CCI Concepts and Definitions

Culturally competent capacity building is a community-centered process that begins with an understanding of historical realities and an appreciation of the community's assets in its own cultural context.  The process works to enhance the quality of life, create equal access to resources, and promote community partnerships resulting in strategic and progressive social change.

This definition is distinctive based on its emphasis on "three C's"

Community - effective capacity building is centered in the community;

Context - effective capacity building addresses and understands the historical/cultural context; and,

Change - effective capacity building results in a change of conditions that advances equity for people/communities of color.

From Alliance for Nonprofit Management People of Color Affinity Group.

Capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in the fast changing world of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The term is commonly used to refer to a wide array of measures that organizations take to strengthen their ability to operate effectively over the long term.

From Capacity Building Work with Social Justice Organizations: Views from the Field, Ann Philbin, Center to Support Immigrant Organizing (CSIO).

MEDC believes that cultural competency is critical to the success of the delivery of health and human services in an ever diverse environment. The respect of an individual's cultural domains and their experiences is essential to their engagement with service providers, consultants, trainers, researchers & funders. Through an organization's recognition of cultural[ly] competent services, staff and volunteers, it will be much better able to meet the diverse needs in all communities throughout King County. Organizations that embrace the ... guiding principles of Cultural Competency must be willing to accept them throughout their organization's services, policies & practices. Cultural Competency is a journey by which an agency must commit itself to a process of continuous improvement.

Cultural Competency is defined as "a set of behaviors, attributes and policies enabling an agency (or individual) to work effectively in cross cultural situations."* Cultural Competency is further defined in the terms of the following three guiding principles: I) Commitment, II) Accessibility, III) Relevance.

*(From the Santa Cruz County Probation definition of Cultural Competence.)

From "A Working Definition of Cultural Competency," adopted by the Minority Executive Directors Coalition.

The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) embraces a conceptual framework and model of achieving cultural competence adapted from the work of Cross et al., 1989. Cultural competence requires that organizations and their personnel have the capacity to: (1) value diversity, (2) conduct self-assessment, (3) manage the dynamics of difference, (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge, and (5) adapt to the diversity and cultural contexts of individuals and communities served.

The NCCC supports the concept that cultural and linguistic competence are developmental processes and evolve over extended periods of time. Both organizations and individuals are at various levels of awareness, knowledge and skills along a continuum. There are numerous benefits of self-assessment that positively impact consumers, practitioners, organizations and communities. Assessing attitudes, practices, structures and policies of programs and their personnel is a necessary, effective and systematic way to plan for and incorporate cultural and linguistic competency within organizations.

From the National Center for Cultural Competence.