Group Maturity in a Community-Based Project

Community-based projects have become popular as a method to address various community problems. Specifically important is that community members take an active role in these interventions resulting in sustainable social change. Although considerable literature exists on the dynamics of small group interaction, this article addresses how group processes differ in community-based projects. Instead of constructing a static model for group interaction, this discussion focuses on experiences from a recent community-based health project on the island of Grenada. Because community-based projects are directed by a diverse group of community members, maturity is described as a process of negotiation rather than consensus