Our Priorities and Key Themes

The work of IACD is outlined in our Strategic Plan which covers a 4-5 year period. During 2023 we consulted with our membership and other parties concerned with community development globally to develop a new five-year Strategic Plan. This new plan was launched at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September 2024. The Board of Trustees has agreed the following Strategic Priorities as the basis for our work from 2024-2029. 

  1. Advocate for the discipline, values and methods of community development, championing community participation and empowerment, solidarity and agency.
  2. Support and engage with members and the field*, to promote networking, practice exchange, professional development and collaboration.
  3. Ensure the sustainability of IACD as a well-governed, professional, effective organisation.

Engagement with our members also highlighted the following issues and key themes which will focus our work for the next five years.                            

  • Articulating the discipline of community development in policy and practice
  • Addressing poverty, marginalisation and exclusion
  • Promoting social justice (diversity, equity, and inclusion)
  • Advocating for climate justice
  • Challenging neo-liberalism and the legacy of colonialism
  • Promoting human rights
  • Recognising and supporting agency and voice, self-determining direction, not given agendas


Further details of how we plan to meet these strategic priorities are outlined in our new Strategic Plan for 2024-2029 which can be downloaded below:

IACD 2024-2029 Strategic Plan

Download the previous Strategic Plans here:

IACD 2020-2024 Strategic Plan

IACD 2016 – 2020 Strategic Plan

* Community Development practitioners, allied professionals, managers, academics, researchers, students, CD organisations, country and regional networks, and policy makers.