Human and Social Capital
The second source of community capital is the human and social capital that is located in the community. These are the highly educated or technically skillful citizens who live in the community, as well as the dedication of the community to provide education and training that further expands this form of community capital. In the domain of expertise, there are valuable participants who are knowledgeable about who is in the know. While they might not directly possess technical knowledge, they know where to find it and who is a credible and useful source of this knowledge. They are providing Linkage Expertise.
During the 1970s, Donald Schon (1973) identified the way in which our world is beginning to look more like a series of networks then a set of hierarchical organizations. He was quite prophetic in his forecasting and made a quite relevant point that some people reside at the nodes of these networks. They are knowledgeable about the nature, purpose and scope of the network and can readily link “outsiders” to many residents of the network. In an age when knowledge is changing quickly and skills are soon outdated, the network expert might be even more valuable than the person with direct technical expertise—for it is often better to know who is now “in the know” then to attempt acquisition of the rapidly changing knowledge yourself.
Institutional Capital
The third source of community capital is the institutional capital that exist in the capital to provide financial support (such as banks), governmental protection (such as human service agencies and courts), and guidance (such as the churches). Comparable expertise concerns the identification of needs that must be met if the work now being down is to be successful. In communities, these are the sources of financial and institutional capital. Similar sources are needed regarding any collaborative project.
Need-Based Expertise centers on finding answers to several specific questions: “Who are the stakeholders?” “Who are the customers?” “Where do we get the sponsorship and resources needed to start and sustain this initiative?” The experts in marketing, needs assessment, and representation of diverse interests are of great value (if often ignored or under-appreciated). These are participants who have their “ear to the ground” and their eyes clearly focused on what people need. As we shall frequently note in this essay, the strength of collective expertise often resides in the diversity of perspectives being entertained. This diversity often is invested in the identification of needs rather than the more obvious incorporation of diverse perspectives and practices related to the issue being addressed.
