The impact of my publications is evident in the tangible improvements they drive in policy, engaged scholarship in higher education, and community development. Through rigorous academic research (see the Grants and Research Projects section of my portfolio) and practical applications, I strive to create a more just and equitable society, embodying the transformative potential of community development and community engagement of higher education in the 21st century. The impact of my publications extends far beyond the academic community (See also the tools in the Engaged Service Impact section of my portfolio), reflecting my commitment to Engaged Scholarship and the Mode 2 paradigm of knowledge production. My work embodies the principles of ethical and inclusive partnerships, participatory methods, social justice focus, impact orientation, and reflective practice, all aimed at fostering societal transformation and addressing real-world challenges.
The impact of my publications (see the Sustained Research Output of my portfolio) is measurable in the following dimensions:
Policy Influence: My work has directly influenced national policies on community development and social services, providing robust frameworks for practice and professionalization. See the Supervision Policy framework for Social Services (Hart, 2017) and the Community Development Practice Policy Framework (Hart, 2016), and also the publication on Community Development Practitioner Profiling for Occupational Professionalisation, Skills Development and Continuous Quality Assurance (Hart & De Beer, 2022)
Educational Transformation: By integrating community engagement and professional development into higher education curricula and research, my publications and research has enhanced the relevance and impact of academic programmes and Scholarship of Engagement Research impact with guiding publications such as: A model for scholarship of engagement institutionalization and operationalization (Hart, Daniels, & September-Brown, 2023) and Decentralized Systemising of Scholarship of Engagement (SoE) in Higher Education (HE) toward Societal Impact (September-Brown, Daniels & Hart, 2022). Additionally, my community development book chapters, practice policy framework and journal articles are prescribed as readings by HEIs that offer community development modules and/or undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.
Disciplinary & Civil Society Communities' Empowerment: Publications such as the Community Level Well-being Assessment Tool (Hart & De Beer, 2022), offer practical tools for communities, whilst the following book chapters and policies assist practitioners both in S.A. and internationally with the practice and professionalization of Community Development: Legislation and policy frameworks associated with community development in South Africa (Hart, 2023), Community Development Practitioner Profiling for Occupational Professionalisation, Skills Development and Continuous Quality Assurance (Hart & De Beer, 2022). Supervision Policy framework for Social Services (Hart, 2017) and the Community Development Practice Policy Framework (Hart, 2016).
In addition to written publications, I have shared my research findings through numerous national and international presentations, webinars and keynote addresses. These engagements have facilitated knowledge exchange, collaborative problem-solving and transformation, further extending the reach and impact of my work. By disseminating research broadly and engaging with diverse audiences, I ensure that my scholarly contributions are accessible and actionable, fostering a dynamic interplay between theory and practice - demonstrating a sustained effort to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and practical application. This approach aligns with my vision of academia as an active agent of societal transformation, continuously working to address social injustices and promote equity and sustainability.
Publications: Popular Press
Hart, C. 4 November 2019. Charting the future of community development. Cape Argus, https://pressreader.com/article/281719796387429
Hart, C. 2018. Accredited and Standardized Community Development Qualifications: Part and Parcel of the Professionalization Process of Practitioners in South Africa. Practice Insights, Issue 11:14-16. IACD. https://www.iacdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Practice-Insights-11-Final-for-Web.pdf
Panelist Presentations & Keynote Addresses
Hart, C. (part of 3 panelist). Professionalising Community Development: Is this the end of community-based activism? Cornerstone Institute. 30 September 2022.
Hart, C (part of 6 international panelist). Science advice at times of crisis: what roles for universities and academics? UPEN: Academia Europaea Cardiff Knowledge Hub. 25 April 2022.
Keynote Address: UniZuly Teaching and Learning 5th Annual Conference. Scholarship of Engagement that Represents the Expected Innovations from Higher Education. 14 October 2021.
Keynote Address: SUN DSI Annual Social Impact Symposium: Cross Sectoral Engaged Partnerships: Transformative Power of Higher Education to Deliver Effective Societal Impact. 2 September 2021.
Keynote Address: Professionalization in Community Development within Global and SA Context. Conference: Community Development in the West Coast Region of the Western Cape: Toward Building a Programme of Excellence. October 2014.
Conference Presentations
CHE 2024 Higher Education Conference: "Democratizing Higher Education: Navigating Public Accountability for Equity, Inclusivity and Social Justice." 2 Feb. 2024. Hart, C., Daniels, P., & September-Brown, P.
CHE 2023 Higher Education Conference: Developing the Next Generation Postgraduate Capacity and Research Ethos: Being socially just, relevant, transformative and impactful. 2 March 2023. Hart, C., Daniels, P., & Lawack, V.
CDS 2022. Community Development Practitioner (CDP) Profiling for Applicable Community Development Education. Hart, C. CDS International Conference, 18 July 2022.
CDS 2021. Community Development Practitioner Training Assessment for Community Resilience against Global Challenges. Kumeke, M & Hart, C. CDS International conference, 12 July 2021.
ARIS 2021 Summit. Contextual Diversity Specific Graduate Attributes (GAs). Hart, C., Daniels, P., & Lawack, V.
The Network Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) 2020. Community Engagement Pharmacy Practice Multi-Level Stakeholder Partnership Model: A Framework for Monitoring & Evaluation. Virtual Conference, 24 September 2020. Hart. C, Bheekie A, Van Huyssteen M & Coetzee R.
SAHECF 2019. A Community Engagement Model for Higher Education Institutions to Measure and Present their Societal Impact. Hart. C, Bheekie A, Van Huyssteen M & Coetzee R.
CDS 2019. Teaching Community Development in A Rural Campus: A Case Study of the University of the Free State (UFS), QwaQwa Campus in South Africa. Magaiza, G, Dlamini, N & Hart, C. Missouri Columbia.
CDS 2019. Community Development Theories: Where It Started, What We Have Today that Should Chart the Future. Hart, C & De Beer, F. Missouri Columbia.
Webinars, Workshops & Power Hour Presentations
ARIS International Webinar Impact Series: South African Impact Strategies; Aligned to National, Regional and Global Development Drivers. Hart, 9 December 2020.
Prof Andipatin’s CHS Faculty Webinar Series: Drafting a Multi-Level CE Stakeholder Partnership (MLCESP) Model. Hart, C, Bheekie, A., Van Huyssteen, M., & Coetzee, R. 29 October 2020.
UniZulu Webinar: Programme Evaluation Research Methodology Introductory Level. 2021.
UniZulu Community Engagement Webinar: Engaged Scholarship and the Scholarship of Engagement: Similarities and Differences. 2021.
UniZulu Workshop: Community Engagement: University Partnerships & SoE Development (3 days, 2022)
RPL National Task Team Workshop: Writing for publication: Community Development Level 5 RPL project. 2021.
Varsity College Writing Workshops: Research Connect: (4 Workshops per year) 2020 – 2024.
Western Cape DSD: Community Development Capacity Building Workshop Series (7 Workshops). 2021 – 2022. (See more detail of these Power-Hour workshop tools in the Scholarly Impact section of my portfolio).
Community Engagement Unit & City of Cape Town Workshop series (4 workshops). Community Engagement: Stakeholder Engagement. 2021.
Community Engagement Unit & DSD Workshop series (3 workshops). An introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation with an emphasis on substance abuse 2012 - 2023.
Tiso Foundation Workshop Series (4 Workshops). Postgraduate Capacity Building 2023.
IPSS at UWC Workshop Series (4 Workshops). Postgraduate Capacity Building 2022-2023. See more detail of these Power-Hour workshop tools in the Scholarly Impact section of my portfolio)
UWC Towards Professionalization of Learning and Teaching (TPOLT) Course. Workshop: Scholarship of Engagement for Societal Impact (SoE-SI). 2023 – ongoing.
CEU SoE-SI Power Hour series (10 Power Hours): UWC SoE-SI Framework, UWC Scholarships Model, SoE Communities & Principles, SoE Alignment: IOP, NDP & SDGs, Guideline to start a SoE-SI Initiative, SoE-SI Project Builder Form, SoE Plotting Tables: NDP & SDGs, Personal e-portfolio & reports, Beginner: SoE-SI Web Portal Navigation, Intermediate: SoE-SI Web Portal Navigation. 2023 - ongoing (See more detail of these Power-Hour workshop tools in the Scholarly Impact section of my portfolio)
Reviewer for Academic Journals
I am a reviewer for the following academic journals and the recognition thereof is available on my Clarivate (Web of Science, Researcher ID: ABN-5299-2022 and/or ORCID: https://orcid.org/, ID: 0000-0001-6226-9652 profiles.
2022 to date: Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development (SAJSWSD). Unisa Press.
2020 to date: Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement. UTS ePRESS.
2017 to date: Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society. Taylor & Francis.