It can take three to five years to carry out and evaluate a community development project. Community groups and volunteers follow their own priorities and time lines. Communities are mobilized from within. Community mobilization can't be done from the outside and it can't be done to a community. Community action requires organized, on-going support.
Community development requires many different kinds of skills, expertise, and knowledge.
Developing partnerships requires time, skill, and a recognition of the many demands that are placed on community volunteers both as individuals and groups. Partnerships work best when expectations are clear from the beginning. People are more willing to get involved in a project when they have participated in the planning. On-going training of community members is an essential part of community development. We learned that great resource material and training are not enough.