4.3.3 Reflections on process
Our experience with Smalltown CDC was different from that of Urban CDC and
Simulated CDC. The executive director of Smalltown CDC seemed quite
enthusiastic about the values structuring process, and encouraged a wide range of
employees to participate with the researchers. The CDC participants willingly
shared many experiences of their community engagement efforts and their
assessment of the spirit and values of community residents, both positive and
negative. Though we agreed near the end of the first engagement session that a
quantitative scenario analysis would not fit the skills and preferences of the CDCparticipants, they communicated a willingness to continue the engagement process.
As a result, when the researchers developed the notion of policy/planning analysis
through strategy tables, Smalltown CDC participants again willingly engaged the
researchers in a wide-ranging discussion of current and potential community
initiatives related to our values structure.