The Community Life Competence Process (CLCP) and SALT
Ownership means that the community decides on the action that it wishes to take and it takes that action
- We propose a systematic step-by-step methodology that allows the community to take ownership of their challenge. We call this the Community Life Competence Process (CLCP). Facilitators accompany the community as it moves towards ownership of their challenges with an appreciative approach that we characterise by the acronym SALT (Support, Appreciate, Listen-Learn,Transfer).
- CLCP is a form of learning cycle where a community takes action and learns from its experience. That learning becomes the basis for another round of action and learning.
- The cycle goes on indefinitely: there is no end point.
- The steps of the learning cycle allow a community to divide what can feel a frightening challenge into a set of specific and manageable steps.
- As the community moves through the process, each step documents progress, but the real measure of ownership lies in the depth of discussion, the consistency of engagement, and the joy of achievement that accompanies each step.
Our way of thinking : SALT
We call SALT our mode of interaction with communities. We think of SALT as the DNA of The Constellation.
S
S is for Stimulate, Support
A
A is for Appreciate, Accompany
L
L is for Listen, Learn, Link
T
T is for Transfer, Team, Trust, Transform
In SALT and CLCP we have a unique and powerful combination
- While we consider CLCP to be an effective learning cycle, our experience tells us that on its own it would not consistently open the door to change. We support communities as they apply CLCP with the SALT approach.
- The appreciative approach supports the community through the hard work, and the setbacks that they will inevitably encounter as they apply the steps of the learning cycle. We have found the SALT approach to be effective to stimulate and to support the community as it works through the steps of CLCP.
Stories from the field
Voice Multi-country grantees take action towards a joint dream
The Constellation has facilitated the Linking and Learning journey where those grantees grew from focusing on their own particular cause to taking action towards a joint dream. The Constellation used and adapted its strength-based SALT approach (Support, Appreciate, Learn and Transfer) and several tools from its Community Life Competence Process for accompaniment. At the closing of the Voice project, a strong sense of solidarity exists between the parties, the journey is not yet at an end.
“We are ready for the new year! What are some or the things we learned in our training??”
Go Girl Ghana post on https://www.facebook.com/GoGirlGhana the 31st of December 2023: a record of what the team learned from SALT-CLCP training.
Go Girl Ghana is a registered foundation in both the Netherlands and Ghana who “inspire girls to believe in themselves to be educated to create a better future for themselves and their communities”.
Facilitating a Global Learning Festival (GLF) for We Lead in Maputo, Mozambique
Exploring our strengths, our diversity and our commonalities as human beings; Learn Visits to local community groups; a Market Place that showcases good practices and eventually reflections on what could be set up in the future. Over the years, The Constellation keeps developing its signature elements as our teams are facilitating Learning Festivals with old and new partners.
In February, a team of The Constellation facilitators took on the challenge of organising and facilitating the Global Linking and Learning Festival for 70 persons in Maputo, Mozambique: staff, partners and rightsholders of the HIVOS We Lead programme.