Principles, Research & Publications

Principles

The Community Development and Social Research department is at the core of CDCD’s vision of an equitable, inclusive, and socially just community that is committed to meaningful participation for all.  Community development is the process of developing active and sustainable communities based on principles of social justice, inclusion, and mutual respect.

At CDCD, we execute SPNO principles by committing to a process that focuses on community and truth, which we call ITERATIVE & OPEN.  To our agency, this means:

Iterative: We engage local partners and community members throughout the various stages of our research and community development work.  We commit to continually reviewing and assessing our work and making adjustments that ensure community data is consistently reliable and valid.

Open: While reviewing our work, we follow the path of truth based on what is discovered.  While adhering to timelines and expectations that are core to our work, CDCD remains committed to the process of discovery and truth.

Research

At the core of Social Planning is community-based research.  To ensure our research meets the criteria of Iterative & Open, we have developed the following ethical guidelines:

• All research, including data, survey and interview design, analysis, and recommendations shall remain non-bias and will not be censored, manipulated, or executed for political or financial gain.
• All our work will be grounded in strategies of community development and collective impact, meaning every effort shall be taken to involve the communities and stakeholders in our processes, allow them inclusive and meaningful contributions for which our work is being produced.
• We commit to an ‘open methodology,’ in which our decisions and outcomes will be guided by the information produced through our research, and not by predetermined objectives.