This Community Investment Committee (CIC) Practice Guide outlines a model of community collaboration that empowers communities to address those systemic challenges that may be preventing them from having thriving, socially connected and economically secure lives.
The guide has been developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s (BSL) National Youth Employment Body (NYEB) team, drawing on their insights, experiences and innovations of Community Investment Committees (CICs) across Australia over almost 10 years.
Through its work in nine diverse communities nationally, the NYEB has identified four key practice elements – influencing change, facilitating collaboration, leading co-design, and building and using evidence – that enable communities to lead place-based solutions to systemic challenges facing people in their local areas.
This guide uses the NYEB as an example to showcase the practices that are core to building impactful CICs working collaboratively – within their communities and with broader networks around Australia – to drive collective action and co-create innovative, place-based solutions to the social, economic and environmental challenges they face.
It provides:
- an overview of the NYEB Model
- a guide to establishing a Community Investment Committee
- detailed examples and guidance on the practices that CICs can use to work effectively, including supporting resources.
The guide is intended for use by anyone working in community in a collaborative way, including employment services providers, community organisations, businesses and policy makers, particularly those who are interested in forming a CIC. It also serves as a framework to support people in assessing where efforts and investments are working well in their local areas, and where more effort and support may be needed.