COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

DEFINITION A process by which people, health services and agencies of the community are brought together to 1. Learn about common problems 2. Identify these problems as their own 3. Plan the kind of action needed to solve these problems 4. act on this basis

BENEFITS 1. It contributes to the establishment of an environment with different community resources –

natural, institutional, technical, financial and human resources – and can function with maximum effectiveness.

2. It stimulates the various groups to examine their programs to determine how well they are meeting their problems.

3. People are given a chance to study their problems, offer solutions and give a chance to plan an action

4. As a result of this working together, a strong unity and coherence is developed among various organizations and leaders of the community represented so that they developed a feeling of responsibility for making the program successful.

5. Community organization sets up action pattern to solve problems.

PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION 1. Planning group needs to represent all people concerned and the discussion must include people

with technical knowledge of health problems. 2. Technique of asking questions is often important in developing community organization and

group discussion 3. Major discussion should be made by the entire group 4. Local factors and available personnel should be asked in determining what types of organization

is desirable and practicable. 5. Functions of an agency and members must be defined 6. A good organizational plan can succeed only when the people who operate it will see its values

which are compatible personally and not antagonistic professionally.

PHASES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING 1. Preparatory Phase 2. Organizational Phase 3. Education and Training 4. Intersectoral Coordination Phase 5. Phase Out

PREPARATORY PHASE AREA OR SITE SELECTION COMMUNITY STUDY OR SOCIAL INVESTIGATION ENTRY TO THE COMMUNITY AND INTEGRATION

ORGANIZATIONAL PHASE SOCIAL PREPARATION SPOTTING OF POTENTIAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER SMALL GROUP BUILDING

EDUCATION AND TRAINING REGULAR BUSINESS AND STUDY MEETINGS CONDUCTING COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS ACTUAL TRAINING SERVICES

INTERSECTORAL COORDINATION PHASE ESTABLISHING LINKS WITH OTHER SECTORS ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT OF ORGANIZING EFFORTS OF OTHER SECTORS DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY LEADERS, LINERS CORE GROUP FORMATION

PHASE OUT REFERRAL TO COORDINATING BODY PERIODIC FOLLOW UP

FIVE CRITICAL ORGANIZING TASKS 1. COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS 2. COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION 3. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION 4. LEADER IDENTIFICATION AND GROUP FORMATION 5. VALUES / PRINCIPLES CLARIFICATION

1. COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS Equivalent to the awakening or consciousness – raising phase Solution analysis Has to be done together with people to ensure that it becomes a tool for conscientization, and not

simply a purely administrative chore.

Major Activities Data Gathering Data Collection and Analysis Data Dissemination and Validation

2. COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION organizing people to act on identification problems on a sustained level

Major Activities

Community Planning Organizational Mechanics Group Assessment

3. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION Project management a process of systematic identification, selection, acquisition, and utilization of resources towards of project objectives

Major Activities

Advocacy Solicitation from NGO’s

4. LEADER IDENTIFICATION AND GROUP FORMATION CO espouses the distribution of leadership skills among several people in grassroots organization;

there should be no monopoly of control and decision making by an “ elite poor “ there can be different leaders for different tasks Training should not be concentrated on the officers of the organization the general membership has to be given equal opportunities to develop their capacities and to

increase their awareness The more members are trained in leadership and are given opportunities to lead, the better

prepared they will be to take on responsibilities in the future.

Major Activities Sociogram and character analysis Officers Training Ownership Trainings Training of Project Development, monitoring evaluation On – the – job training Team building

5. VALUES/PRINCIPLES CLARIFICATION When organizing people for power, caution has to be taken to ensure that this power is not abused.

There is necessity to undertake value formation/clarification and principled-transactions among members of the organization.

The project around which the community is mobilized should not be allowed to become a source of conflict and to lead to the eventual disintegration of the group.

On values and principles There should be a review of the values for which the organization was created, and a review of

how these values are actualized. Conflicts themselves are natural and arise in any manner by which these are resolved that matters.

Major Activities Feedback mechanisms between and among officers and members Retreats and recollection Affirmation of persons for “being” and “doing” Principles negotiations and mediation

APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

1. WELFARE APPROACH 2. MODERNIZATION APPROACH 3. TRANSFORMATORY / PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

WELFARE APPROACH the immediate and or spontaneous response to ameliorate the manifestation of poverty, especially

on the personal level

assume that poverty is God given; destined, hence the poor should accept their condition since they will receive their just reward in heaven

Believes that poverty is caused by bad luck, natural disasters and certain circumstances which are beyond the control of people

MODERNIZATION APPROACH also referred as the Project Development approach introduces whatever resources are lacking in a given community also considered a national strategy which adopts the western mode of technological development assumes that development consists of abandoning the traditional methods of doing things and

must adopt the technology of industrial countries believes that poverty is due to lack of education; lack of resources such as capital and technology.

TRANSFORMATORY/ PARTICIPATORY APPROACH process of empowering/transforming the poor and the oppressed sectors of society so that they

can pursue more just and humane society assumes that poverty is not God given, rather it is rooted in the historical past and is maintained by

the oppressive structures in the society believes that poverty is caused by the prevalence of exploitation, oppression, domination and other

unjust structures.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH ( COPAR)DEFINITION - a social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic, and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.

- a collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building people’s organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources of the people for the resolution of their issues and concerns.

- a process by which a community identifies its needs and objectives, develops confidence to take action in respect to them and in doing so, extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community.

- a continuous and sustained process of educating people to understand and develop their critical awareness of their existing conditions, working with the people collectively and efficiently on their immediate and long term problems, and mobilizing the people to develop their capability and readiness to respond and take action on their immediate needs toward solving their own problems.

IMPORTANCE

COPAR is an important tool for Community Development and People Empowerment as this helps the community workers to generate community participation in development activities..

COPAR prepares people to eventually take over the management of a development program in the future. COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement ; community resources are mobilized for community services.

PRINCIPLES

People, especially the most depressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, and are able to bring about change.

COPAR should be based on the interests of the poorest of the society. COPAR should lead to a self – reliant community and society.

GOALS

A sustained community which empowers capacity to be aware and learn to solve their own problem(Community development).

WAYS TO ACHIEVE GOALS

Educate people to understand and develop critical consciousness of their existing conditions.

Organizing people to work collectively and effectively on their problems . Mobilizing people to develop their capability and readiness to respond and to take action

on their immediate need toward solving their lomg term problems.

KEY CONCEPTS

Participation Conscientization Action

PARTICIPATION- communication between government and government organizations

CONSCIENTIZATION- able to learn Research Principles through their participation, thus in the process,

increase their awareness.

ACTION- movement activity, active

METHODS USED

Progressive – action – reflection – action Consciousness Raising Participatory and Mass based Group Centered

ACTION-REFLECTION-ACTION begins with small, local and concrete issues identified by the people and the evaluation

and reflection of and on the action taken by them

CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING consciousness raising through experiential learning is central to the COPAR process

because it places emphasis on learning that emerges from concrete action and which enriches succeeding action.

PARTICIPATORY & MASS BASED because it is primarily directed towards and biased in favor of the poor, the powerless and

the oppressed

GROUP CENTERED - leaders are identified, emerged and are tested through action rather than appointed or

selected by some external force or entity.

PHASES OF THE COPAR PROCESS Pre – entry Entry Organization – building Sustenance and Strengthening

PRE-ENTRY initial phase where organizer looks for communities to serve Simplest in terms of actual outputs, activities and strategies and time spent for it.

ENTRY sometimes called the Social Preparation Phase

signals the actual entry of the community worker in to the community activities includes sensitization of the people on the critical events of their life guided by following principles…

GUIDELINES IN THE ENTRY PHASE Recognize the role of local authorities by paying them visits to inform of their presence

and activities The appearance, speech, behavior and lifestyle should be in keeping with those of the

community residents without disregard of their being role models. Avoid raising the consciousness of the community residents, adopts low key profile

ORGANIZATION BUILDING PHASE entails the formation of more formal structures and the inclusion of more formal

procedures of planning, implementing and evaluating. where the organized groups, leaders are being given trainings in managing their own

programs / concerns

SUSTENANCE & STRENGTHENING PHASE occurs when the community organization has already been established and the

community members are already actively participating. the different committees are already functioning by way of planning, implementing and

evaluating.

STRATEGIES IN THE SUSTENANCE PHASE Education and Training Networking and Linkaging Conduct of Mobilization on health and dev’t concerns Developing Secondary Leaders

CRITICAL STEPS IN BUILDING PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION Integration Social Investigation Tentative Program planning Groundwork Role Play Mobilization or Action Evaluation Reflection The Meeting Organization

CRITICAL STEPS IN BUILDING PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION

Integration – a CO becoming one with the people to: a. immerse himself in the poor community b. understand deeply the culture, economy, leaders, history, lifetsyle in the community

SOCIAL INVESTIGATION - A systematic process of collecting, collating, analyzing data to draw a clear picture of

the community

POINTERS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SOCIAL INVESTIGATION 1. Use of survey questionnaires are discouraged 2. Community leaders can be trained to initially assist the community worker.