My community project – Getting Community Buy-In

My meeting with the local chief was very specifically to advocate for support. After many years of working with communities, I have come to appreciate the influence of the Chief. A community project will go nowhere if the local Chief doesn’t know anything about it and is not supporting it. We therefore need to get a Buy-in from the Chief and all other stakeholders.

Buy-in is the commitment of interested or affected parties to a plan. Ideally this commitment is demonstrated through action rather than passive acceptance. Buy-in can be difficult to recognise but it generally takes the form of a concrete pledge to support the project and to help it succeed. 

Community buy-in could mean that a community leader is willing to help get the word out about the program at local gathering places such as churches, barazas or recreation centers. At my community project I need buy-in from the polytechnic stakeholders, the manager, Board of Management, teachers, parents and students in addition to the larger community. Buy-in

• Builds trust

• Gets the word out

• Helps foster interest

• Ensures the sustainability of the project

I would like to share the five approaches I am using to gain the community buy-in for my project

1. Volunteer – I have volunteered my time and availed resources to support the youth polytechnic (where I am housing the community project) for now over six years. Volunteering in the community gets your name, face out there allowing people to see that you are genuine in your outreach effort

2. Ask for help -  I have without hesitation sought help from the local Member of County Assembly (MCA) , the local chief and sub chiefs and community leaders. Eloquently and enthusiastically describing my cause to the right audience and showing  them how they can help has brought positive results and many are usually more than willing to get involved and assist where they can

3. Share my story – I try to talk about my vision and my cause on many fronts –  this blog, social media accounts, word of mouth and they have been an extremely powerful vehicle. My plan is to continue broadcasting my cause and give it a reason to spread naturally. It is my belief that sharing my story will create emotional ties  that will help others become invested in my dream

4. Start somewhere – Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were the great projects of the world. It takes time, energy and dedication to generate enough revenue and community involvement to make a program a huge success. It can be discouraging, especially when progress is slow. I however have enough passion to keep this going and I am confident that it’s only a matter of time before people start noticing my mission and growth, thereafter, should happen naturally.

5. Follow through – Many people are already supporting my cause by donating valuable time and so it’s essential to keep going whatever the circumstances. Not holding up to my end of the bargain, would immediately question my legitimacy and people would wonder what’s happening. Transparency and accountability is key.

In conclusion, I can say that there are several other approaches that you may use to achieve community Buy-In and the above are some that have worked for me. I wish you all the best as you cultivate the community Buy-In for your project.