Social features of a locality are special expressions of its character, which individuals, groups or organisations would like to maintain in a favourable condition.

Features can be:-

• objects;
• services;
• amenities;
• appearances;
• relationships.

Each feature thereby becomes a target for social action.   The action has to be planned so that resources are used effectively and there is long- term continuity.  The objective of the plan is defined as the state of the feature when it is in a favourable condition.   The condition of the feature is monitored using one or more of its measureable attributes so that at any time, progress of the plan towards the objective (the plan’s outcome) can be recorded. 

There is a dialectical relationship between the top-down development planning of civil society, which impacts on the everyday lives of people, and a basic right of citizenship in civic society that allows and encourages an autonomous grass roots input.  The problem is that there is a disjuncture and a structural hiatus between the role of government in promoting citizen-driven development and the capacity of ordinary people to participate in this process with their own action plans.  Education in making and operating plans for local action is an important but neglected area in school curricula and community capacity building.

Local features suitable for community action plans fall into the following categories.

A well organised community requires planned inputs from the representatives of community life and public authorities listed below, with an active interface between these two sectors..