As Singapore advances its population health approach and emphasises preventive and end-to-end care, multiple stakeholders including health and social care organisations and professionals are embracing diverse service approaches and models. One familiar approach that has been gaining traction is asset-based community development (ABCD).
Champions of ABCD view it as a sustainable community-building approach that empowers individuals and communities to discover their skills, talents and resources and facilitates health outcomes. Nevertheless, observers note that organisations practising ABCD must navigate internal and external tensions, such as balancing the pressures of meeting short-term institutional goals with the gradual process of community-building, as well as manpower and resource constraints, all while finding common ground for cooperation with organisations with different service orientations.
This roundtable discussion, intended for aspiring and current practitioners of ABCD, hopes to serve as a platform for sustaining the conversations regarding practising ABCD within local neighbourhoods, specifically between healthcare practitioners or community-based organisations interested in empowering communities.