PICO Organizing Process

6 Phases of the PICO Organizing Process

(see PICO Terminology for definitions)
  1. Exploration and Startup
    PIA staff meet with prospective clergy and congregation leadership to:
    • Discuss community issues and relationship to neighborhood.
    • Create relationships between PIA, clergy, and congregation leadership
    • Inform leaders about organizing model
    • Invite 20-30 congregation members to PIA training

  2. Initial Training (3 sessions, 1-3 months)
    PIA staff meet with prospective clergy and congregation leadership to:
    • Discuss community problems and develop visions for constructive change
    • Examine pressures on households and communities
    • Learn methods of organizing through one-to-one relationship building
    • Build an organizing team of 15-25 leaders

  3. One-to-One Interview Campaign (2-3 months)
    Organizing team of 15-25 leaders conduct 150-300 one-to-one interviews to:
    • Build relationships with congregation members and neighborhood residents
    • Surface specific, concrete community concerns
    • Identify and invite new leaders to participate in the organizing process
    • Develop relational skills of an organizing team

  4. Issue Selection and Research (2-6 months)
    Leaders select a priority concern from one-to-ones and conduct multiple research meetings to:
    • Open relationships and explore partnerships with public and private decision-makers
    • Understand and document causes of problems
    • Identify alternative solutions to problems
    • Bring concerns into focus as solvable issues

  5. Action and Implementation
    Leaders conduct a large action meeting with community, congregation, and decision-makers to:
    • Gain commitments to solve community issues
    • Educate and inform community and decision-makers regarding issues and solutions
    • Create collaborations among neighborhood, congregation, private sector, and government
    • Follow-up to action can include a 2-12 month process of implementation

  6. Ongoing Leadership Development
    Throughout the process, PIA develops the capacity of congregation leaders through:
    • Training, evaluation, and reflection
    • Development of skills in analyzing issues, speaking in public, conducting disciplined meetings, negotiating solutions, and creating accountability
    • Examination of values and organizing principles in relation to community issues
    • Invitation and involvement of new leaders