Here's how you can collaborate with stakeholders to solve community issues.

The range of community problems and challenges will keep increasing because of the financing arrangements throughout the world. The normal government revenues will keep dwindling with time and hence there is need to foster strong and effective partnerships with communities and stakeholders. First, there is need to comprehensively identify what the community needs; secondly quantify how much resources are needed to address such needs; thirdly identify key stakeholders who can fund such needs optimally - these could be even local stakeholders and not necessarily the government. One thing that can incentivize a wide range of stakeholders is the clarity/transparency and accountability in addition to aligning stakeholder interests in any project

Firstly, listening to the community as a whole is crucial. This can be achieved through various methods such as organizing listening sessions and conducting individual 1:1 conversations. By actively listening to the community, there concerns, ideas, and aspirations can be identified and addressed. Secondly, empowering and uplifting the voices of the community is key. This can be achieved by providing the necessary resources, and training to amplify their voices effectively. By equipping community leaders with skills, they are able to participate in decision-making processes and work towards positive change. Lastly, creating a safe space for dialogue and discussion is essential to polarize the issues that need to be uplifted in the community

Listening is always a good thing. People like to be heard and they also want their perspectives and ideas to be considered in the solution building stage. However, I find it difficult to believe that all communities know and can articulate what they know about their needs and those of their community. It is unrealistic to assume this is possible every time. Thus, where there is time and resource invest in the community's people before one asks the questions on community needs. Do they speak with one voice? Are the people articulate and observant? Can they take the day to day and create useful insights? If any answers are in the negative, provide the community with the resources they need to dig deep into their community and its needs.

One thing I’ve noticed is that these meetings facilitate knowledge sharing and mutual learning. Stakeholders possess a a lot of knowledge about their community, its history, and its unique challenges. Through open candid discussions, organizers can tap into this expertise, gaining insights that can inform their research and action plans. Stakeholders in turn can learn from organizers research findings enabling them to make more informed decisions and contribute meaningfully to the community's development.

When building relationships, it's important to be less transactional and more conversational because that is the best way to develop a personal emotional connection while building meaningful relationships.

One thing I found helpful in creating authentic relationships involves taking the time to understand individuals on a personal level, including their motivations, faith values, and aspirations. By genuinely getting to know people and their "why," community organizers can build trust, mutual respect, and rapport.

Evaluating the impact of collaborative efforts is vital for measuring success and promoting continuous improvement. It's thus advisable to set clear success metrics beforehand to ensure the evaluation is focused and objective. Combine quantitative data, like statistics, and qualitative data, such as personal stories, to give a complete understanding of the impact. Employ various evaluation methods, like surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to provide different viewpoints. Transparently sharing results in building trust and accountability within the community. Use evaluation findings to refine strategies and ensure collaborative efforts stay adaptable and responsive to the community's changing needs.