Methodologies and Approaches of Community Actions and Involvements Across Disciplines

MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE

Direction: TRUE OR FALSE Read and understand the statement below, write capital latter T if the
statement is true and write capital latter F if the statement is false. Write your answer in the given
space before the number.
___1. Social justice is the reasonable relationship between the individual and society.
___2. Practicing equal treatment to each and every one in a community is an example of existing
social justice.
___3. Enjoy being a wealthy man is a form of social justice.
___4. Giving alms to the poor for your political agenda is good practice of social justice.
___5. Having a productive community is the important of social justice.
Answer the following with the phrases: “in every case”, in most cases”, and “in some cases”.
________ 1. Killing is wrong.
________ 2. All people should be treated equally.
________ 3. All people have the right to medical help if they are ill.
________ 4. All people have a right to education.
_________ 5. People should be allowed to travel and leave the country if they wish.
Appendix C9.4.12 Definition of Terms
 WRITING A COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN
What are needed in writing an action plan
1. A clear vision
2. A set of values
3. The strategic framework
4. An overall goal

Elements of an Action Plan

1. Statement of what must be achieved – the goal or output
2. Activities that have to be followed to reach the objective or goal
3. Target date for completion or schedule for when each activity must begin/end
4. Identification of the organization/individual who will be responsible for each activity
5. Clarification of the inputs/resources needed to complete the task
6. Identification of indicators which will allow for measurement of progress towards the goals

Parts of a Community Action Plan

I. Cover Page
II. Executive Summary
III. Table of Contents
IV. Community Profile
V. Introduction to the Plan
a. How the plan was developed
b. Who was involved in the development of the plan
c. Who will manage the implementation of the plan
d. Other information that is important to the plan
VI. Action Plan
VII. Appendices and Supporting Documentation

PERFORMANCE TASK
TOPIC: Partnership Building with Local Groups
Objective: The learners will be able to identify different groups with the community (i.e., community
based, government based, and faith based).

Discussion:
1. What is the purpose of forming partnerships?
• To bring about more effective and efficient delivery of programs and eliminate any unnecessary
duplication of effort.
• To pool resources.
• To increase communication among groups and break down stereotypes.
• To build networks and friendships.
• To revitalize wilting energies of members of groups who are trying to do too much alone.
• To plan and launch community-wide initiatives on a variety of issues.
• To develop and use political clout to gain services or other benefits for the community
• To create long-term, permanent social change.
• To obtain or provide services.

2. What are the types of partnership?

• Community-based
• Government-based
• Faith-based

3. What are the different methods and approaches in building partnership in the community?
• Coordination
• Cooperation
• Collaboration
• Partnership
METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES OF COMMUNITY ACTIONS AND INVOLVEMENTS
ACROSS DISCIPLINES
1. Why do we need to perform an assessment?
*Community needs assessment is a process that describes the state of local people, enables
the identification of the actions needed and how to address these.

*A plan which delivers the most effective care to those in greatest need; applies the principles
of equity and social justice in practice;

2. What does a community assessment measure?

*Community needs assessment measures the strengths and resources available in the
community to meet the needs of the children, youth and families.

3. When should you do needs assessment?

*Needs assessment should be done before doing a community-action plan.

4. What does needs assessment contain?

*A community assessment contains compilation of demographic data from census records,
results of surveys conducted/ by others and informal feedback from community partners.

ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND RESOURCES

This toolkit provides guidance for conducting assessments of community needs and resources.

1. Describe the makeup and history of the community to provide a context within which to
collect data on its current concerns.
a. Comment on the types of information that best describes the community (e.g.,
demographic, historical, political, civic participation, key leaders, past concerns, geographic,
assets)
b. Describe the sources of information used (e.g., public records, local people, internet, maps,
phone book, library, newspaper)
c. Comment on whether there are sufficient resources (e.g., time, personnel, resources)
available to collect this information
d. Assess the quality of the information
e. Describe the strengths and problems you heard about

2. Describe what matters to people in the community, including a description of:

a. Issues that people in the community care about (e.g., safety, education, housing, health)
b. How important these issues are to the community (e.g., perceived importance,
consequences for the community)
c. Methods the group will (did) use to listen to the community (e.g., listening sessions, public
forums, interviews, concerns surveys, focus groups)

3. Describe what matters to key stakeholders, including:

a. Who else cares about the issue (the stakeholders) and what do they care about?
b. What stakeholders want to know about the situation (e.g., who is affected, how many, what
factors contribute to the problem)
c. Prioritized populations and subgroups that stakeholders intend to benefit from the effort
d. Methods you will (did) use to gather information (e.g., surveys, interviews)

4. (For each candidate problem/goal) Describe the evidence indicating whether the problem/goal
should be a priority issue, including:
a. The community-level indicators (e.g., rate of infant deaths or vehicle crashes) related to the
issue
b. How frequently the problem (or related behavior) occurs (e.g., number of youth reporting
alcohol use in the past 30 days)
c. How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its effects
d. How feasible it is to address the issue
e. Possible impact and/or consequences of addressing the problem/goal

5. Describe the barriers and resources for addressing the identified issue(s), including:
a. Barriers or resistance to solving the problem or achieving the goal (e.g., denial or
discounting of the problem) and how they can be minimized (e.g., reframing the issue)
 b. What resources and assets are available and how the group can tap into those resources to
address the issue
c. Community context or situation that might make it easier or more difficult to address this
issue

6. (Based on the assessment) Select and state the priority issue (or issues) to be addressed by
the group.
 What are the things needed in each step?
- The things needed in each step are community profile, survey for needs assessment and
priority issue presentation.

 What would you do in each step?

- In each step the following should be done: describe the make-up history of the community,
describe what matters to people/stakeholders, describe the barriers and resources and select
priority issue.

 Why do we need to do a community needs assessment? How can a needs assessment

help the community?
- A community needs assessment is needed to describe the condition of the community;
identify the major risk factors and their causes; and enable the identification of the actions
needed to address these.

Appendix D12.3.3

COMMUNITY PROFILE AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT

How is community profile different from community needs assessment?
- Community profile essentially answers the question, “Where is the community now?” and
provides baseline information on the present situation of the community like population and
other unique characteristics of the community. The information can then be used for
planning purposes while community needs assessment is a systematic process for
determining and addressing needs or gaps between current conditions or wants.

PARTICIPATORY ACTION PLANNING

I. Rationale and Definition

Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm that emphasizes involving the entire community
in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning
processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development. Participatory
planning aims to harmonize views among all of its participants as well as prevent conflict between
opposing parties. In addition, marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in the planning
process. (Lefevre, Pierre; Kolsteren, Patrick; De Wael, Marie-Paule; Byekwaso, Francis; Beghin, Ivan
(December 2000). "Comprehensive Participatory Planning and Evaluation" (PDF). Antwerp, Belgium:
IFAD. Retrieved 2017-05-11)

II. The Need for Participatory Action Planning

1. Public distrust of planning based on past practices
Participatory planning is needed when there is public distrust of previous planning practice and/or
where new development may lead to significant conflicts. Research around the globe present several
examples where failures of traditional planning approaches and public distrust of planning led to
innovations and new forms of participatory planning. In South Africa planning had been part of the
apartheid system and so the need to reinvent a new form of planning was overwhelming. In the
Ephrata case study, a planning consultant was brought in as a mediator after litigants had obtained a
court order against the city's plan that had been adopted after a traditional process of 'public
participation'.
Therefore, public relations consultants have been hired to 'do public outreach, run community
meetings, provide public notices and informational items to get the public involved'. This sounds less
ambitious than many examples encountered in our research, but the point remains that there is a
perceived need to make a step-change from past practices.
2. Governments' desire to improve the co-ordination
Planning needs to change from a narrow, self-enclosed system of regulation to become a means
of delivering development that achieves broader objectives, social justice and other sustainable
development action initiatives. Planning needs to be about integration not about separation -
integration between public and private investment in an area, between different scales of government
and between different agencies. Thus there is a need to rethink the traditional approach to
consultation with stakeholders and other public agencies. It means moving from 'We have a plan;
what do you think about it?' to active integration of the aspirations and intentions of other players into
the preparation of the plan and its structures for implementation. This will require engagement and
negotiation to anticipate and reconcile differences, but it offers the prospect of eventual shared
commitment to the plan and to its implementation. Where conflicting aspirations between planning
and other institutions and agencies with sectoral responsibilities threaten to block agreement,
independent persons such as academics can play a valuable role as 'informal' mediators in efforts to
find consensus.

3. Respect to Grassroots Community

Planning practice needs to engage with the reality of diversity in today's society. This means being
aware of different cultures and ensuring that issues of diversity are addressed throughout the
planning process. Traditional public participation has often failed to do this. Participatory planning is
built around diversity, conflicting interests and the need to listen to the voices of marginalised groups.
A recognition amongst governments and non-governmental organisations that sustainable
development requires consensus building and engagement with citizens.Grassroots involvement and
local participatory democracy are much more a part of a political culture while in other country it is a
non-political culture, a sense of resistance. Thus, there is a good deal of regional variability in
attitudes toward planning, government, and local activism. Planning is accepted widely and there is
an emphasis on grassroots participation and inclusivity.

III. Levels of Participatory Action Planning

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING?
There are a number of ways to consider participatory planning. As demonstrated in the discussion
above of advantages and disadvantages, this kind of process always presents, even at best, a trade-
off between efficiency and inclusiveness. Time pressure, the needs of the community, the skills and
experience of those participating, and the nature of the intervention, among other factors, all help to
dictate the actual shape of the planning process. So what are the possibilities? Just how participatory
do you want to be? David Wilcox, in his excellent "Guide to Effective Participation," sets out the
following as a model of the different possible levels of participation:
1. Information - The least you can do is tell people what is planned.
2. Consultation - You offer a number of options and listen to the feedback you get.
3. Deciding together - You encourage others to provide some additional ideas and options, and join
in deciding the best way forward.
4. Acting together - Not only do different interests decide together what is best, but they form a
partnership to carry it out.
5. Supporting independent community initiatives - You help others do what they want - perhaps
within a framework of grants, advice and support provided by the resource holder. Each of these
levels may be appropriate in different circumstances, or with different groups, although only at
"deciding together" and above do they really begin to be fully participatory in the sense that the term
is used in this section. (http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/whereto- start/participatory-
approaches/main)

THE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION CYCLE

A. Plan- including an assessment and design element;
B. Act- implementation;
C. Reflect- RM lessons learned.
A. THE PLANNING PHASE
Firstly, a situation analysis of the external resource environment is required in order to discover what
RM opportunities may exist and how best to approach potential resource partners. Secondly, the
resource requirements of the programme or project should be examined and a plan developed on
how to engage the likely resource partners. The planning phase should ideally establish an RM
strategy and action plan (for the immediate term), describing how particular resource partners will be
targeted and for which resources. A communication plan, describing the various tools for
communication with specified resource partners would form an element of this. A communication plan
therefore supports the RM strategy. The resource targets formulated in the RM strategy or Action
Plan are tied to those as specified and prioritized in the programme or project document.

Appendix D13.1.1
B. THE ACTION OR IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
This phase is broken into a five- step process.
C. THE REFLECT PHASE
Here, the RM effort (strategy and action plan) is monitored and evaluated, specifically reporting
on successes and failures, and working through lessons learned, in order to tailor and refocus
RM initiatives to maximize success.

Identify the following if it is under Planning, Action or Reflect Phase.

__________ 1. Including an assessment and design element.
__________ 2. The RM effort (strategy and action plan)is monitored and .
__________ 3. This phase is best broken down into a five-step process.
__________ 4. The resource requirements of the programme or project should be examined and a
plan developed on how to engage the likely resource partners.
__________ 5. Manage and Report
__________ 6. Communicate Results
__________ 7. Situation analysis of the external resource environment
__________ 8. A communication plan therefore supports the RM Strategy.
__________ 9. Identify external sources of funding
__________ 10. Engage means involves seizing every opportunity to communicate the programme
for which resources are sought.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION HAND-OUTS:

• Resource Mobilization is a process where we identify the Resources essential for the
development, implementation and continuation of works for achieving the organization’s mission.

• It is focused on the relationships with Resource Providers, the skills, knowledge and capacity for
proper use of resources.
Following this concept, we can say that Resource Mobilization is:
Just a means to the end.
A team effort
A set of accountabilities shared by everyone onboard
A management process that has no quick fixes
A management process that involves identifying people who share the same values as your
organization and taking the steps to manage that relationship.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION is not just about FUNDS and RAISING FUNDS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

• Diversifies and expand resources
• Formulates an independent budget (fund),
• Allows spending and utilization of Resources
• Minimizes dependency on others
• Sustains the Organization and its programs
• Maximizes use of domestic capital and skills
• Expands relations
• Fulfills responsibilities for the Community