Since the 1990s, community empowerment (and community capacity building) in the UK and other European countries has focused solely on "capacity," further analyzing the dimensions of capacity and proposing guidelines and methods for capacity building. Instead of discussing themes of community development or action, they have left the content and themes of community programs and actions to the community itself.
From past community development or community work to current community empowerment (and community capacity building), the focus, thinking, and action models have undergone several fundamental changes:
1. From community programs or services to community capacity building.
2. From community problems or needs to the operation of community organizations and groups.
3. From government policy directives to transforming the operation of community groups through professional services.
4. From administrative guidance to professional operation.
5. From general community resource allocation to professional assistance in excluded priority areas.
6. From program implementation guidance to promoting community capacity building.