Module 1 : Getting started

 

Introduction 

The purpose of this module is to take the time out to look at your organisation, think about how well it functions and to what extent you can achieve what you want to achieve. 

This module will help you to:

  • Understand what community groups are for and how they organise.

  • Agree how you want to work together. 

  • Identify the strengths and challenges of your organisation.

  • Consider how to  build on your strengths and address the challenges.

  • Choose the modules that are most useful for your organisation.

  • Make a plan for carrying out each module.

Before you start, make sure that you have the right people around the table. We recommend that you work together as a whole committee or alternatively you could identify a small sub-group. 

If you work as a sub group, then it’s a good idea for you to bring any plans or templates back to your committee meeting so that they can be agreed by your whole committee.

Module Guide

The Module Guide provides more information about the content of each module and can help you decide whether it’s a priority for your group - you can download the Module Guide here.

 
 

What community groups are for

Watch the presentation below, which will help you to think about: 

  • The purpose of your group 

  • How this affects how you run it in an effective way.

  • The way community groups work in Scotland

It is animated and has a commentary from one of our trainers. You will need to make sure you have speakers or headphones.  

You can stop the presentation using the pause button just like any other video and also watch the presentation as often as you need to.

 
 


Let’s get started - Different ways of working

Community groups in Scotland might seem different from how you would do similar things back home.  This exercise is designed to help you think about this and how it affects your group

Take a bit of time on your own, or in your group, to think about these questions:

  • How do community or civil organisations work where you come from?

  • Is it different from how you think community groups operate in Scotland?

  • What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches?

Download this group discussion form, fill in your answers and keep as a record of your learning.

  1. Good conversations

It can be useful to agree some ground rules for your conversation. This will help to make sure that everyone has their say and that you can work productively and respectfully as a group.

Watch this short presentation on developing ground rules for your group.

 
 
 

Group Discussion 1 - Having a good conversation

This short exercise is to help you agree what your ground rules should be. 

As a group, consider how you would like to work together. 

Discuss:

  • How would you like to work together as a group?

  • What do you expect from each other?

Write your agreed ground rules onto this Good Conversations form.

You can then use these ground rules at any of your meetings. It can be useful to refer to them at the start of each meeting and/or to stick them up on a wall.

 
 

2. Your strengths and challenges 

This exercise asks you to think about your group in terms of its strengths and challenges. To make your organisation stronger and more effective, it’s important to build up a shared picture of where you are now and what you might need to do in the future.

Group discussion 2

In your committee or a smaller group, discuss the following questions:

  • What are the strengths in your group that help you to be effective? 

  • What are the challenges you face?

  • What should you do to deal with these?

Download this group discussion form, fill in your answers and keep as a record of your learning.

3. Choosing the right modules for your group

Now watch this presentation.

 
 

Group discussion 3

You can work through all of the modules if you want, but you may prefer to choose the ones that are most useful for your group. 

To help you choose the right modules for your group, have a look at the Module Guide. The Module Guide tells you the name of each module, what the module covers, and what the module will help you to do. 

It’s important to make sure that everyone on the committee has the skills and knowledge they need, so think carefully about this when setting your module priorities.

As a group, work through the list and agree whether each module is:

  • High priority: We find the things this module covers challenging and need to know more. 

  • Medium priority: We have some knowledge within our committee but want to learn more.

  • Low priority: We do this very well so don’t feel this module would be useful now.

When doing this, think about the discussion you had earlier about strengths and challenges. This is not about judging your group, rather it’s about helping you to decide what modules would be most useful for everyone in your group.

Fill in your answers in the Module Guide.

 
 

Group discussion 4 - Next steps 

Now, look at the results of the Module Guide, and in particular the modules that you have identified as High Priority. 

In your committee or a smaller group, discuss the following questions:

  • Do these modules feel like the right ones to focus on?

  • Are there any of the priorities that you want to change?

Agree what modules you want to work on together and agree dates. You can note these down in the last section of the Module Guide.