What it means
Community leadership requires more than an invitation to comment. People affected by a problem need a defined role in setting priorities, choosing responses, and evaluating whether the work serves their community.
ICM uses this term to examine decision rights, access to information, compensation, and accountability. Different communities can organize those responsibilities differently.
ICM field application · illustrative
See how this idea helps with a decision
Here is an example to work through. The linked source explains the idea or guest account. The next move is ICM guidance.
- Where it shows up
- An agency calls a plan community-led because residents attended a listening session.
- A useful move
- Write down which priorities residents can set, which choices they influence, who controls resources, and when leaders report back on disagreements.
- What this does not prove
- Participation is not shared authority unless decisions and follow-through make that influence visible.
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From this idea to a local decision
Use the part you need next. A guest’s account, research finding, local pattern, and implementation plan answer different questions.
Check the evidence
Resource & Evidence
Define the type of harm and place, inspect the data, and check what research can and cannot establish.
Examine sourcesWork through the decision
Community Safety Councils
A structure for agencies, community partners, practitioners, and residents to make and carry out shared public-safety decisions.
Open the worksheetBring the right people together
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