Framework 4 of 4
CLIPS — The Health Check
Community Learning Incubator Programme for Sustainability
The 5-Layer Model
A concentric circles diagnostic. Individual and Community form the dual core — everything else rests on them.
Critical insight: The Individual ↔ Community duality forms the foundation. Thriving communities require thriving individuals, and strong communities support individual flourishing. Neglecting either creates instability throughout all upper layers.
Full Framework Documentation
CLIPS — Community Learning Incubator Programme for Sustainability
A framework for community-led project development
Source: GEN-Europe (Global Ecovillage Network), 2017
License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND
Origin: Developed by ecovillage practitioners from 9 European countries, funded by Erasmus+
What Is CLIPS?
CLIPS is a solution-oriented incubation programme that guides community-led projects through their initial steps — and revitalizes existing initiatives that struggle with problems or need new momentum.
The purpose of CLIPS is to suggest and explain a framework for approaching community development, pointing out specific tools that existing community-led projects have found useful.
CLIPS is based on learnings and insights from established ecovillage projects, distilled into concepts and methods applicable to any group that recognizes the value of community.
What is "community" in CLIPS?
A group of people connected by worldview, vision and goals, sharing at least some parts of their non-professional lives. This includes ecovillages, co-housings, NGOs, civil initiatives, business collectives, community schools, ethical banks, health circles, cooperatives, community-supported agriculture projects, etc.
What is an ecovillage?
An ecovillage is a type of community that uses local participatory processes to integrate ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of sustainability in order to regenerate social and natural environments.
What is incubation?
A facilitated process supporting a group to identify tensions, solutions, resources and methods, applying appropriate measures at appropriate times. Like midwives — facilitators assist groups during the delivery of their project and check in as it matures.
⚠️ Incubation requires attention and care, but should never be authoritarian.
The CLIPS Model — 5 Layers
CLIPS uses a concentric circles model to show the complex dynamics and layers found in community projects:
Practice
/ \
Structure Structure
| |
Intention Intention
/ \
Community ---- Individual
(dual core)
The 5 Layers
| Layer | Name | Core Question |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Individual | Who are the people, and how do they grow? |
| 2 | Community | How do we build relationships and shared culture? |
| 3 | Intention | Why do we exist, and where are we going? |
| 4 | Structure | How do we organize ourselves? |
| 5 | Practice | How do we actually do things? |
The Dual Core: Individual ↔ Community
These two layers are in the centre because they are crucial for healthy development of any project:
- There is no thriving community without thriving individuals
- Functional community is very conducive to individual growth
The next step is setting Intentions. Then comes creation of functioning Structures. Finally, the layer of actual Practice takes shape.
Key Principle: Coherence Between Layers
Ideally Individual, Community, Intention, Structure, and Practice are perfectly interlinked.
However, in practice:
- Practice is not always linked well to Intentions
- Structures can be missing or inadequate
- Intentions can suffer from not being revisited
Coherence between Intention, Structure, and Practice — and the balance between Individual and Community — are under constant challenge. Reasons for conflicts and malfunctions can generally be traced to not paying enough attention to interconnection between the layers or to neglecting one of the layers.
Layer 1 — The Individual
Core question: Who are the people, and how do they grow?
Overview
Every community consists of individuals. A community can thrive only if individuals are honoured and respected. Individuals tend to thrive in community if they approach life with a learner's attitude — acknowledging that all they encounter is part of the learning journey and therefore valuable, even if different than anticipated.
Individual growth and community building work best in tandem when tools for deep sharing and feedback are consciously applied.
Key Points
- Creating new ways of living or solving societal problems can be challenging and require people to change and adapt in unexpected ways
- A mature, skillful and responsible way of dealing with emotions, beliefs, habits and attitudes is an important ingredient in successful community projects
- Cultivating a learner's attitude enables personal growth and community building to work in tandem
Personal Background
Each person brings a unique history, set of beliefs, habits, and patterns of behaviour. Being in community requires members to view their own beliefs, needs, and priorities in relationship to the intention, agreements and aims of the group — and in relationship to others.
Personal Intention and Commitment
The willingness to create or live in community indicates a person has a certain set of attitudes:
- A willingness to take initiative and explore new territory
- A wish to live in a different way than before
- A longing to change the world for the better
- A desire to live more in alignment with one's ideals and values
While positive and creative, the step to turn the search for alternatives into actual everyday life also challenges each individual's habits, beliefs, and patterns of behaviour — things that often go deeper than expected.
Attitudes, Abilities and Skills
Personal Needs
Summary — The Individual Layer
- Every individual matters
- Every individual has a role to play
- Every individual makes a difference
- — Jane Goodall
Layer 2 — The Community
Core question: How do we build relationships and shared culture?
Overview
Community building does not happen by itself — it must be fostered consciously. Among basic requirements are common joyful activities and sharing in everyday life. Conflicts and difficulties are opportunities for designing appropriate organisation that supports community spirit.
The form of organisation and the means of conflict resolution should be complementary.
Group Identity and Community Spirit
Building a sense of "we" — shared identity, shared purpose, shared pride in the community.
Communication Culture
How the group talks, listens, shares, and resolves misunderstandings.
Rituals and Celebration
Regular practices that mark time, celebrate milestones, and reinforce shared meaning.
How to Run Meetings
Structured gatherings that produce outcomes, honor everyone's voice, and don't waste time.
Sharing Joyful Activities, Creativity and Art
Shared fun, creative expression, and play as the glue of community.
Relationship: Love, Care, Sexuality
The emotional layer — intimacy, care, boundaries, and healthy relating.
Dealing with Conflict
Conflicts and difficulties are opportunities for designing appropriate organisation. When handled well, conflict deepens trust and sharpens structures.
Summary — The Community Layer
Layer 3 — Intention
Core question: Why do we exist, and where are we going?
Overview
Shared intention takes people beyond the assumption that "we all want to go in the same direction". A clear, distinct intention gives orientation — especially in times when the group loses its track and is unclear which way to go.
Unclear intention can become a source of conflict, confusion and misunderstanding — therefore clarity should be pursued by all means.
A sign of clarity is that members find intention statements (vision, mission, aim, and purpose) meaningful and identify with them.
Positioning in Society
Where the community stands in relation to the wider world — its role, its public face, its place in the broader movement.
Vision, Mission, Goals
- Vision — What future we are creating
- Mission — Why we exist, what we do and for whom
- Goals — Specific, time-bound targets that move us toward the vision
Meeting Minutes
Recording decisions, rationale, and accountabilities — making intentions visible and traceable.
Adaptation & Resilience
How the community responds to change, learns from experience, and builds resilience.
External Relations and Networks
Connections to other communities, networks, organisations, and the wider world.
Summary — Intention Layer
Layer 4 — Structure
Core question: How do we organize ourselves?
Overview
Efficient cooperation requires shared agreements — for instance on decision-making, organising finances, legal representation, etc. These belong to the layer of Structure, and are, sadly, often neglected.
Unclear structures are among key causes of long-term problems in group projects.
On the other hand, well-developed structures, when disconnected from other layers, tend to be repressive and short-term.
Governance
The overall framework of how the community is led, who has authority, and how the community holds itself accountable.
Decision-Making
How choices get made — the processes, forums, and rights that govern collective decisions.
Access to Information
Transparency — who knows what, how information flows, and who controls it.
Property and Legal Organisation
Ownership, land tenure, assets, legal structures, and the formal relationship between members and the community's property.
Constitution
The foundational written agreement that defines the community's purpose, rules, membership, and governance.
Economic Organisation
How money, resources, labour, and value circulate — contributions, sharing, and economic sustainability.
Rank and Leadership
How status, recognition, and authority are distributed — and how to prevent rank from distorting community health.
Project Management, Delegation of Work and Task Assignment
Who does what, how work is coordinated, and how tasks are assigned and tracked.
Feedback
Mechanisms for giving and receiving input on how things are going — at individual, group, and system levels.
Summary — Structure Layer
Layer 5 — Practice
Core question: How do we actually do things?
Overview
The CLIPS guide focuses on the first four layers. The fifth layer, Practice, is covered with a few examples that seek to illustrate the connections between the layers.
Practice is where intentions and structures meet the real world. It is also where they most often diverge.
Example 1: Shared Dinners
How an everyday practice can build community culture, reinforce shared rhythms, and become a backbone of social connection.
Example 2: Check-ins and Moments of Awareness
Brief structured sharing practices that build emotional intelligence, surface tensions early, and keep the Individual and Community layers alive.
Example 3: Compost Toilets
A practical systems example showing how a technical decision (waste management) touches Structure (who decides), Intention (environmental values), Community (shared responsibility), and Individual (comfort and habits).
Example 4: Car Sharing
Resource management practice showing how shared agreements about high-value shared assets require clear Structure, clear Intention, and practiced Community norms.
Practice Stress-Test
When Practice disconnects from Intention and Structure:
- Symptoms: "We have all these agreements but nobody follows them"
- Symptoms: "Our stated values say X but we always do Y"
- Symptoms: "We keep having the same argument over and over"
How CLIPS Integrates with RNF and RCOS
| CLIPS Layer | RNF Pillar | RCOS Layer | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Human Systems (inner work, personal readiness) | Layer 0 (Identity & Scope) | Personal readiness, self-awareness |
| Community | Human Systems (relationships, culture, safety) | Layer 1 (Membership) | Group dynamics, shared culture |
| Intention | All pillars (vision + purpose alignment) | Layer 0 (Purpose) | Vision, mission, strategic direction |
| Structure | Human Systems + Economy (governance, legal, economic) | Layers 2, 3, 4 (Governance, Economy, Conflict) | Decision-making, roles, legal, finance |
| Practice | All 5 pillars (operational execution) | Layers 5, 6 (Operations, Evolution) | Day-to-day operations, learning loops |
CLIPS vs. RCOS — Key Distinction
| Dimension | CLIPS | RCOS |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Ecovillage practitioners (GEN-Europe, 2017) | EcoHubs community infrastructure |
| Structure | 5 concentric layers (Individual + Community at core) | 7 flat layers (Layer 0–6) |
| Core insight | Individual ↔ Community balance is the foundation | Explicit beats implicit — governance must be stated |
| Primary contribution | Depth on Individual + Community layers | Operational stress-tests + modular templates |
| Weakness | Less detailed on conflict repair and accountability | Less emphasis on personal readiness and group culture |
CLIPS Failure Factor Mapping
| Failure Factor | CLIPS Addresses Via |
|---|---|
| Individual burnout, unmet personal needs | ✓ Layer 1 |
| Group culture collapse | ✓ Layer 2 |
| Purpose/vision drift | ✓ Layer 3 |
| Governance breakdown | ✓ Layer 4 |
| Practice-Intention disconnect | ✓ Layer 5 |
Facilitator Notes
How to Facilitate Groups with CLIPS
CLIPS facilitators assist groups during the delivery of their project, and check in on it as it matures. To stand as a CLIPS facilitator requires:
- Substantial community experience
- A wide peer network
- Specialised training (available via CLIPS website)
The CLIPS Model in Use
The model should be applied adventurously — concepts from the guide can be used whenever the facilitator deems appropriate. Incubation requires attention and care, but should never be authoritarian.
Recommendations for Training of Trainers (ToT)
The CLIPS website provides information on:
- Pilot Trainings
- Trainings of Trainers for trainers with different levels of experience
Resources
- CLIPS Website: http://clips.gen-europe.org/
- GEN International: https://gen-europe.org/
- Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND
CLIPS was developed by members of the Global Ecovillage Network from 9 European countries — most of whom live in ecovillages — and tested by community initiatives across Europe.