Process Circles - Circles of Food

Process Circles provide pathways to guide practitioners through the process of making a significant impact upon a designated locale, such as a city, a town or an urban region. Linked to guidelines for each of the stages, a Process Circle provides a broad management overview that can be used for small or big projects. It can be used to guide a focussed and discrete project or to frame a general sustainability plan that includes many sub-projects.

Stages and Phases

Process Circles are organized around an iterative process pathway with defined stages of activity: commitment, engagement, assessment, definition, implementation, measurement, and communication. Each of the process stages is divided into a series of phases, organized in a logical sequence of activities as part of the broader Circles of Social Life approach. The various phases of the pathway are linked to associated tools and methods. These tools are designed as part of an integrated, cross-referenced set that can be used as a comprehensive guide or as singular tools, each of which can be taken out of the toolbox and used with or without reference to the other tools.

STAGE	PHASE	ACTION	TOOL
COMMIT	Affirm commitment to making a difference
	Establish management structure
	Choose framing considerations	Choose general issue
		Choose general objectives
		Choose spatial and temporal frame
	Resource the project
ENGAGE	Consult key constituent groups and individuals
	Entrust collaborators and form a critical reference group
	Empower local communities	Seek critical community feedback
	Empower local communities	Adjust chosen objectives
	Accord recognition to partners
ASSESS	Determine knowledge and resources	Determine local knowledge	Knowledge Profile Process
		Determine strengths and weaknesses
		Determine contested social themes	Social Themes Process
	Analyse data and documents	Analyze existing existing public data
		Analyze existing policy documents and research
		Analyze existing indicators
	Research social context	Research community responses	Social Life Questionnaire
		Research urban context	Urban Profile Process
		Research individual responses	Strategic interviews
	Project outcomes	Project future scenarios	Scenarios Projection Process
	Project outcomes	Project program scenarios	Intelligent Cities Simulator
DEFINE	Clarify definitions, forces and risks	Clarify general issue and objective(s)	‘General Issue’ Clarification Process
		Clarify materiality considerations
		Clarify driving forces and risks
	Identify critical issues and indicators	Identify critical issues and objectives
		Resolve tensions between objectives
		Identify core indicators; choose targets	‘Critical Issue’ Identification Process
	Refine project parameters
	Review project plans
IMPLEMENT	Authorize the plan
	Enable project support
	Liaise with constitutents
	Revise the plan periodically
MEASURE	Monitor indicators
	Document project implementation
	Reassess profiles and processes	Reassess Social Life Questionnaire, and evaluate changes Reassess Urban Profile and evaluate changes Reassess Social Themes Profile and evaluate changes Reassess Knowledge Profile and evaluate changes Reassess Strengths and Weakness Profile, evaluate changes Reassess Social Themes Process and evaluate changes Reassess Scenarios Planning Process and evaluate changes Reassess Intelligent Cities Simulator and evaluate changes
	Evaluate project
COMMUNICATE	Translate themes and learning
	Publicize the process and outcomes of the project
	Report to all constituents and relevant agencies
	Advise communities and all levels of government