In seeking to gain insight into how to develop more equal partnership processes, this paper reports on a programme of case studies of participation, from national to regional and local levels, involving both conventional and action research, analysed through a community development process framework. Initial work identified the importance of forms and levels of power, and highlighted processes around building trust. This has then been further refined and explored through action research to develop the beginnings of a strategic model. At the present stage, this involves an interactive framework that can confront levels of power to encourage diversity and participation in decision-making from bottom-up initiatives. Linking across to other studies, we make some practice suggestions that highlight community development processes around power negotiation and the importance of distinctive community knowledge in a networked strategy to mobilize influence and embed change in the development of a common and unified vision among stakeholders.