LOCAL EMPOWERMENT
Engagement is good. Empowerment is better.
When organizations serve across cultures, it’s easy to unintentionally sideline the very people most affected by the work. This course equips you to shift from doing work for communities to doing it with them—amplifying the voices, leadership, and solutions of local stakeholders.
You’ll learn practical strategies for cross-cultural collaboration, frameworks for shared decision-making, and tools to evaluate and grow your program’s level of local engagement. Whether you’re building partnerships, launching programs, or shaping global strategy, this course will help you move toward truly transformative, locally led solutions.
YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH
- A clear framework for understanding and applying principles of local empowerment
- Practical models like the Wheel of Participation to assess your level of engagement
- Strategies for shared leadership, capacity building, and culturally grounded collaboration
- Tools to create community engagement standards and strengthen local decision-making
- A CAFO Certificate of Completion to demonstrate your learning
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Customizable Tools
& Templates
Download editable tools to assess engagement levels, guide power-sharing, and develop context-specific empowerment plans.
Team Discussion &
Summary Guides
Equip your team with guided prompts and collaborative exercises designed to translate principles into practice—together.
CAFO Certificate of
Completion
Show your commitment to growth and best practices with a downloadable certificate from CAFO.
A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR BETTER CARE
This course is part of CAFO’s Core Elements of Success program, which provides a clear roadmap to improving outcomes for vulnerable children through evidence-based training on key aspects of quality care.
Drawing from global best practices and enriched by insights from NGOs, field experts, and experienced leaders, each course equips you with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to provide quality care for vulnerable children and families. Topics range from child protection and confidentiality to board governance and fiscal accountability—giving you the resources to implement best practices across every aspect of your organization, ensuring your efforts lead to meaningful, positive outcomes.
If you're committed to achieving measurable results—rather than just hoping for positive outcomes—and need actionable strategies and tools to improve your program, this course is for you.
CAFO’s Core Elements of Success: Simplified care improvement, designed for you.
AT A GLANCE
Engage communities with humility and share leadership in meaningful ways.
- Who is This Course For?
- Christian leaders and staff serving vulnerable children and families
- Program managers, board members, or care decision-makers
- Network leaders working to equip others across regions or coalitions
- Time Commitment
- Fully self-paced
- This course takes 4 hours to complete, but you’re welcome to move at your own pace.
- Price
- $89 CAFO Members
- $99 Non-Members
- Need help covering the cost? Learn about scholarships and group discounts.
- Coupon codes can be applied at checkout.
COURSE CURRICULUM PREVIEW
- How do we Engage and Empower Local Individuals and Communities?
- Community Engagement Standards
- Creating Community Engagement Standards for Your Organization
- Putting Local Engagement and Empowerment into Practice
- Conduct Participatory Assessments
- Co-Create Goals and Action Plans
- Build Local Capacity and Leadership
- Shift Decision-Making Power
- Facilitate Access to Resources
- Establish Accountability Mechanisms
- Monitor, Evaluate, and Adapt
- Plan for Sustainable Transitions
EXPLORE OTHER COURSES
Want to keep learning? Check out other courses in CAFO’s Core Elements of Success program.
