According to Kretzman and McKnight, community development activities that are based on asset mapping share three important characteristics:
Asset-based.....Community development effort begins by developing an understanding of what exists in the community right now. It does not focus on what is wrong with the community or what may be missing.
Mapping the Assets of Your Community: A Key Component for Building Local Capacity
Internally-focused......Strategic planning or priority setting activities are linked to the assets found within the community and does not rely on the advice of outside experts or consultants.
Relationship Driven.....Local people, associations, and institutions must work hard to connect with one another in order to be sure they are working as a team, and not against one another. This means that good communication is essential.
Doing an inventory of the individual assets of a community involves the use of a tool called the Capacity Inventory. The Capacity Inventory consists of four parts:
Skills Information
Community Skills
Enterprising Interests and Experience
Personal Information
Asset mapping serves as a tool for understanding the wealth of talent and resources already in the community. Effective asset mapping takes the steps to link these talents and resources together.