Conclusion and Recommendations

Within each theme section, we have noted where service provider and community member viewpoints converge and diverge. On the whole, opinions of these two groups were similar. Since many service providers are community members themselves, we did not expect their views to contrast sharply with community member opinions. Regarding concrete themes such as recreation, transportation, education, and economics that have relevant secondary data associated with them, both groups of respondents agreed that the county needed improvement. Less tangible concepts like politics and the people, race relations, and sense of community and collaboration revealed more differences in the emotional quality of responses rather than the content of answers. For example, nearly everyone interviewed felt the educational system should be improved. Community members, however, were much more angry about the quality of education in the county. Service providers did not express as much emotional commitment to the issue. Differences of opinion exist among people of different races, different age groups, and different lengths of time lived in Warrenton. These variations were equally represented among service providers and community members.

Because service providers and community members agree on many issues in Warrenton, these groups will likely be able to work well together if other barriers to communication are overcome. With such congruence of opinion, it seems that what is lacking are lines of communication among disparate communities and groups of people along with motivation and training for collective action. An issue that arose at the forum was that the county is not a single, cohesive community, thus making collaborative action difficult. Many people, attendees said, talk about Warren County's issues but few people are acting to alleviate the problems. Forum attendees further noted that working together to bring about a stronger sense of community would serve to bring disparate communities in the county together and would provide a firm basis for addressing issues in the county.

Community building efforts such as this cannot happen without some key organized individuals with an investment in Warrenton's future. Fortunately, the community came away from the forum with a structure for action already in place. The forum planning committee has worked for the last two months with the assumption that after the forum, they would take over responsibility from the UNC team for action plans developed at the forum around each theme. Because this structure exists, further recommendations regard solidifying the structure and goals of the committee.

At a minimum, the committee should decide on an organizational structure that works to accomplish the goals they and the community have established. Some options the group is considering include a task force, an advisory group, or a coalition, although each of these structures accomplishes different goals in a community. The planning committee, however, wanted to gain input from the larger community at their next meeting about structure and leadership issues. Gaining community support for the effort is essential, although some leadership must be maintained in the interim if the group is to survive its rocky initial steps.

The group, with broader community input, should then decide how to move forward on the action plans developed at the forum. At the debriefing after the forum, some committee members felt the group should establish subcommittees with interested community members to move forward on each action step presented at the forum. Other members felt that the group should focus all its efforts in one area to ensure some visible progress and keep the community interested. One of the action plans developed at the forum described a county fair or history day where disparate communities could come together to share their cultures and find areas of common interest. Given the interest at the forum for a stronger sense of community, perhaps building these partnerships in such a way would be the most efficient first step to making progress.

Further recommendations for the committee regard where and how to get advice about community organizing techniques. Websites sponsored by the Center for Community Change and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development offer information on how to organize communities. Please see Appendix O for a list of community organizing resources. While many of these organizations are outside the Southeast, people who work in these organizations could likely connect Warrenton to local training groups. With professional help, the planning committee might better hold the community's interest and be able to secure funding for their tasks.

All in all, while the people of Warrenton are aware of the issues facing their community, they are also ready to take action on those issues. The commitment and interest of the planning committee and community is evident, and makes Warrenton a place ripe for change. Our recommendations focus on the need for people to organize efficiently and effectively, and begin to take small steps toward issues important to their community. The themes revealed during this community diagnosis are not new to the people of Warrenton. As a result, the community needs to move forward on at least some of the issues highlighted in this document, or the community's momentum will be lost. Continued commitment from the planning committee, government, and the community at large will help ensure that the issues important to this community are addressed and move Warrenton in a direction that improves the lives of people in this community.

Community Forum Report

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References