Best Practices or Principles of Practice? Reflecting upon Language & Roles

In community organizing and social-sector work, the words “best practice” frequently arise. They are used in various contexts — eagerly embraced by some, firmly rejected by others — and the lack of clarity regarding terminology in organizational practice may simply be generating unnecessary confusion. This paper suggests a differentiation of best practice from principles of practice, separating practices that define a standard for a field of endeavor from those that define the functional practices of an organization. The Cultural Arts Coalition’s “Nine Guiding Practices for Community Arts” (2006) were the early catalyst for this thought process, and also shape the discussion on language and differentiation of roles between best practices and principles of practice for organizational planning and community development. The Nine Guiding Practices are the result of a public participation process involving artists, educators, and community activists during 2005-2006 in Arizona.

During the summer of 2005, the group that would become the Cultural Arts Coalition: celebrating global connections (CAC) gathered for formative discussions. The first exploratory session was followed by an event at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens to define the CAC’s mission and goals. The third gathering, at the Arizona State University (ASU) Art Museum, was convened as a discussion of “best practice”in community arts, facilitated by Judy Butzine, co-director of the CAC. The thought behind this particular dialog was that the common denominator among this very diverse group of people was a way of working rather than organizational goals. Those who are active with the CAC tend to use the arts in multidisciplinary contexts for education and community building. From the beginning, the individuals and organizations who participated with the CAC represented a diverse community in terms of cultural tradition, arts discipline and/or application, work sector, education and age. Practitioners and thinkers who spoke of themselves as artists, educators, activists, social scientists, arts administrators and policymakers all brought unique perspectives and processes. The dialog at the ASU Art Museum revealed the lack of accord that existed around the use of the term “best practice.” The idea that this group of artists, educators and activists had highly successful practices in common for community arts work was acceptable. That these could be “best” practice was adamantly rejected by some. How to move forward then?

The CAC initially settled on the phrase “principles of practice” to define the group of 14 practices identified that day. The generation of these principles called on the knowledge and experience in the room to define what constituted effective community arts practice in our community. The practices themselves were not difficult to agree upon because they were recognized and regularly used in some manner by everyone involved in community arts. The cultivation of the language to elaborate on the concepts was more complicated. Some of the essential language was drawn from “Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools” (Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde 7-8).

Over a period of months the language was reviewed and revised, and the 14 practices were grouped into nine and designated “guiding practices.” These guiding practicesare now the foundation of interaction for the coalition and provide a framework for collective community action:

Practice One: Participant Centered and Inclusive of All Ages and People. Programming is responsive to, even directed by or initiated by the participant community.

Practice Two: Issue or Theme Driven. Programming deals with themes that have a universal focus and promote dialogue, creating a rich, interdisciplinary learning experience in safe community settings.

Practice Three: Experiential and Expressive. The environmental setting — the sense of place — engages children and/or adults in active learning and participation, drawing on a full range of communicative media: storytelling, writing, literature, dance or movement, theater, music and visual arts.

Practice Four: Holistic and Authentic. Participants encounter ideas, events and materials in meaningful contexts with complex life lessons at the heart of the learning process.

Practice Five: Reflective and Evaluative. Arts programming provides opportunities and vehicles for participants to reflect on feelings, thoughts and new information, as well as a means for community organizers and participants to evaluate themselves, others and the effectiveness of the process.

Practice Six: Social, Collaborative and Democratic. Programming encourages learning in a sociocultural context, preferring cooperative over competitive approaches to achieving goals and creating a shared space for meaningful work with a collective purpose. It is about understanding self in relation to others and community.

Practice Seven: Developmentally Appropriate. All programming is age-appropriate, following child- and adult-development guidelines and providing learning environments that enable all participants to create connections between content areas and to understand context as well as absorb content. Learning experiences involve investigative processes, self-monitoring and problem-solving skills that engage higher-order thinking.

Practice Eight: Relationship Oriented. Relationship building and processes have priority over projects and products in the development, implementation and evaluation of community arts work.

Practice Nine: Celebrative. Participants are recognized and honored both individually and collectively through community celebrations.

When using these guiding practices for building and evaluating programming, it is important to understand that many, but not all of these practices, will be present in a single project. Over the course of a longer program or initiative, all of these practices may be evident in different aspects of the work. Please note that this is also a work in progress and is expected to transform through our dialogs about community arts practice.

In the year following the characterization of these practices, the CAC decided to document this important work through a forum and a publication. Participants were provided with guidelines for submitting narratives. Both the forum and the publication were formatted as one moderator with two to four presenters or authors. The forum itself did not take place due to circumstances around the change of leadership at Arizona State University’s Herberger College of Fine Arts. The forum was to have occurred in October of 2006, cosponsored by the college’s Community Partnerships Office, the Cultural Arts Coalition and ASU University College Extended Education. However, the Herberger College Community Partnerships Office was suddenly closed in September 2006, weeks before the forum was to take place, so for a variety of circumstances it was not possible for the event to move forward. The program book for the forum was another story. It had been intended to provide detailed documentation of the presenters’ work, because the presentations themselves in the forum setting were to have been short to allow for dialog and art-making processes. The presenters supported the idea of proceeding with the publication, and the organizers were able to identify private funding to produce and distribute a limited number of copies of the former “program book,” now a book in its own right, “Community Arts in Dialog & Action 2006.” The entire publication is downloadable as a PDF from http://www.artscare.org/program.book.pdf. The content is divided into eight thematic areas that “represent quality-of-life issues for the citizens of urban Arizona (Introduction, para.1).” Most of the narratives within each category “document information not only about an individual contributor’s work, but also some of the thoughtful underlying processes (Introduction, para.5),” including the use of the “Nine Guiding Practices.”

An excerpt from the narrative by Marco Albarran, visual artist, community organizer and founder of Calaca.org, provides an example of reflection on the “Nine Guiding Practices.”

When applied, my artwork, writing and various forms of expression use some of the Nine Guiding Practices for Community Arts in the following way:

• Practice One: Participant Centered and Inclusive of All Ages and People. All of our events in some way or form are inclusive of family participation, which includes parents and siblings…
• Practice Four: Holistic and Authentic. Integration of Kids Zone at community events to help youth know about the concepts of arts and life as they learned the meanings of cajita and altar making.
• Practice Five: Reflective and Evaluative. ASU-West Community art projects. Student participation on issues that are controversial yet humanistic.
• Practice Six: Social, Collaborative and Democratic. Encouraging artists to initiate Community-driven projects as a team rather than individually…
• Practice Eight: Relationship Oriented. Yearly participation, youth interaction and community education in the arts promote a continual relationship between all parties.
• Practice Nine: Celebrative. Diversity festival participation, city wide collaborations, day of the dead celebrations (CAC 99).

Another excerpt follows from the narrative of Fatimah Halim, interdisciplinary artist, community organizer and founder of Rites of Passage.

• Fatimah Halim (front left) and Rites of Passage. Photography by Judy Butzine. Click here to enlarge

  Practice One: Participant Centered and Inclusive of All Ages and People. The Rites of Passage Program targets adolescents; however, the parents and community play a large role in the success of the program. A Council of Elders is in place that lends advice and direction when needed and the overall community is involved in the celebration process as demonstrated through the Rites of Passage Graduation Ceremony.
• Practice Two: Issue or Theme Driven. Visit website for listing of classes that illustrate this principle. http://www.ghettogirls.org.
• Practice Three: Experiential and Expressive. African and Aztec Dance and ethnic arts are critical components to the program. Creative writing and storytelling are also components of the program. Participants’ visual arts projects are exhibited during the ceremony as well as the performance of their ethnic dance.
• Practice Four: Holistic and Authentic. As part of the Legacy of African Women/Latinas component, participants must research at least two women or occurrences from their culture’s history. They must then write a report and present this report to the class.
• Practice Five: Reflective and Evaluative. A talking circle is held during the Rites process and monthly circles are held following the 15-week program.
• Practice Six: Social, Collaborative and Democratic. When programs are run simultaneously, several Latina and African-American classes are combined in an effort to create a respect and understanding of the cultures. A combined retreat is also held.
• Practice Seven: Developmentally Appropriate. ROP targets adolescent girls. An orientation meeting is held prior to the start of program to familiarize parents with program content and to determine whether the program is appropriate for their child. Many of the participants are referred by their teachers.
• Practice Eight: Relationship Oriented. A one-on-one relationship is built with each student and instructor. The talking circles and follow-up monthly sistah circles, which include parents, are designed to build and maintain relationships between girls and parents as well as Rites instructors and staff.
• Practice Nine: Celebrative. Exemplary program: Fatimah Halim and Rites of Passage (CAC103).

In describing excellence — in illustrating what they valued — the participants described what is often referred to as “best practice,” but has also been described in various settings as “principles of practice,” “core practices,” “working methods,” or “guiding principles/practices.”

Principles vs. Practices

The Cultural Arts Coalition moved away from the term “best practice” to “guiding principles” and then to “guiding practices.” Why the second shift? Because language mattered so much from the outset in cultivating the list of practices, it made sense in the final editing process to be as deliberate as possible about what the CAC would call them. The word “practices” was conceptually important, because it draws on the idea of ongoing action. The term “principles” suggested “rules” to us — something that should be held to religiously. Our true sense of the identified practices was that they served as “guidelines,” at the discretion of the practitioner. In fact, it was possible that the number or identity of one or more of the practices could change over time. Would the Cultural Arts Coalition then be changing its “principles,” or would it be changing its “practices?” We believed that the latter option was the truest response.

Susan Lee Walling, president and CEO of PhilanthropyWorks LLC, specializes in nonprofit governance and recently presented to the Health in a New Key consultant’s network in Phoenix about the document “Principles for Effective Practice” from the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, which comprises nonprofit leaders from around the country. As part of her presentation, Walling assembled a preparatory document from which the following definitions are extracted:

Principles (n):

1. A personal or specific basis of conduct or management; a guiding sense of the requirements of and obligations of right conduct; an accepted or professional rule of action or conduct (Source: Webster’s Universal College Dictionary © 1997)
2. Moral obligation — refers to a belief that the act is one prescribed by their set of values (Source: Wikipedia)
3. Rule, law, truth, guide, standards (Source: The Doubleday Roget’s Thesaurus © 1987)

Practice (n):

1. Habitual or customary course of action or way of doing something (Source: Webster’s Universal College Dictionary © 1997)
2. Habit, routine, procedure, policy, method, modus operandi, performance, application, activity (Source: The Doubleday Roget’s Thesaurus © 1987)

Guide (n):

1. A book, pamphlet or the like with information, instructions or advice (Source: Webster’s Universal College Dictionary © 1997)
2. Directory, manual (Source: The Doubleday Roget’s Thesaurus © 1987)

(PhilanthropyWorks LLC, para.1-3)

Walling’s definitions seem to support the decision made by the Cultural Arts Coalition to move from “principles of practice” to “guiding practices.” That being said, principles and values are embedded in the “Nine Guiding Practices.” Examining practice one, it can be seen that its anatomy is:

“Principle” — “Participant Centered and Inclusive of All Ages and People”
“Practice” — “Programming is responsive to, even directed or initiated by, the participant community” (CAC)

Principles and values were essential in the crafting of the “Nine Guiding Practices.” They are perhaps essential to best practices or any form of principles of practice as well, but this is a point for discussion by the community of practice.

Best Practice

What is the origin of the terminology? In the introduction to “Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools,” the authors trace the origins of the expression “best practice” to law and medicine and describe their subsequent acquisition of the words in the late 1980s. “We have imported (and capitalized) the term Best Practice — as a shorthand emblem of serious, thoughtful, informed, responsible, state-of-the-art teaching” (Zemelman et al., viii). In the arts the term “best practice” may have been initially used relative to youth work.

The YouthARTS project documented by Americans for the Arts (para.1-4) certainly provided one of the first readily available lists entitled “best practices” in community arts. This term, once coined, took under its umbrella the already-in-progress discussions about effective and successful work (approaches, practices) in the arts and education. An earlier document, “Coming Up Taller: Arts and Humanities Programs for Children and Youth At Risk,” devotes chapter four to a summary of “principles, policies and practices found in promising programs” as identified through site visits to nine programs (Weitz, para.1). Although the word “best” is not used, Weitz describes a collection of principles and practices whose methodology and purpose is much like the later YouthARTS project.

Another self-identified “best practice” resource out of the youth arts movement is from Propelarts in Australia. “Youth arts best practice refers to methods of working with young people in the arts that respect them and their rights and that bring about maximum outcomes.” Propelarts has five recommendations for youth arts work (para.2-6).

If“best practice” is to be differentiated from “principles of practice” and related terms,where do we begin? The term “best practice” seems to have become a catch-all for a range of activities that could be separated by the function or role it serves in our organizations and communities. To initiate dialog, I have provided a table of factors as a means to identify differences between “best practice” and “principles of practice.” The term “local” refers to specific organizations or self-identified communities.

The Cultural Arts Coalition identified common processes among their very diverse bodies of work, practices predicated on local knowledge, experience, values and vision. Among these practices are concepts that have been identified as “best practice” by experts in the field of community arts. In “The Creative Community Builders Handbook,”Tom Borrup speaks of “best practices in using arts and culture to build social connections,” among them specific strategies,

Strategy 6: Promote Interaction in Public Space
Strategy 7: Increase Civic Participation through Cultural Celebrations
Strategy 8: Engage Youth (121),

which can be identified with CAC practices three, nine and one respectively. Arlene Goldbard provides us with “Indicators of Success” for community cultural development work. To name a couple:

• Practitioners and participants develop a mutually meaningful, reciprocal and collaborative relationship, useful and instructive to all;
• Participants enter fully into roles as co-directors of the project, making substantial and uncoerced contributions to shaping all aspects of the work and setting their own aims for the project (154)

These indicators resonate with CAC practices one and six. Any “best practice” may become a “principle of practice” locally if an organization or community discovers common ground in it and accepts ownership of it. Conversely, “principles of practice” may be a source for cultivation and identification of “best practice.” An example may be found in Americans for the Arts’ (AftA) introduction to the development of the YouthARTS project:

Research for the YouthARTS Development Project involved interviews and focus groups with representatives from arts programs for youth at risk, and a review of the literature on arts programs and juvenile justice theories and programs. From this research, many best practices emerged (para.1).

In Darlene Clover’s article on culture and antiracism she begins, “Increasingly, practices of collective arts-based learning are being used by adult educators and community organizations as creative and participatory ways to respond to contemporary social or environmental issues” (46, para.1). Throughout the rest of the article until the last paragraph, the words practice or principle are all but absent in favor of the word “characteristic,” but her characteristics are not unfamiliar to the community arts practitioner: “versatility and diversity; universality and familiarity; connective imagination and creativity, nonverbal communication: symbol, metaphor, and fun; visibility, anonymity, individuality, collectivity…” (51-57). Clover discusses how these characteristics manifest as methods and in programmatic activity in three specific organizations. The word “best” is never used adjacent to the word “practice”; however, based on the factors above Clover is presenting “best practice” — a highly qualified expert acquiring data from research on organizational practices in order to suggest a standard for the field and validate it.

Community Arts Principles of Practice

Where are other examples of principles of practice in community arts? I’ve only been able to discover a couple at this time. The terminology may be a barrier, or this organizational development practice may not have become part of the consciousness of the arts community as a whole yet. I am not certain. A strong example of principles of practice in the arts is from Asian Arts Initiative and described as “core values.”

The following core values were developed by the full Board and staff through a series of large and small group discussions beginning at the organizational retreat; and serve as guiding principles for our entire organization’s leadership. They simultaneously affirm and inform our interpretation of the mission and vision statements, and have been applied in strategic ways throughout the various sections of this plan (Core Values para.1).

These “guiding principles” grew out of the organization itself and inform local practice. Like the Cultural Arts Coalition, Asian Arts Initiative states a principle, then describes that principle as a practice. Two of the nine core values are provided here in their entirety:

Collaborative decision-making: We believe in and enact collaborative decision-making both internally within our organization, and also in our joint projects with community partners. Active listening and informed decision-making guides our process of collaboration and our style of community leadership.

Leadership development: We are committed to investing in and developing leadership both among constituents in our programs and within our staff and volunteer bases. We view leadership as holistic, and we create opportunities for both youth and adults to develop artistic, technical, community building, and advocacy skills. (Core Values para.2-9)

Another great example of principles of practice is provided by Blazen Performing Arts Troupe. Blazen is a student organization at Washington University, and they have four principles that follow the model above by stating a principle and expressing how it is applied in organizational practice. Two of their principles are:

Safe Space: An atmosphere where young people feel physically, mentally, and spiritually free enabling them to, respect, express, grow, and teach. In a Safe Space, we agree to respect our differences and honor our similarities. Safe Space is essential to perpetuating growth in young people because they begin to feel free discussing issues of importance to them.

Youth To Youth Communication: Creating an environment where there are young people teaching and learning from other young people, while using adults as a resource will have substantial impact because peers listen to peers (Principles of Blazen para.2-5).

Evidence of Principles of Practice from the larger Nonprofit Community

More examples of principles of practice exist in the nonprofit community and the educational sector. The youth development movement has recognized some form of principles of practice as a strategic vehicle for youth leadership and organizational development. Bembry states,

Combining the best practices of social work and recreation, the re-creation philosophy is based on the foundation of supporting youth in the development of individual values and principles such as trust, respect, integrity, consistency and self-esteem (TRICS) to increase core competencies and connectedness of individuals and communities, and to more adequately support youth and families (9).

Boys & Girls Clubs ( para.5) and 4-H of Michigan (1-2) have also adopted a form of principles of practice as part of youth leadership and organizational development.

Justification for Identifying Principles of Practice

What is the intent of a dialog around this topic? I have come to believe that the strategic visioning and planning process for an organization is not complete without cultivating principles of practice. Well-thought-out principles of practice integrate an organization’s or community’s mission, vision and values into daily guidelines for successful work. The Cultural Arts Coalition is a network of participants without paid staff, regular meetings or membership fees. The “Nine Guiding Practices for Community Arts,” however, express common values, everyday vision and a way of thinking about our work that not only allows participants to collaborate with some ease, but makes collaboration among participants a cherished event. The act of recognizing and affirming all that was shared and valued immediately opened doors for both deliberate and spontaneous cooperative work. The doors continue to remain open.

There is a need for organizations to deliberately consider how they work, based on their voiced values and local practice, as well as the practices identified as “best” by the field relevant to their work. What this document refers to as “principles of practice” state how an organization goes about its work day after day, week after week, year in and year out. “Principles of practice” may serve as a mechanism to:

• provide continuity of leadership and practice over time;
• make organizational practices accessible to all participants and stakeholders;
• guide decision making and the training of leaders, artists and practitioners across the organization;
• serve as a framework for operating that is not tied to a single performance, product or person;
• enable a baseline measure of assessment for organizational success; and
• support an environment in which the life of the organization itself has precedence over the aspirations of any individual or a particular outcome.

In “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies,” business gurus James Collins and Jerry Porras reference the founding of the United States. They suggest that a new question was asked, not "Who should be president? Who should lead us?" Rather, "What processes can we create that will give us good presidents long after we’re dead and gone? What type of enduring country do we want to build? On what principles? How should it operate? What guidelines and mechanisms should we construct that will give us the kind of country we envision?" (42).

Principles of practice are processes and guidelines, daily functional expressions of values, experience and knowledge that serve to orient every participant in an organization in the direction of its vision and mission. In “A Question of Values,” Linda Burnham states that “Experienced community-based artists have come to realize that the best projects are successful because all the participants can articulate the principles by which they operate” (para.1). I would like to respectfully convert that last word to “practice.” The best projects, organizations and arts communities are successful because all the participants can articulate the principles by which they practice.

This essay is part of the Community Arts Convening & Research Project, 2008, funded by a Nathan Cummings Foundation grant to the Maryland Institute College of Art. The essay was reviewed and selected by the project's Editorial Board: Ron Bechet, Xavier University of Louisiana; Lori Hager, University of Oregon; Marina Gutierrez, Cooper Union; Ken Krafchek, Maryland Institute College of Art; Sonia Mañjon, California College of the Arts; Amalia Mesa-Bains, California State University Monterey Bay; Paul Teruel, Columbia College Chicago; and Stephanie Woodson, Arizona State University.

Melanie Ohm develops collaborations between people and organizations and across disciplines, using processes that encourage creative thinking, define change and support healthy communities. Her work has evolved from a background in business, the social sector, university leadership in cultivating community-based partnerships and, finally, as a performing artist — and presently manifests through her occupations as owner and president of Concepts Consulting Group, vocal artist with Duo Braziliana, and active community arts practitioner.

Works Cited

Americans for the Arts. “Best Practices.” 2003. YouthARTS toolkit. American for the Arts. 24 Nov. 2007 http://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/ bestpractices.asp.

Asian Arts Initiative. “Core Values.” asianartsinitiative.org. Asian Arts Initiative. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://www.asianartsinitiative.org/about/values.php>.

Bembry, R. “A Youth Development Strategy: Principles To Practice in Re-creation For
The 21st Century.” 1998. Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences. Texas A&M University. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://rptsweb.tamu.edu/Faculty/Witt/conpubs/bembry98.htm>.

Blazen Performing Arts Troupe. “Principles of Blazen.” 2005. studentorgs.gwu.edu. George Washington University. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://studentorgs.gwu.edu/blazentroupe/AboutUs/MissionPrinciples/.

Borrup, T. The Creative Community Builder's Handbook: How To Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts, and Culture. St. Paul, Minn.: Fieldstone Alliance, 2006.

Spillett, Roxanne. “In Lessons Of Hope: Time-tested Principles ff The Boys & Girls Club Movement.” 2003. bgcdv.org/ Boys & Girls Clubs Of the Diable Valley. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://www.bgcdv.org/main_sublinks.asp?id=4&sid=38>.

Burnham, L. (2000). “A Question of Values.” 2000. Community Arts Network. Art in the Public Interest. 24 Nov. 2007 <http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/ 2000/02/a_question_of_v.php>.

Butzine, J., and M. Ohm, eds. Community Arts in Dialog & Action. Phoenix: Cultural Arts Coalition, 2006.

Clover, D.E. “Culture and Antiracisms in Adult Education: An Exploration of the Contributions of Arts-based Learning.” In Adult Education Quarterly. 57: 1 (2006): 46-61. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://aeq.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/57/1/46 >.

Collins, J. C., & J. I. Porras. Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: HarperBusiness, 1994.

Cultural Arts Coalition. “Nine Guiding Practices for Community Arts.” 2006. Community Arts Resource and Exchange. Arts C.A.R.E. 24 Nov. 2007 http://www.artscare.org/cac3.text.shtml.

Goldbard, A. New Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development. Oakland, Calif.: New Village Press, 2006.

Michigan 4-H Youth Development. Guiding Principles for Positive Youth Development.
Easy Lansing, Mich.: Michigan State University Extension, 2005.

Propelarts. “What is youth arts best practice?” 2004. The Toolbox. Propelarts Youth Arts W.A. 25 Feb., 2008 http://www.propelarts.org.au/resources/bestpractice.php

Walling, S.L. “Definitions: Related to the nonprofit sector panel’s Principles of good governance and ethical practice.” Author’s personal files, 2007.

Weitz, J.H. “A Delicate Balance: Principles and Practices of Promising Arts and Humanities Programs.” 1996. Coming Up Taller. President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. 25 Feb. 2008 http://www.cominguptaller.org/report/chapter4.htm.

Zemelman, S., D. Harvey, & A. Hyde. Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1998.

Original CAN/API publication: July 2008