Franklin Tomorrow looking for community members for Civic Index conversations
Franklin Tomorrow will be launching a new initiative this spring called the Civic Index as a follow up to the City of Franklin’s designation by the National Civic League as a 2020 All-America City.
The Civic Index is a self-assessment provided by the National Civic League and is used as a tool by cities and agencies across the country for measuring a community’s civic capital.
“Civic capital is defined as the formal and informal relationships, networks and capacities communities use to make decisions and solve problems,” said Mindy Tate, Franklin Tomorrow Executive Director. “It has seven components and with the Civic Index, Franklin Tomorrow will use a measurement tool to determine whether the seven components exist in Franklin and to what degree — not at all, remains a challenge, is a moderate strength, or whether it is a real strength in our community.”
The Seven Components of civic capital are Engaged Residents, Inclusive Community Leadership, Collaborative Institutions, Embracing Diversity and Equity, Authentic Communication, Culture of Engagement, and Shared Vision and Values.
Franklin Tomorrow plans to initiate the Civic Index by asking community members and organizations to participate either in the Civic Index Conversations, being held during the month of April, or take the Civic Index self-assessment independently.
Communities have used the Civic Index self-assessment tool to identify gaps or areas in need of further attention, soliciting community input to create a baseline measure of their civic capital and monitor progress over time as they work to enhance their internal capacity. Through use of the Civic Index self-assessment tool, Franklin Tomorrow will be able to create a baseline measure of the seven components of civic capital by citizens and stakeholders and use this to enhance its work and collaboration in the community.
The Civic Index Conversations will be coordinated by Franklin Tomorrow and will use a facilitator to discuss the Civic Index self-assessment and have meaningful conversations about civic capital. Civic groups, neighborhood associations, or churches can hold the Civic Index Conversations as well as those which will be planned by Franklin Tomorrow. Training will be provided for those who want to hold independent conversations.
Later in the fall, Franklin Tomorrow also plans to hold a series of All-America Conversations, patterning the process after its successful On The Table initiative, but hopefully adding a community celebration component to the overall process.
Franklin Tomorrow is currently looking for interested parties to be facilitators of the Civic Index Conversations. As a facilitator, you will be responsible for holding a one-hour discussion session with 10-15 attendees where you will discuss the different aspects of the Civic Capital self-assessment. Facilitator training will be held during the month of March. If you are interested in being a facilitator, please email carly@franklintomorrow.org.
The Civic Index and Community Conversations are presented in partnership with Vulcan Materials. Additional support comes from Gresham Smith and Chandlerthinks.