SPEAR: Shifting Power for Equity and Results

SPEAR is Brightpath’s signature framework for building authentic, sustainable partnerships between systems and communities. Grounded in equity, Appreciative Inquiry, and Results-Based methods, SPEAR helps communities and system leaders co-create transformative solutions that reflect the lived experiences, aspirations, and priorities of those most impacted.

At the heart of SPEAR is our commitment to power-sharing, relationship-building, and results that matter to the community. Through a structured, multi-phase process, SPEAR convenes cohorts of system and community stakeholders who develop shared understanding, design new programs, and implement actionable strategies over a 24-month journey.

Before launching a SPEAR cohort, we often begin with the “3 Keys to Effective Communication with Community” framework—a strategic messaging process to help system leaders:

• Acknowledge past harm and structural inequities
• Frame challenges as opportunities for shared responsibility and growth
• Identify and activate trusted community change agents
• This ensures systems are ready to show up with humility, clarity, and openness—laying the foundation for true collaboration.

Outcomes:

• New or expanded community-led programs
• Power-sharing agreements
• Sustainable implementation plans supported by 40+ hours of coaching
• Strengthened trust and collaboration between systems and communities