Community Organizing (COPAR) Lecture Notes PDF

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION A process by which people, health services and agencies of the community are brought together in common self interest.  Community organizing as a process consists of steps or activities that instill and reinforce the people’s self- confi...

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION A process by which people, health services and agencies of the community are brought together in common self interest.  Community organizing as a process consists of steps or activities that instill and reinforce the people’s self- confidence on their own collective strengths and capabilities (Manalili, 1990). It is the development of the community’s collective capacities to solve its own problems and aspire for development through its own efforts.  Community organizing is a continuous process of educating the community to develop its capacity to assess and analyze the situation (which usually involves the process of consciousness raising), plan and implement interventions (mobilization), and evaluate them  Community Organizing is a process of educating and mobilizing members of the community to enable them to resolve community problems. It is a means to build the community’s capacity to work for the common good in general and health goals.  Community Organizing is a process of educating and mobilizing members of the community to enable them to resolve community problems. It is a means to build the community’s capacity to work for the common good in general and health goals.  Community organizing and community health nursing practice have common goals: People empowerment, development of self-reliant community, and improved quality of life. As a result, they become the health care professionals’ partners in health care delivery and overall community development.  Community development is the end goal of community organizing and all efforts towards uplifting the status of the poor and marginalized. Community development – entails a process of assessment of the current situation, the identification of needs, deciding on appropriate courses of actions or response, mobilization of resources to address these needs, and monitoring and evaluation by the people.  Community development means improvement access to resource (including health resources) that will enable the people to improve their standards of living and overall quality life. The emphasis of community organizing in primary health care are the following: 1. People from the community working together to solve their own problems. 2. Internal organizational consolidation as a prerequisite to external expansion 3. Social movement first before technical change 4. Health reforms occurring within the context of broader social transformation.  Community development is the end goal of community organizing and all efforts towards uplifting the status of the poor and marginalized. Community development – entails a process of assessment of the current situation, the identification of needs, deciding on appropriate courses of actions or response, mobilization of resources to address these needs, and monitoring and evaluation by the people. Community organizing is a value-based process, tracing its roots to three basic values: human rights, social justice, and social responsibility (LOCOA, 2005).  1. Human rights – are based on the worth and dignity inherent to all human beings: the right to life, the right to development as persons and as a community, and the freedom to make decisions for oneself. Social justice- entails fairness in the distribution of resources to satisfy basic needs and to maintain dignity as human beings. Social responsibility- is an offshoot of the ethical principle of solidarity, which points to people being part of one community and is reflected in concern for one another.  CORE PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING: Anchored on the basic values of human rights, social justice, and social responsibility, the following are the core principles and grounds for the practice of community organizing. Community organizing is people-centered: 1. Community organizing is participative: 2. Community organizing is democratic: 3. Community organizing is developmental: 4. Community organizing is process-oriented: COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS Create social movements by building a base of concerned people, mobilizing these community members to act, and developing leadership from and relationships among the people involved. Benefits of Community Organization 1. Learn common Problems 2. Identify those problems as own 3. Plan the kind of action needed to solve these problems 4. Act on this basis It contributes to the establishment of an environment with different community resources – natural, institutional, technical, and financial and human resources – and can function with maximum effectiveness.  People are given a chance to study their problems, offer solutions and give a chance to plan an action  People are given a chance to study their problems, offer solutions and give a chance to plan an action  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.  Community organization sets up action pattern to solve problems.  Critical Steps Activities in Building People’s Organization COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS OR PROFILING A community diagnosis is a summary statement resulting from analysis of the data collected from a community health needs assessment. A clear statement of the problem, as well as causes of the problem, should be included. A community diagnosis may also address a need for increased wellness in the community. Community diagnoses should include these four parts:  The problem The population or vulnerable group The effects of the problem on the population/vulnerable group The indicators of the problem in this community Example of Community Diagnosis Community Scenario Assessment data: Fifty percent of residents of an assisted living facility were found to have blood pressure readings higher than 130/80 mmHg during a health fair last week at the facility. Community diagnosis: Increased need for education about exercise and diet and referrals to primary care doctors for residents of an assisted living facility due to increased risk for mortality related to high blood pressure, as evidenced by a high number of residents with high blood pressure during a health fair.  Community Scenario Assessment data: The local high school has had two cases of suicide in the past year. Diagnosis: Increased need for community education regarding suicide prevention and crisis hotlines, as evidenced by an increase in adolescent suicide over the past twelve months. Outcomes Identification Healthy People objectives are classified by these five categories: Health Conditions Health Behaviors Populations Settings and Systems Social Determinants of Health  INTEGRATION A CO becoming a par with the people in order to: Immerse himself in the poor community Understand deeply the culture, leaders, history, rhythms and lifestyle in the community Methods of Integration includes: Participation in direct production activities of the people Conduct of house visits Participation in activities like birthdays, fiestas, wakes, etc Conversing with people where they usually gather such as stores, water, walls, washing streams, or churchyards Helping out in the household chores like cooking, washing the dishes, etc  SOCIAL INVESTIGATION  A systematic process of collecting, collating, analyzing data to draw a clear picture of the community  Also known as the COMMUNITY STUDY  Pointers for the conduct of SOCIAL INVESTIGATION  Use of survey or questionnaires is discouraged  Community leaders can be trained to initially assist the community worker/organizer in SI  Data can be more effectively and efficiently collected through informal methods- house visits, participating in conversations in jeepneys and others  Secondary data should be thoroughly examined because much of the information might already be available  SI is facilitated if the CO/ community worker is properly integrated and has acquired the trust of the people  Confirmation and validation of community data should be done regularly TENTATIVE PROGRAM PLANNING CO choose one issue to work in order to begin organizing the people GROUNDWORK Going around and motivating the people on a one on one basis to do something on the issue that has been chosen THE MEETING People collectively ratifying what they have already decided individually The meeting gives the people the collective power and confidence Problems and issues are discussed  ROLE PLAY Means to act out the meeting that will take place between the leaders of the people and government representatives It is a way of training the people to participate what will happen and prepare themselves for such eventually MOBILIZATION OR ACTION Actual experience of the people in confronting the powerful and the actual exercise of the people power REFLECTION Dealing with deeper, on going concerns to look at the positive values CO is trying to build in the organization It gives the people time to reflect on the stark reality of life compared to the ideal ORGANIZATION The people’s organization is the result of many successive and similar actions of the people A final organizational structure is set up with elected officers and supporting members Definition of COPAR A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community. Definition of COPAR 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 towards effecting change in their existing oppressive and exploitative conditions (1994 National Rural Conference) Definition of COPAR 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 (Ross 1967) Definition of COPAR A continuous and sustained process of educating the people to understand and develop their critical awareness of their existing condition, 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 towards solving their long-term problems (CO: A manual of experience, PCPD) Importance of COPAR 1. COPAR is an important tool for community development and people empowerment as this helps the community workers to generate community participation in development activities. 2. COPAR prepares people/clients to eventually take over the management of a development programs in the future. 3. COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement; community resources are mobilized for community services. COPAR Principles People, especially the most oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to change and are able to bring about change. COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest sectors of society COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and society. COPAR Process A progressive cycle of action-reflection action which begins with small, local and concrete issues identified by the people and the evaluation and the reflection of and on the action taken by them. Consciousness- raising through experimental learning central to the COPAR process because it places emphasis on learning that emerges from concrete action and which enriches succeeding action. COPAR is participatory and mass-based because it is primarily directed towards and biased in favor of the poor, the powerless and oppressed. COPAR is group-centered and not leader-oriented. Leaders are identified, emerge and are tested through action rather than appointed or selected by some external force or entity. PHASES OF COPAR 1. PRE-ENTRY PRE-ENTRY Pre-entry involves preparation one the part of the organizer and choosing a community for partnership. Preparation includes knowing the goals of the community organizing activity or experience. It also necessary to delineate criteria or guidelines for site selection. Making a list of sources of information and possible facility resources, both government and private, is recommended. CONDITIONS FOR SITE SELECTION 100-200 Families Residents must belong to DOPE (Deprived, Oppressed, Poor, Exploited) Residents’ willingness to participate Has peace and order No other agency has done similar activities in the area  For the novice organizers, preparation includes a study or review of the basic concepts of community organizing. Proper selection of possible barriers, threats, strengths, and opportunities at this stage is an important determinant of the overall outcome of community organizing. Communities may be identified through different means:  Initial data gathered through an ocular survey  Review of records of a health facility  Review of the barangay/municipality profile  Referrals from other communities or institutions or through a series of meetings  Consultation from the local government units (LGUs) or private institutions.  An ocular survey done at this stage.  Courtesy call to the Mayor  Pre- entry Phase  is the initial phase of organizing process where the community/organizer looks for communities to serve/help It is considered the simplest phase in terms of actual outputs, activities and strategies and time spent for it Activities include  Community consultations/dialogues  Setting of issues/ considerations related to site selection  Development of criteria for site selection  Site selection  Preliminary social investigation (PSI)  Networking with LGU’s, NGO’s and other departments 2. ENTRY ENTRY Entry into the community: Entry into the community formalizes the start of the organizing process. This is the stage where the organizer gets to know the community and the community likewise gets to know the organizer.  An important point to remember this phase is to make courtesy call to local formal leaders (barangay chairperson, council members)  Phases of the COPAR Process Entry Phase Social preparation phase Activities done here includes:  Integration with the community  Sensitization of the community; information campaigns  Continuing social investigation  Core group formation:  Development of criteria for the selection of CG members  Defining the roles/functions/tasks of the CG  Coordination /dialogue/consultation with other community organizations  Self-awareness and Leadership training (SALT), action, planning This phase signals the actual entry of the community worker/organizer into the community  Equally crucial but often overlooked is a visit to informal leaders recognized in the community, like elders, local health workers, traditional healers, church leaders, and local neighborhood association leaders. Considerations in the entry phase: The community organizer’s responsibility to clearly introduce themselves and their institution to the community. A clear explanation of the vision and mission, goals, programs, and activities must be given in all initial meetings and contacts with the community. Preparation for the initial visit includes gathering basic information on socioeconomic conditions, traditions including religious practices, overall physical environment, general health resources. the community organizer must keep in mind that the goal of the process is to build up the confidence and capacities of people.  Manalili describe two strategies for gaining entry into a community: Padrino – a patron, usually barangay or some other local government official. The padrino, in an effort to boost the organizer’s image, tends to preset the intended project output, thereby creating false hopes. Bongga – as the easiest way to catch the attention and gain the “approval” of the community. This strategy exploits the people’s weaknesses and usually involves doles-out, such free medicines.  3. Community Study/Diagnosis Phase (Research Phase) Community Study/Diagnosis Phase (Research Phase) Selection of the research team Training on the data collection methods and techniques; capability- building (includes development of data collection tools) Planning for the actual gathering of the data Data gathering Training on data validation (includes tabulation and preliminary analysis of data) Community validation Presentation of the community study/diagnosis/recommendations Prioritization of community needs/problems for action Community Organization and Capability-Building Phase Community Organization and Capability Building Phase Community meetings to draw up guidelines for the organizations of the CHO Election of officers Development of management systems and procedures, including delineation of the roles, functions and task of officers and members of the CHO Team building/Action-Reflect Action (ARA) Working out legal requirements for the establishment of the CHO Organization of the working committees and task groups(e.g. education and training, membership of committees) Training of the CHO officers/community leaders 4. Community Action Phase Community Action Phase Organization and training of the community health workers (CHW’s) Development of criteria for the selection of CHW’s Selection of CHW’s Training of CHW’s Setting up of linkages/network referral systems Initial identification and implementation of resource mobilization schemes  5. Sustenance and strengthening phase  Sustenance and strengthening phase Occurs when the community organization has already been established and the community members are already actively participating in community-wide undertakings Strategies used may include: Education and training Networking and linkages Conduct of mobilization on health and development concerns Implementation of livelihood projects Developing secondary leaders 6. PHASE-OUT/EXIT  The Community Organizer (CO) turns over the project to the community The community leaders will now handle the management of the project and all its logistics An ideal number of years for COPAR is 5 years