Section 3: Leadership: Communication for Social Change: An Integrated Model for Measuring the Process and Its Outcomes

Social Change Outcome Indicators

Leadership [2]

Development of sustained and effective leadership, which provides a base for organising community participation, is an important outcome indicator for social change. Strong and supportive leadership is characterised by a combination of open management, shared vision, team spirit, decentralised control and role clarity. When groups experience leadership that inspires without dominating, members are more likely to get involved, share the vision of the leader(s) (e.g., goals, objectives, indicators of success, values, norms, future orientation), share in the benefits of the programme and institutionalise the process of social change. There may be leaders (people or groups, traditional or formal) in the community, but no leaders on the specific issue (e.g., domestic violence, family planning, adolescent health). Thus, one of the main objectives of a social-change programme is to strengthen or develop leadership for that particular problem or programme.

Dimensions of Leadership

Operationally, leadership can be defined to have the following six dimensions:

• Extent of leadership,
• Equity and diversity,
• Flexibility,
• Competence in encouraging and securing dialogue and action,
• Vision and innovation, and
• Trustworthiness and popularity.

An overall index of leadership may be developed from these dimensions, and the progress may be measured over time.

Extent of Leadership

Refers to the number of formal and informal leaders in the community and to the degree community members get to serve the function/role of leader on the particular issue or programme.

1. People or groups who have a leadership role in the issue/programme:

Q: Who are the main leaders in this community (probe formal and informal leadership)?

Q: Who are the leaders in this community with respect to the issue/programme?

Q: How many people have had the opportunity to lead various aspects of this programme?

Q: Were people given the opportunity to play a leadership role in the programme?

Data Sources: Key informant interviews, programme records.

Equity and Diversity of Leadership

The existing leadership of a group may be very small (narrow-based), representing only a few sections or groups in the community. Changing leadership from an elite model (e.g., only men, only high class), to a more broadly based leadership will facilitate representation and inclusion. This will result in more ideas on strategy, greater consensus on approaches, more resources, greater ownership of the process and programme, and greater opportunities for traditionally excluded groups to participate.

2. Proportion of leaders (people or groups) on the issue/programme that belong to different interest groups in the community:

Q: Use Matrix 3 (see below) and indicate the characteristics of each leader on the issue/programme, mentioned above. For groups, the proportion of those having the specified characteristic can be recorded.

Selection and Flexibility in Leadership

Refers to the process of selecting leaders related to the issue/programme and to opportunities for anyone in the community to become a leader. A programme may benefit from having leadership chosen by the community and the opportunity to change leadership if the community is dissatisfied.

3. Selection process and proportion of leaders elected by the community:

Q: How are leaders selected in the community?

Q: Who in the community decides and elects leaders for the issue/programme (the whole community, other people or groups within the community, other people or groups outside the community, chosen by the government, chosen by external agent)?

Q: From the total number of leaders on the issue/programme in the community, how many were elected by the whole community (all of them...none)?

4. Degree to which leaders on the issue/programme can be changed:

Q: Does the leadership of the programme change regularly, such as by annual elections of leaders?

5. Degree to which community members have opportunities to take leadership roles:

Q: Would you say anybody involved in the programme could be a leader if they wanted to?

Data Sources: programme records, key informant interviews, focus groups, and household surveys.

Leadership Competency in Encouraging and Securing Dialogue and Action (Matrix 4, as seen later)

6. Degree of overall leadership competency:

Q: How competent/good would you say (leader's name or group) is in the following activities related to the issue/programme?

Answers can be recorded using a range from 1 to 5, with 5 being very competent and 1 being not competent at all.

Additional Indicators on Leadership Competency

7. Degree to which leaders accept conflict/dissatisfaction as "normal" and use it as a stimulus for change (versus viewed as "bad" and something to be controlled):

Q: How does (leader's name or group) deal in general with conflict/dissatisfaction/disagreement of community members when discussing the issue/programme (respects differences and tries to enrich the view of the issue, ignores those with a different opinion from his, manipulates those with a different opinion, repeals dissidents from community dialogue, other)?

8. Mechanism for reaching community consensus on the solution of the problem (programme):

Q: How does (leader's name or group) reach consensus about the issue/programme (leader dictates the decision to others, leader allows discussion until a consensus appears and declares it, states a decision and asks if there is any objection, states the options and asks for votes, other)? Is decision making consensual and inclusive as opposed to top-down and nonparticipatory?

Data Sources: programme records (minutes of the group meeting) key informant interviews, household surveys.

Vision and Innovativeness of Leadership

9. Degree in which leader enhances vision and community spirit:

Q: Do you think (each leader on issue/programme) has a clear goal or direction for the community, with respect to the issue/programme? Do they have any innovative solutions to the problem?

Q: How would you describe each leader in the issue/programme's enthusiasm/passion for strengthening/motivating community aspirations for the issue/programme (very enthusiastic and involving,..., very apathetic)?

Data Sources: programme records (analysis of mission statements of the community groups if any, statement of any long-term objectives or plans), interviews with community members, key informants.

Trustworthiness and Popularity of Leadership Refers to the community's trust in their leaders for keeping their promises and managing their resources with integrity.

10. Degree of trustworthiness and popularity of leaders related to issue/programme:

Q: Think about (leader's name) and recall things he/she says and does related to issue/programme. Thinking about all his/her attributes, I would like you to tell me:

A. How credible would you say is (leader's name) on things he says or promises?

B. Does (leader's name) keep the promises he/she makes?

C. How trustworthy would you say is (leader's name) on managing the community resources?

D. How courageous is (leader's name) in standing up for community interests/ideas and confronting conflicts constructively?

E. How likable is (leader's name)?

F. How sensitive do you think (leader's name) is to the needs of people and their feelings?

G. How accessible is (leader's name) to community members?

H. How respectful is (leader's name) about others' opinions?

I. How much you like (leaders' name)?

All responses are given on a four-point scale: very, somewhat, not very, not credible at all.

(Repeat the entire set of questions for each leader mentioned, related to issue.)

Data Sources: programme records, key informant, representative sample surveys.