Building capacity through collaborative leadership.

This paper is based upon material from the manuals and training program underpinnings the 'Sustaining community-based initiative' from the Healthcare Forum with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in the USA. In order to address the problems of American urban communities a new approach is proposed using the concept of 'collaborative empowerment'. This is a planning and organizational method that lets community- and neighbourhood-based organizations design, implement and assess problem-solving strategies that increase their effectiveness at dealing with community issues. The use of organizational management principles and practices in community involvement and strengthening community leadership is illustrated through practical examples.