COPAR-PRINT1

8/3/2019 COPAR-PRINT1

1/6

COPAR

1

C O P A R(COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH)

COPARis a social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, 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 theirexploitative conditions (1994 National Rural CO Conference).

C O P A R

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

the community (Rose 1967).

A continuous and sustained process of educating the people to understand and develop their critical awareness

of their existing conditions, working with the people collectively and efficiently on their immediate needs

toward solving their long-term problems.

ImportanceofCOPAR

COPAR is an important tool for community development and people empowerment as this helps the communityworkers 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 health development

services.

PRINCIPLES OF COPAR

1. People, especially the oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to

change and are able to bring about change.2. COPAR should be based on the interests of the poorest sectors of the society.

3. COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and society.

PROCESS/METHODS USED IN COPAR

A PROGRESSIVE CYCLE OF ACTION-REFLECTION-ACTION

Which begins in small, local and concrete issues identified by the people and the evaluation and reflection of

and on the action taken by them.

CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING

Through experiential learning is central to the COPAR process because it places emphasis on learning that

emerges from concrete action and which encircles succeeding action.

COPARIS PARTICIPATORY & MASS-BASED

Because it is primarily directed towards and biased in favor of the poor, the powerless and the oppressed.

COPARIS GROUP-CENTERED

And not leader centered. Leaders are identified, emerge and are tested through action rather than appointed or

selected by some external force or entity.

PhasesofC O P A R

PRE-ENTRY

ENTRY

ORGANIZING

SUSTENANCE AND STRENGTHENING

PHASE-OUT

Pre- Entry phase


2/6

COPAR

2

The initial phase of the organizing process where the community organizer looks for communities to serve or help. It

is the most complex phase in terms of actual outputs, activities, and strategies and time spent for it.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES:

Statement of objectives, and realization of copar guidelines.

Laying out the site criteria. Site selection.

Meeting and courtesy call to the local government unit of the selected site.

Courtesy call to the barangay level.

Meeting w/ the will be foster parents of the health care students.

Criteria For Site Selection

- Is the community in need of assistance?

- Do the community members feel need to work together to overcome a specific health problem?

- Are there concerned groups and organizations that the nurse can possibly work with?

- What will be the counterpart of the community in terms of community support, commitment and humanresources?

ENTRY IN THE COMMUNITY AND INTEGRATION WITH THE PEOPLE

- Before actual entry into the community, basic information about the area in relation to the cultural practices and

lifestyles of the people must be known.- Establishing rapport and integrating with them will be much easier if one is able to understand, accept or imbibe

their community life.

- Living with the people, undergoing their hardships and problems and sharing their hopes and aspirations helpbuild mutual trust and cooperation.

SOME GUIDELINES IN CONDUCTING INTEGRATION WORK

- Recognize the role and position of local authorities.

- Adapt a lifestyle in keeping w/ that of the community.

- Choose a modest dwelling which the people, especially the economically disadvantaged will not hesitate toenter.

- Avoid raising expectations of the people. Be clear w/ your objectives and limitations.

- Participate directly in production process.

-Make house calls and seek out people where they usually gather.

- Participate in some social activities.

ENTRY PHASE

- Sometimes called the immersion phase as it the activities done here includes the sentization of the people on thecritical events in their life, motivating them to share their dreams and ideas on how to manage their concerns

and eventually mobilizing them to make collective action on THESE.


Courtesy call to mayor, or the local

government leader of the selected site.

Courtesy call to the barangay level.

Meeting with the foster parents.

Appreciating the environment.

Meeting with community officials and

residents.

General assembly.

Preparation of survey forms.

Actual survey. Analysis of the data gathered

ORGANIZATIONAL- BUILDING PHASE

The formation of more formal structures and the inclusion of more formal procedures of planning, implementing andevaluating community-wide activities. It is at this phase where the organized leaders or groups are being given

trainings to develop their ask (attitude, knowledge and skills) in managing their own concerns/programs.


3/6

COPAR

3


Meeting with the officials.

Identifying problems.

Spreading awareness and soliciting solution or

suggestion. Analysis of the presented solution.

Planning of the activities.

Organizing the people to build their own

organization.

Registration of the organization.

Implementing of the said activities. Evaluation.

SUSTENANCE AND STRENGTHENING PHASE

Occur when the community organization has already been established and the community-wide undertakings. At

this point, the different committees set-up in the organization-building phase are already expected to be functioning

by way of planning, implementing and evaluating their own programs, w/ the overall guidance from the community-

wide organizarion.


Meeting with the organizational leaders.

Evaluation of the programs. Re-implementing of the programs. (for unmet

goals)

Recommended activities:

Education and training.

Networking and linking. Implementation of livelihood projects.

Developing secondary leaders.

PHASE OUT

The phase when the health care workers leave the community to stand-alone. This phase should be stated during the

entry phase so that the people will be ready to for this phase. The organizations built should be ready to sustain thetest of the community itself because the real evaluation will be done by the residents of the community itself.


Leaving the immersion site.

Documentation.

The Community Health Workerasa Documenter / Reporter

The community health worker keeps a written account of services rendered, observations, condition, needs,

problems and attitude of the client in community activities, accomplishments made and, etc.

Community workers takes responsibility to disseminate pertinent information to appropriate authorities,agencies, and most especially to the client. At the same time, the community worker develops the peoples

capabilities to keep/maintain their recording and reporting system.

RECORDS refer to forms on which information pertaining the client is noted. REPORTS - refers to periodic summaries of the services/activities of an organization/unit or the analysis of

certain phases of its work.

PURPOSE OF RECORDS AND REPORTS

Measure service/program directed to the clients.

Provide basis for future planning. Interpret the work to the public and other agencies, community.

Aid in studying the conditions of the community. Contributes to client care.

Community Organizing Participatory Action Research (COPAR) - is a continuous and a sustained process of:

1. Educating the people - to understand and develop their critical consiousness

2. Working with people - to work collectively and effectively on their immediate and long term problems


4/6

COPAR

4

3. Mobilizing with people - develop their capability and readiness to respond, take action on their immediate

needs towards solving the long term problems

The process and structure through which members of a community are/or become organized for participation in

health care and community development activities

Process:- the sequence of steps whereby members of a community come together to critically assess to evaluate community

conditions and work together to improve those conditions.

Structure:- refers to a particular group of community members that work together for a common health and health related

goals.

EmphasisofCOPAR:

1. Community working to solve its own problem2. Direction is established internally and externally

3. Development and implementation of a specific project less important than the development of the capacity

of the community to establish the project4. Consciousness raising involves perceiving health and medical care within the total structure of society

ImportanceofCOPAR:

y COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement

y COPAR could be an alternative in situations wherein health interventions in Public Health Care do not

require direct involvement of modern medical practitioners

y COPAR gets people actively involved in selection and support of community health workers

y Through COPAR, community resources are mobilized for selected health services

y COPAR improves both projects effectiveness during implementation

PhasesofCOPAR Process:

1. Pre-Entry Phase-is the intial phase of the organizing process where the community organizer looks for

communities to serve and help. Acitivities include:

Preparation of the Institution

o Train faculty and students in COPAR.

o Formulate plans for institutionalizing COPAR.

o Revise/enrich curriculum and immersion program.

o Coordinate participants of other departments.

Site Selection

o Initial networking with local government.

o Conduct preliminary special investigation.

o Make long/short list of potential communities.

o Do ocular survey of listed communities.

Criteria for InitialSite Selection

o Must have a population of 100-200 families.


5/6

COPAR

5

o Economically depressed.

o No strong resistance from the community.

o No serious peace and order problem.

o No similar group or organization holding the same program.

Identifying Potential Municipalities

o Make long/short list.

Identifying Potential Barangay

o Do the same process as in selecting municipality.

o Consult key informants and residents.

o Coordinate with local government and NGOs for future activities.

Choosing Final Barangay

o Conduct informal interviews with community residents and key informants.

o Determine the need of the program in the community.

o Take note of political development.

o Develop community profiles for secondary data.

o Develop survey tools.

o Pay courtesy call to community leaders.

o Choose foster families based on guidelines.

Identifying Host Family

o House is strategically located in the community.

o Should not belong to the rich segment.

o Respected by both formal and informal leaders.

o Neighbors are not hesitant to enter the house.

o

No member of the host family should be moving out in the community.

2. Entry Phase - sometimes called the social preparation phase. Is crucial in determining which strategies for

organizing would suit the chosen community. Success of the activities depend on how much the community

organizers has integrated with the commuity.

Guidelines for Entry

o Recognize the role of local authorities by paying them visits to inform their presence and

activities.

o Her appearance, speech, behavior and lifestyle should be in keeping with those of the community

residents without disregard of their being role model.

o Avoid raising the consciousness of the community residents; adopt a low-key profile.

Activities in the Entry Phase

o Integration - establishing rapport with the people in continuing effort to imbibe community life.

living with the community

seek out to converse with people where they usually congregate

lend a hand in household chores

avoid gambling and drinking


6/6

COPAR

6

o Deepening social investigation/community study

verification and enrichment of data collected from initial survey

conduct baseline survey by students, results relayed through community assembly

Core Group Formation

o

Leader spotting through sociogram.

Key persons - approached by most peopleOpinion leader - approach by key persons

Isolates - never or hardly consulted

3. Organization-building Phase

Entails the formation of more formal structure and the inclusion of more formal procedure of planning,

implementing, and evaluating community-wise activities. It is at this phase where the organized leaders or groups

are being given training (formal, informal, OJT) to develop their style in managing their own concerns/programs.

Key Activities

o Community Health Organization (CHO)

preparation of legal requirements

guidelines in the organization of the CHO by the core group

election of officers

o Research Team Committee

o Planning Committee

o Health Committee Organizationo Others

o Formation of by-laws by the CHO

4. Sustenanceand Strengthening Phase

Occurs when the community organization has already been established and the community members are already

actively participating in community-wide undertakings. At this point, the different committees setup in the

organization-building phase are already expected to be functioning by way of planning, implementing and

evaluating their own programs, with the overall guidance from the community-wide organization.

Key Activities

o Training of CHO for monitoring and implementing of community health program.

o Identification of secondary leaders.

o Linkaging and networking.

o Conduct of mobilization on health and development concerns.

o

Implementation of livelihood projects.

Documents

COPAR-PRINT1