geared toward the achievement of consensus-based Neighborhood Success Measures (i.e. the Neighborhood Vitality Success Framework) 2. An agreed-on framework to define neighborhood success, with neighborhood-level data, and an “index” system to measure progress
Element Four (city engagement): City government joining forces with neighborhood-based organizations	1. City government support for community development through the recognition of certified CDOs for each City Council District, the provision of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support, and ongoing partnerships with CDOs to help realize the city’s Master Plan 2. City government support for community development through the recognition of CDOs as critical partners, the provision of city funding for the work, and ongoing partnerships with CDOs to help fulfill the city’s master plan and other neighborhood plans
Element Five (organizational capacity-building and certification): Effective, sustainable neighborhood-based organizations	1. Systematic access to training, technical assistance, coaching, peer support, and development of CDOs as “conveners/facilitators” in every neighborhood. Help grassroots organizations play an important role within a corresponding system to improve CDO effectiveness by developing CDO performance standards and validating CDOs as conveners while helping CDOs/other organizations perform the identified critical community development roles in every neighborhood 2. Systematic access to training, technical assistance, coaching, and peer learning to support CDOs and Grass Roots Organizations in playing their roles in every neighborhood. CDO performance standards and support to maintain high performance. Capacity support to intermediaries to assure effective delivery of capacity building services
Element Six (neighborhood & advocacy voice): Citywide process and structure to articulate and advocate neighborhood priorities from the ground up	1. A system for building cross-sector relationships and trust within every neighborhood, and then leveraging those relationships to create an influential city-wide neighborhood voice for Detroit 2. A system to build cross-sector relationships and trust within every neighborhood through “Neighborhood Action” tables, technical support for those tables, and then citywide coordination of those tables to create an influential citywide neighborhood voice
Element Seven (education & career pipeline): Creating an equitable and professional community development pipeline of leaders	1. A number of easily accessible academic/credentialing tracks and academic “placements,” starting in middle/high school, for aspiring and current community development practitioners to pursue in generating a robust pipeline of practitioners, especially people of color, from Detroit 2. A number of project-based programs and easily accessible education tracks, fellowships, and placements, for youth ages 11–24, resident leaders and aspiring and current community development practitioners; to generate a robust pipeline of community development practitioners and leaders of all ages, especially those of color from the Detroit region

Seven elements

Description

Element One (system governance):

Equal partners keeping the system strong for all neighborhoods

1. A structured and functioning public–private governance system comprised of representative community development stakeholders/leaders as equal partners; such a system collaboratively shepherds the entire system, designing new initiatives and advocating for community development as an important strategy for Detroit neighborhoods

2. A structured and functioning coordination and oversight system with community development stakeholders as equal partners; collaboratively shepherding all the components of the system and assuring they are aligned

Element Two (system capitalization):

Resources for the entire system to thrive in our neighborhoods

1. A strategy for assuring the availability of public–private system resources for community development work, including operating support for CDOs, capacity-building for CDOs and grassroots organizations, access to shared organizational services, data and evaluation services, and low-cost debt and grant capital for community development projects

2. A long-term strategy to assure sustainable, equitable public, private, and legislated resources for community development work in Detroit

Element Three (data and evaluation):

Measuring progress toward vital neighborhoods

1. Accessible neighborhood-level data, research on best community development practices, and an evaluation system, all geared toward the achievement of consensus-based Neighborhood Success Measures (i.e. the Neighborhood Vitality Success Framework)

2. An agreed-on framework to define neighborhood success, with neighborhood-level data, and an “index” system to measure progress

Element Four (city engagement):

City government joining forces with neighborhood-based organizations

1. City government support for community development through the recognition of certified CDOs for each City Council District, the provision of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support, and ongoing partnerships with CDOs to help realize the city’s Master Plan

2. City government support for community development through the recognition of CDOs as critical partners, the provision of city funding for the work, and ongoing partnerships with CDOs to help fulfill the city’s master plan and other neighborhood plans

Element Five (organizational capacity-building and certification):

Effective, sustainable neighborhood-based organizations

1. Systematic access to training, technical assistance, coaching, peer support, and development of CDOs as “conveners/facilitators” in every neighborhood. Help grassroots organizations play an important role within a corresponding system to improve CDO effectiveness by developing CDO performance standards and validating CDOs as conveners while helping CDOs/other organizations perform the identified critical community development roles in every neighborhood

2. Systematic access to training, technical assistance, coaching, and peer learning to support CDOs and Grass Roots Organizations in playing their roles in every neighborhood. CDO performance standards and support to maintain high performance. Capacity support to intermediaries to assure effective delivery of capacity building services

Element Six (neighborhood & advocacy voice):

Citywide process and structure to articulate and advocate neighborhood priorities from the ground up

1. A system for building cross-sector relationships and trust within every neighborhood, and then leveraging those relationships to create an influential city-wide neighborhood voice for Detroit

2. A system to build cross-sector relationships and trust within every neighborhood through “Neighborhood Action” tables, technical support for those tables, and then citywide coordination of those tables to create an influential citywide neighborhood voice

Element Seven (education & career pipeline):

Creating an equitable and professional community development pipeline of leaders

1. A number of easily accessible academic/credentialing tracks and academic “placements,” starting in middle/high school, for aspiring and current community development practitioners to pursue in generating a robust pipeline of practitioners, especially people of color, from Detroit

2. A number of project-based programs and easily accessible education tracks, fellowships, and placements, for youth ages 11–24, resident leaders and aspiring and current community development practitioners; to generate a robust pipeline of community development practitioners and leaders of all ages, especially those of color from the Detroit region

1 – 2017 descriptions; 2 – 2021 descriptions (source: the citywide engagement initiative in Detroit, 2021)