Results Oriented Community Change (ROCC) is not a proven process. The work in Southeast Stockton is not complete, and it will be a long time before the results are visible and it is possible to know how ROCC contributed to community change. However, many community residents want to improve their communities. Many neighborhood family resource centers are looking for ways to help the families they support lead community change efforts. There are five steps for getting started:

Decide if ROCC is right for you. Assess your values and principles. Do you have the commitment and patience to follow a process like this through the entire Milestone Map™ and on into implementation? Communities do not need well intentioned but half-hearted efforts.

Assess your own resources, capacity and skills. Do you have enough resources to do a credible job? What do you need? Can you get what you need? What skills are you missing? Are there other organizations/entities who might want to partner with you? If you need to strengthen the diversity of your staff to successfully lead ROCC, do so now.

Reach out to potential partners. Take the time to build a solid, trusting relationship before you make the decision to work with other entities. Hammering out values and principles that underpin the potential project is a good way to determine if you want to partner with someone.

Seek additional funding for ROCC. It is certain you will need it. Develop a proposal with key partners (probably no more than one or two) for several funders. This will continue to test and cement your relationship. To write the proposal you will have to agree on the overall purpose and goal of the project and its major design components.

Confer with others who have designed and implemented successful community change processes. Use the contact list on the home page. Visit web pages on community planning. Interview consultants who you think will fill the gaps in your knowledge and skills.

Assemble the right pre-planning team. Once you have resources for at least the pre-planning phase of the project assemble the Project Management Team (PMT). Make certain that you or someone on your staff can perform as a part-time project director. Once you have decided on the basic design and a community site for ROCC, assemble the Process Design Team that includes the director of a neighborhood family center who comes from the community and understands it well.