A series of four workshops for community administrators and public agency program directors in rural Stevens County, Washington, was intended to introduce and support the idea of networks among rural agencies and to increase community development skills in communication, problem solving, community organization, and group process. Trainers designed the content, theme, and activities in response to a needs assessment completed by participants, who were mostly relative newcomers to the county. The largely experiential training was designed to develop closer working relationships with the community, the ability to diagnose community power, and an understanding of decision making. Trainers developed materials and specific activities that reflected the rural isolated setting, the scarcity of resources, and the need for collaboration for increased effectiveness in areas such as Stevens County. They used feedback to modify the training as needs arose during the workshops. Activities were related to leadership styles, communication, communication skills, problem solving, conducting meetings, and group development and effectiveness. After the series, participants reported more effective working relationships within and among agencies, a greater awareness of the decision-making process, and a greater ability to effect change. Four training designs are included; these serve as the basic outline of the series. (SB)