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There are many ways in which community can be defined. For the purposes of this research, the most common definition listed in The American Heritage Dictionary will suffice: "A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government."

Like the term community, capacity can also be defined in a number of ways. In a broad sense, community capacity refers to the ability of communities to meet the needs of its inhabitants.

Kusel's research is on a relatively more global scale than this research. Kusel conducted assessments of well-being for communities spread across the entire Sierra Nevada region. As such, he relied heavily on socioeconomic date obtained from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. His "units of analysis" were of a much larger scale than the data reflected in this study.

Nearly twenty interviews were conducted with leaders of various Plumas County human and social service organizations as preliminary research about the issue of community capacity. Their experience and guidance was sought in order to develop a meaningful survey. In the process of meeting with these leaders it became evident that many people feel that a relatively high degree of community capacity currently exists in the human and social service sector of the community.

Other sectors of the Plumas County community also demonstrate a high degree of community capacity. The natural resources, business and industry sectors of the community have also recently been building capacity in their respective arenas.

The human and social services sector of the community has also been busy developing its capacity. The small population of Plumas County and a limited availability of resources have presented a situation in which the major county agencies have been collaborating for a long time out of sheer necessity. In addition, collaborative working relationships have been encouraged in the human and social services over the latter part of this decade by both philanthropic and governmental funding sources.

Plumas Children's Network (PCN) is a good example of such efforts to enhance community capacity. PCN was established in 1994 as a community collaborative, funded by a five year grant from Sierra Health Foundation. The regional branch of PCN operates in conjunction with Plumas County Department of Health Services. Each of the four major geographic areas of Plumas County has its own PCN coordinator.

Plumas Children’s Network conducted extensive community assessments during 1994 & 1995. Many of you may have participated in that process. Thirteen areas of need were identified in the Plumas Children’s Network Executive Summary. The first three identified needs were: 1) "Community infrastructure needs for County-wide coordination, computer network and local community resource centers;" 2) a need for "Community Connection Forums, to seek additional community involvement;" and 3) a need for "Community Connection Directories, with a listing of all local organizations and associations."

The efforts of PCN have lead to increased levels of collaboration between many organizations. The directories that have been produced provide an excellent resource for use in establishing greater communication between residents, agencies, and organizations. A number of new programs have been spawned from the efforts of PCN.

The current momentum behind building community capacity is encouraging. It is my opinion that there is still a lot of room to make further advances in the human and social service sectors of Plumas County. The research that I am conducting is aimed at building upon the successful work that has been achieved to date.

This survey will provide a source of concrete, empirical data that should be useful to survey respondents. For some, the survey results will provide a better general understanding of organizations in Plumas County. For others the results may provide a basis for creating new projects and collaborations. Some organizations may find the research to be a source of data which can be utilized in support of grant applications or other funding requests. It is my hope that this research will contribute to building community capacity in Plumas County.

The survey is being sent to all human and social service agencies and organizations in Plumas County. Nearly 400 surveys will be sent out by mail in the early part of April, 1999.

In addition, all legally recognized 501c(3) nonprofit corporations will receive a questionnaire. This group includes churches and faith organizations, service clubs, special interest groups, educational organizations, youth groups, charitable organizations, etc. Finally, some non-incorporated special interest groups are included in the survey.

Respondents to this survey have an option to either identify their organization or maintain anonymity on behalf of their organization. In either event, disclosure of the personal identity of the respondent is not required.

In light of the fact that such information is seldom collected on an extensive scale in Plumas County, there are a number of factors that should be considered when deciding about the issue of anonymity. Potential benefits of making an organization’s identity known include the following:

1)   It will be possible to generate an individualized report of an organization’s survey results.

2)   It will be possible to generate a report comparing some, or all, of an organization’s survey responses with either the over-all survey results or the results of subgroups within the survey population. Subgroups may include other organizations that are similar to a particular organization in various categories such as type of organization, income levels or sources, or number of employees.

3)   The information collected in the survey could be used to actually enhance community capacity within Plumas County. If enough organizations make their identity known, the survey information could provide the foundation for creation of a database from which inter-organizational linkages could be made. Such linkages might include: identifying organizations with similar training needs and interests; matching organizations with services to offer with those in need of such services; identifying organizations with shared values or vision about various topics covered in the survey; and identifying organizations that might be interested in any particular outgrowths of the survey (i.e. establishment of a Plumas County E-mail Discussion Group list for posting announcements, sharing information, etc.).

In the event that an organization identifies itself, the organization's identity will not be made publicly available without the express consent of a representative of the organization.

In addition, I am the type of person who likes to have practical benefit incorporated into projects such as this. Since I needed to expend some degree of effort regardless of the topic of my research, I decided that I wanted it to be potentially useful to both myself and others in the future, and not just a short lived exercise in "jumping through hoops."

During that period, working relationships were established and maintained with people in social service departments, mental health departments, probation departments, county and city school districts, state and county regulatory agencies, other nonprofit agencies, and a number of health and legal professionals from the community. Just prior to my relocation to Plumas County, a movement was underway to incorporate other community-based organizations (nonprofits, church groups, clubs, etc.) as collaborators with our program.

Thus, the topic of this research will further my knowledge of macro-level social work, provide me with a better understanding of the human and social service organizations in Plumas County, be useful to the community, and complete the requirements for obtaining an Master of Social Work degree.

It is hoped that the survey will be useful in many ways to members of the community. The survey results will be useful to the community by making it possible to better understand how organizations work together in Plumas County. Feedback about organizations' experiences, as well as the personal opinions of representatives, will contribute to forming a picture of the status of community capacity amongst human and social service organizations. The survey results will be available for the use of all participants.

It is anticipated that the results of the survey will provide data that can be used to enhance community capacity. Needs of various organizations that may be shared in common might be uncovered that may be amenable to cooperative solutions. Common interests or values may be identified that can be acted upon to the mutual benefit of organizations.

Attitudes and issues regarding collaboration will be identified, some of which might provide a basis for improving the process and efficiency of collaborations. Needs and availability of resources pertaining to grants and grant writing will be identified, pointing to possible ways that the community can improve access to grant funding. Training and education needs will be identified, and opportunities for and constraints of providing cooperative trainings for multiple organizations will be explored.

Information will be collected on the current state of organizations' use of technology. Local constraints to the utilization and maintenance of technology resources will be identified, which is a first step to attempting needed solutions. County wide projects designed to improve community capacity, such as a thorough data base providing comprehensive information about organizations and available services, may be identified and supported. New tools made possible by technology, such as an "e-mail newsgroup/discussion list" that could be easily and inexpensively distributed via the Internet on a daily basis, could come into existence.

Just a few potential benefits to the community are listed above. It is anticipated that exploration of the issues by various individuals will lead to further identification of opportunities to enhance community capacity within Plumas County.

Participating in the survey will be useful to organizations by providing an opportunity for respondents to reflect upon their organization from a broad perspective; a unique perspective which may stimulate creativity, rekindle an awareness of potentials, and suggest possibilities for the future.

In the process of reviewing the survey questions, the organization’s capacity in four major areas will be assessed: Collaboration; Grants & Grant Writing; Computers & the Internet; and, Training & Continuing Education. Such information should be of assistance in planning for the future needs and activities of the organization.

Organizational strengths will be identified, and possible ways in which the organization can provide mutually beneficial assistance to other organizations may become evident. Likewise, organizational needs may be identified that could be met in cooperative efforts with other organizations.

For organizations that desire to expand or increase their level of collaboration, the survey data might be utilized in a practical manner. By submitting identifying information about their organization on the form located at the end of the survey, such data will be available for searching in the database and will enable the needs and capacities of cooperating organizations to be matched with those of other respondents in order to facilitate the creation of mutually beneficial collaborative relationships.

Respondents may discover other data that could lead to concrete opportunities for their organization. Identifying data will not be published publicly, but may be made available (with permission) to other respondents that also provide identifying data. By completing the survey, the organization's "voice" will be heard as a part of the community.

James G. Miller, M.D. provides an explanation of General Systems Theory in a chapter included in the book entitled Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry - II (Vol. 1), edited by Freedman. Miller states that "General systems theory asserts that the universe is composed of a hierarchy of concrete systems, defined as accumulations of matter and energy organized into co-acting, interrelated subsystems or components and existing in a common space-time continuum. General systems behavior theory is concerned with a subset of all such systems, the living systems."

General systems theory is referred to as a "meta-theory;" it is a large, encompassing theory within which other theoretical perspectives can fit. It is also a scalable theory in that it can be applied to many differing levels of analysis. In order to explain that claim, let me give some examples of various systems.

A system is simply a "set of units with relationships among them." Systems are interrelated, one being nested within another, each one occupying a distinct level. Miller offers the following description of a progression of concrete systems: atoms are composed of particles; molecules are composed of atoms; crystals and organelles are composed of molecules. Viruses are parasitic on cells, and cells are the lowest level of living systems. Cells are composed of atoms, molecules, and multimolecular organelles; organs are composed of cells aggregated into tissues; organisms [i.e. humans, animals, etc.] are composed of organs; groups (such as herds, flocks, families, teams) are composed of organisms; organizations are composed of groups and individual organisms; societies are composed of organizations, groups and individuals; and supranational systems are composed of societies and organizations. Higher levels of systems may be composed of either living or nonliving systems. These include planets, solar systems and galaxies.

The concepts and principles of General Systems Theory apply equally across the various levels of systems. A living system's "suprasystem" is the next higher system in which it is a component or subsystem. For example, a cell's suprasystem is the organ it is in, while an organism's suprasystem is the group that it is in. When utilizing systems theory it becomes necessary to explicitly identify the "focal system" under consideration. In that manner it becomes clear what system is being studied, and what its suprasystems and component subsystems are.

Miller states that components of a system "are the structures of which it is composed. Its subsystems are defined by the processes they carry out. The totality of all the parts in a system that carry out a particular process is a subsystem. Living systems have 19 subsystems." Each of the 19 subsystems plays a critical role in the functioning and survival of any given system.

Systems have a number of traits and characteristics. Systems are open or closed to various degrees, meaning that matter and information are exchanged across the system's boundary in varying degrees. Boundaries differentiate one system from another.

Systems are subject to the second law of thermodynamics, which means that they are subject to entropy, or the loss of energy and the breakdown of internal orderliness. The addition of energy and/or information to a system can counteract entropy and serve to maintain or improve the system and forestall its degradation. More complex systems also have emergents, which is the development and appearance of new capabilities by the pooling of resources. For instance, the capacity to utilize symbolic language is an emergent of humans, groups have developed the possibility of making items that no single organism could make, and new forms of social organization have and will continue to arise.

The survey and research that I am conducting will be interpreted from the perspective of general systems theory. The "focal system" that is the topic of my research is the "human and social service sector of the community" in Plumas County, as represented by the various agencies and organizations that participate in the survey. I will describe the 19 critical subsystems and identify those that seem most pertinent to the issue of community capacity. Much of the data collected will pertain to the functions performed by some of the "19 critical subsystems."

One of the advantages of general systems theory is its applicability to various levels of analysis. Thus, the "focal system" could be identified as a particular given organization, and the survey results can be used to assess the organization itself.

I hope my brief attempt to describe systems theory has created more understanding than confusion about what it is and how I will use it in relation to the survey.

The field of social work, by its very nature, covers a broad range of objectives and activities. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has defined social work as "the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and to create societal conditions favorable to their goals."

In their book Direct Social Work Practice, Theory and Skills, Dean Hepworth and Jo Ann Larsen note that it is a common convention within the field of social work to differentiate three "levels" of social work practice: micro level practice, mezzo level practice, and macro level practice. Social workers usually deal with each of these levels to some extent, but often times they specialize in one area or the other.

Micro level practice is referred to as "direct practice," implying that practitioners deliver services directly to clients in face-to-face contacts. Populations served at this level include individuals, couples, families and groups.

Mezzo level practice is referred to as indirect practice. The primary focus of this level of practice is on the administration of programs and organizations that deliver services to clients. Activities at this level include program design and implementation, funding and resource allocation, organizational management, personnel supervision, and program evaluation.

Macro level practice is also a form of indirect practice. This level is further removed from the direct delivery of services than is the micro or mezzo level of practice, and involves social planning and community organization. The research that this survey is a part of falls into the macro level. More detail is provided about the macro level of social work practice in the next section.

As noted above, Hepworth and Larsen state that macro level social work involves the processes of social planning and community organization. At this level practitioners assist community action systems composed of individuals, groups and/or organizations to deal with social problems, issues, and goals.

Activities at this level include program planning and development, implementation of programs, and development of and work with community groups and organizations. Activities in the community and policy arenas are also common at this level.

In their book Macro Practice in the Human Services, Thomas Meenaghan, Robert Washington, and Robert Ryan address social planning and community organization. They state that planning can be characterized as a rational model of activity which is comprised of a series of logically interrelated steps. The progression includes: (1) becoming aware of the present state condition or state of affairs, (2) specifying the current condition, (3) identifying goals that are positively related to the present condition and that are possible given the resources that are available, (4) defining objectives, (5) designing alternative ways or programs to meet the objectives, (6) implementing a particular program design, and (7) evaluating the program.

Meenaghan, Washington and Ryan offer two perspectives of community organization. One view sees community organizing as a "set of activities designed to build or maintain groups so that groups (people, organizations) can subsequently define what their problems or concerns are, what they want to achieve, and how they might go about it." This perspective emphasizes the goal of maximizing the capacity of the group as a primary practice goal. The alternative perspective is more task oriented in that it "stresses getting tasks done, jobs completed, issues resolved."

The approach that I adopt for this research includes some aspects of social planning and some of community organization. In terms of community organization, it is my hope that the research can help groups and organizations build their capacity, and by extension enhance the capacity of the community. The survey and research are designed to meet the first two steps of the planning process as outlined above: (1) becoming aware of the present state condition or state of affairs, and (2) specifying the current condition. It is my hope that by making the survey results available to all participants they will be empowered to pursue planning based on the information gathered, and that goals and objectives for enhancing their organization or the delivery of social services to the community can be formulated and implemented as needed.

You may be wondering who I am by now, so this section offers a little on my background, particularly as it relates to the survey and research that I am conducting.

I am currently a resident of Crescent Mills, which is located in the Greenville / Indian Valley area of Plumas County. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to purchase 80 acres of steep mountainous ground over twenty years ago. At the time I acquired the property I was a resident of Clio, which is located in the Graeagle / Mohawk Valley area. While living in Clio I worked at Mountain High Real Estate in Portola.

During the better-than-fifteen-years between residing in Clio and Crescent Mills, I lived in various locations within Sonoma County. During that period I made regular trips to Plumas County to camp and work on my property. The springs on the property slowed down to a trickle during the draught, and the bear got really hungry as a result of the reduction of vegetation. The summer that she raided my campsite three days in a row proved to be a turning point.

As my ties to the land became stronger and I realized how much work I wanted to do on the property, my desire to eventually relocate was slowly but surely increasing. The year that the bear chased me out of the campsite I realized that sooner or later I would have to move onto the land.

In the summer of 1995 my wife, Janine, and my brother, Bruce, built a cabin on the property. I helped them out, on what turned into "long weekends" away from Sonoma County. I hope to eventually post some photos of the building process on my web site, including the development of springs for a supply of drinking water, the milling of trees from the property for lumber, and the installation of a hydroelectric power system.

I now live "out in the woods" at the end of 3/4 of a mile of telephone cable that is run though the forest and connects my computer with the rest of the world. Over twenty years ago when I first acquired the property, I imagined that someday I would live on the side of that mountain and be connected to the world via technology. That day has arrived. A testament to imagination.

Most directly related to this survey is the fact that I am a "re-entry" student at California State University at Sacramento. I am a graduate student working toward completion of a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. I have completed all of the required coursework, and this survey and the associated research is the topic of my master’s thesis.

I have a B.A. degree in Psychology from Sonoma State University. I have completed graduate level coursework in counseling and social work. The emphasis of my social work education has been in the area of mental health.

When I was in grammar school I thought that I could never know as much as my teachers did. In high school, college looked to be in the far distant future. Upon obtaining a B.A. degree, college just seemed to be just another step on the way to somewhere else. Now, on the threshold of obtaining a Master's degree, I feel that one of the main functions of education is to expose ourselves to the vastness of the world and the many realities that exist in it.

One of the conclusions that I have drawn from the portion of my life spent as a student is that the more we learn, the more we become aware of how much there is to know. And hence, I have become a proponent of life-long learning.

My vocational path has been varied, but by simple default I seem to have settled into a focus on the social sciences. Should I start with that high school job experience of working for Colonel Sanders? OK, we'll skip that one.

Miscellaneous jobs early on included maintenance worker, short order cook, and various types of construction work. I did an extended period as a Teamster / Owner-Operator in the trucking business. Although not currently active, I do hold a real estate broker license and have worked in real estate in both urban and rural areas.

During my tenure at START Home the program was operated under a contract with Sonoma County Department of Mental Health. The program was conceived partially as an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. Some of the various county government agencies that placed adolescents in the program included social service departments, probation departments, and mental health departments. Schools and school districts also placed residents in the program. Some private placements were made, as well as a few placements that were made through state programs.

A multidisciplinary team approach was utilized within the program, thereby drawing on the experiences and perspectives of a number of different professions, including: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, family and child counselors, special education teachers, counselors, medical personnel, lawyers, advocates, etc.

Oversight of the program was also provided by a variety of sources, including: California Department of Social Services - Community Care Licensing; California State Department of Mental Health; California State Department of Education; Sonoma County Mental Health; Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Advisory Commission; the Sonoma County Patients' Rights Advocate; as well as a few others whose names escape me at the moment.

There are many ways that I could describe my experiences as the Program Director at TLC's START Home. The perspective offered above highlights the many different types of agencies and organizations that I worked with. Through ongoing involvement with a diverse range of community groups I became interested in how organizations work together in the human and social services sector of the community. It is plainly evident how, in the current research project, my interest in how organizations work together at the community level has been transferred to the Plumas County setting.

The raw data collected from the survey will be available to each participating organization. For those organizations that wish to remain anonymous, a system has been created that allows for anonymity to be maintained, while also providing for a means of notification that a completed survey has been submitted. Each participating organization will be notified when the survey data are available.

Organizations are invited to utilize the data in any way that might be of benefit. Knowing the results for one or two of the questions may be of assistance to some. At the other extreme, raw data scores will be available for every question, providing organizations with the ability to conduct extensive secondary analyses designed to meet their specific needs. For organizations that lack the internal capacity to conduct secondary analyses, custom reports can be obtained by special arrangement.