Self-assessment
Where are you? And where do you want to be?
To help you apply the five dimensions to your local context, we have developed a simple self-assessment tool. The tool structures a conversation about the kind of ambition you have for Pride in Place in your area. That discussion could be hosted by a Neighbourhood Board, and it could be opened up for wider groups to share their views.
How to use this tool (click here for more)
Local areas should feel free to use the tool in whatever way works best for them, but here we have described one approach.
The first step is to surface your aspiration: what kind of ambition do you have for Pride in Place? Allow each person to allocate a maximum of 18 points across the five dimensions. This helps to force prioritisation.
Then, in the second round, ask participants to grade where they think the area is at the moment. The goal here is to assess the maturity of the local system: for example, how well equipped are you to shift the story of the local area today?
Score individually and silently, then reveal, then discuss, probing the areas of disagreement. It can be useful to score a second time, after the discussion, once people have had a chance to reflect.
We also recommend asking participants to make sure one or two dimensions are in the lead in both rounds, rather than hedging bets and scoring all the dimensions evenly.
Plotted together, the two rounds reveal the gap between where you are and where you want to be. That insight can then open up a conversation about the capabilities and governance you need to build.
Capability takes time
The conversation should recognise that these are not capabilities that can be built overnight. For example:
- Learning how to crowd in capital might require hiring technical skills. It might also require you to start by building stronger relationships between institutions, which might in itself take months or even years.
- Shaping the system could mean you need to raise levels of trust and establish a strong reputation for the Neighbourhood Board.
- Cultivating agency might only be possible once you have fostered a sense of possibility and hope, perhaps by delivering some quick wins.
This shows why successful community-led renewal tends to focus significant effort on building new local capabilities.
Leave enough time to talk
It is important to leave sufficient space for discussion. We suggest protecting at least 60–90 minutes for the exercise, depending on the size of the group. Don’t assume that two people who have scored the same have exactly the same thing in mind. The tool should prompt a conversation, rather than replacing one.
The self-assessment tool
Step 1 of 3
Where do you want to be?
Read the dimensions of ambition pages to understand their definitions. Then score each dimension from one to five, reflecting your level of ambition. If you are carrying out the exercise in a group, we suggest starting by scoring individually and in silence, before revealing your answers and discussing. To force prioritisation, you have a budget of 18 points to allocate across the five dimensions.
15 of 18 points usedThree left to spend.
1 — Not a priority for us5 — Central to what we are trying to do
The story the area tells about itself, and the one others tell about it. Ambition here means working over years to replace a cynical or dispirited story with a hopeful and creative sense of the future.
Whether local people shape decisions, and feel that they do so. Ambition here means going beyond consultation so that residents hold genuine power over what happens in their local area.
The strength of shared purpose and relationships between local institutions. Ambition here means building deep trust between local organisations so that partnership working becomes the norm.
Whether the £20m of PiP investment is treated as a floor or a ceiling. Ambition here means drawing in wider sources of private, public, and philanthropic capital.
How much say local people have over wider spending decisions. Ambition here means using Pride in Place to strengthen resident voice.
Step 2 of 3
Where are you now?
Now score the same five dimensions for where the area is today: how well equipped are you, right now, to do this work? Again, you have 18 points to allocate across the five dimensions. You may want to think not just about skills in the immediate team, for example in and around the Neighbourhood Board, but wider local skills that you could draw on.
15 of 18 points usedThree left to spend.
1 — No meaningful capacity5 — Well established
The story the area tells about itself, and the one others tell about it. Ambition here means working over years to replace a cynical or dispirited story with a hopeful and creative sense of the future.
Whether local people shape decisions, and feel that they do so. Ambition here means going beyond consultation so that residents hold genuine power over what happens in their local area.
The strength of shared purpose and relationships between local institutions. Ambition here means building deep trust between local organisations so that partnership working becomes the norm.
Whether the £20m of PiP investment is treated as a floor or a ceiling. Ambition here means drawing in wider sources of private, public, and philanthropic capital.
How much say local people have over wider spending decisions. Ambition here means using Pride in Place to strengthen resident voice.
Step 3 of 3
The gap is the useful part
- Where you want to be
- Where you are now
| Dimension | Want to be | Now | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift the story | — | — | — |
| Cultivate agency | — | — | — |
| Strengthen relationships | — | — | — |
| Crowd in capital | — | — | — |
| Shape the system | — | — | — |
Scoring sheet
Run the exercise on paper
Print this sheet and score by hand. Ring a number in each column: first for where you want to be, then for where you are now. Plot both on the chart and join up the dots.
| Dimension | Where you want to be | Where you are now |
|---|---|---|
| Shift the story | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Cultivate agency | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Strengthen relationships | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Crowd in capital | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| Shape the system | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |