Rural communities face unique challenges in terms of development, infrastructure, and sustainability. However, with the right organizing approach, these challenges are transformed into opportunities for growth and prosperity. Here, we introduce the concept of Systems-Based Organizing (SBO) as a key approach to creating meaningful, long-term change in rural communities.
Systems-Based Organizing is a participatory, values-based approach to advancing large-scale systems and policy change. This is done by strengthening, connecting, and aligning the leaders and organizations within a specific system, sector, or geographic region. In practice, SBO integrates community organizing with leadership development, organizational development, and network development.
Over time, SBO results in an effective, interconnected, and strategically aligned set of leaders, organizations, and networks with the trust, capacity, power, and resiliency to advance large-scale systems and policy change. The diagram above outlines the Systems-Based Organizing model, defining the daily work, short-term outcomes, and long-term impact of the approach.
Breaking It Down
Let’s break down the SBO model to better understand the dynamics that make it a useful tool for rural development.
Community Organizing: The bedrock of SBO lies in community organizing. It involves rallying community members around common causes, facilitating conversations, and building coalitions. This process amplifies the voices of the underrepresented, brings different perspectives to the table, and drives a shared sense of purpose.
Leadership Development: Cultivating competent leadership is integral to SBO. This involves identifying emerging leaders, nurturing their skills, and fostering a sense of shared responsibility. A robust leadership structure helps ensure that the community’s development objectives are guided by those who understand the local context and can navigate through the unique challenges it presents.
Organizational Development: This aspect of SBO focuses on fortifying the institutional structures that underpin the community’s development initiatives. It involves improving operational efficiencies, bolstering resource management, and enhancing service delivery. By strengthening organizations, SBO ensures that they are equipped to actualize their mission and serve the community effectively.
Network Development: SBO recognizes that the sum of the whole is greater than its parts. Thus, it encourages the development of networks between different actors within the system. These networks facilitate knowledge exchange, encourage resource sharing, and amplify collective action.
Collectively, these components interact to create a robust, resilient system capable of driving systemic change.
The Impacts and Benefits of Systems-Based Organizing
The SBO approach provides numerous benefits to rural communities. These include:
Increased Capacity: By building and enhancing the capacity of leaders, organizations, and networks, SBO ensures that rural communities have the necessary skills and resources to manage their development initiatives effectively.
Improved Collaboration: Through the creation of networks and fostering of shared responsibility, SBO breaks down silos and encourages cooperation and collaboration, leading to more coherent and synergistic development efforts.
Resilient Systems: By strengthening the system’s components and their interconnections, SBO builds a resilient system that can weather changes and shocks, ensuring the sustainability of the community’s development initiatives.
Policy Impact: The collective power that SBO fosters enables rural communities to advocate for favorable policies effectively, further enhancing their development prospects.
The Case for Systems-Based Organizing in Rural Communities
The unique challenges that rural communities face – including limited resources, isolation, and often a lack of institutional support – make them particularly suited for the SBO approach. By cultivating local leadership, fostering cooperation, and leveraging the collective power of the community, SBO empowers these communities to transform their challenges into opportunities for sustainable development. As such, Systems-Based Organizing holds great promise as a strategy for rural development, turning the tide towards inclusive growth and prosperity.