Meta-analysing community action projects in Aotearoa New Zealand

The current Labour Government in Aotearoa¹ New Zealand has overseena revival of interest in devolved community decision-makingand a burgeoning of locality-based community action and communitydevelopment projects. This paper reports on a meta-analysisof ten community action projects. The activation, consolidationand transition or completion stages of the projects were examinedto identify commonalities in structures and processes that eitherenhanced or impeded the projects meeting their objectives forsocial change. The importance of processes for critical reflection,the analysis of power dynamics between stakeholders, and recognitionof the social, cultural and historical context of a project'sgenesis will be discussed.