Welfare Reform on the Web (June 2006): Community regeneration and development - overseas

The diverse world of social enterprise: a collection of social enterprise stories

J. Thompson and B. Doherty

International Journal of Social Economics, vol.33, 2006, p.361-375

Social enterprises, defined simply, are organisations seeking business solutions to social problems. Article presents 11 case studies of diverse social enterprises from around the world to illustrate the contribution that they make to sustainable communities.

Results that matter: improving communities by engaging citizens, measuring performance, and getting things done

P.D. Epstein and others

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006

The book discusses the impact of results-based governance and citizen engagement on developing an effective, efficient and equitable local government. It describes an advanced state of community governance and presents examples from communities that have achieved it. These advanced examples include collaborations among citizens, governments, and volunteer and non-profit organizations, such as community development corporations, neighbourhood associations, volunteer fire companies and health and human service providers. The book also explores many practical topics, such as how to make use of balanced scorecards in a public sector setting, or when and how to use technology to assist in citizen consultation.