COPAR or Community Organizing Participatory Action Research is a vital part of public

health nursing. COPAR aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into
dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.

Definition

COPAR stands for Community Organizing Participatory Action Research

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 peoples 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).

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).

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).

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.

Emphasis

1. Community working to solve its own problem.

2. 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 project.

4. Consciousness raising involves perceiving health and medical care within the total
structure of society.

Importance

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

dvelopment.programs in the future.

3. COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement; community resources are

mobilized for community services.

Principles

1. 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.

2. COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest sector of the community.

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

Critical Steps

1. Integration

2. Social Investigation

3. Tentative program planning

4. Groundwork

5. Meeting

6. Role Play

7. Mobilization or action

8. Evaluation

9. Reflection
 10. Organization

Phases of COPAR

COPAR has four phases namely: Pre-Entry Phase, Entry Phase, Organization-building phase, and
sustenance and strengthening phase.

1. Pre-Entry Phase

Is the initial phase of the organizing process where the community organizer looks for
communities to serve and help. Activities include:

Preparation of the Institution

Train faculty and students in COPAR.

Formulate plans for institutionalizing COPAR.

Revise/enrich curriculum and immersion program.

Coordinate participants of other departments.

Site Selection

Initial networking with local government.

Conduct preliminary special investigation.

Make long/short list of potential communities.

Do ocular survey of listed communities.

Criteria for Initial Site Selection

Must have a population of 100-200 families.

Economically depressed.No strong resistance from the community.

No serious peace and order problem.

No similar group or organization holding the same program.

Identifying Potential Municipalities

 Make long/short list of potential municipalities

Identifying Potential Community

Do the same process as in selecting municipality.

Consult key informants and residents.

Coordinate with local government and NGOs for future activities.

Choosing Final Community

Conduct informal interviews with community residents and key informants.

Determine the need of the program in the community.

Take note of political development.

Develop community profiles for secondary data.

Develop survey tools.

Pay courtesy call to community leaders.

Choose foster families based on guidelines

Identifying Host Family

House is strategically located in the community.

Should not belong to the rich segment.

Respected by both formal and informal leaders.

Neighbors are not hesitant to enter the house.

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 community.
Guidelines for Entry

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

Her appearance, speech, behavior and lifestyle should be in keeping with those of the
community residents without disregard of their being role model.

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

Activities in the Entry Phase

Integration. Establishing rapport with the people in continuing effort to imbibe

community life.

o living with the community

o seek out to converse with people where they usually congregate

o lend a hand in household chores

o avoid gambling and drinking

Deepening social investigation/community study

o verification and enrichment of data collected from initial survey

o conduct baseline survey by students, results relayed through community assembly

Core Group Formation

Leader spotting through sociogram.

o Key Persons. Approached by most people

o Opinion Leader. Approached by key persons

o 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

Community Health Organization (CHO)

o preparation of legal requirements

o guidelines in the organization of the CHO by the core group

o election of officers

Research Team Committee

Planning Committee

Health Committee Organization

Others

Formation of by-laws by the CHO

4. 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. At this point, the
different committees setups 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

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

Identification of secondary leaders.

Linkaging and networking.

Conduct of mobilization on health and development concerns.

Implementation of livelihood projects.

Phases of the COPAR Process

by December 2, 2008
I. Pre-entry Phase

A. Is the initial phase of the organizing process where the community/organizer

looks for communities to serve/help.

B. It is considered the simplest phase in terms of actual outputs, activities and

strategies and time spent for it.

Activities include:

1. Designing a plan for community development including all its activities and
strategies for care development.

2. Designing criteria for the selection of site

3. Actually selecting the site for community care

II. Entry Phase

A. Sometimes called the social preparation phase as to the activities done here
includes the sensitization of the people on the critical events in their life,
innovating them to share their dreams and ideas on how to manage their
concerns and eventually mobilizing them to take collective action on these.

B. This phase signals the actual entry of the community worker/organizer into the
community. She must be guided by the following guidelines however.

1. Recognizes the role of local authorities by paying them visits to inform

them of their presence and activities.

2. The appearance, speech, behavior and lifestyle should be in keeping with

those of the community residents without disregard of their being role
models.

3. Avoid raising the consciousness of the community residents; adopt a low-

key profile.

III. Organization Building Phase

A. Entails the formation of more formal structures and the inclusion of more
formal procedures of planning, implementation, and evaluating community-
wide activities. It is at this phase where the organized leaders or groups are
being given trainings (formal, informal, OJT) to develop their skills and in
managing their own concerns/programs.
IV. Sustenance and Strengthening Phase

A. 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 communities 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.

1. Strategies used may include:

a. Education and training

b. Networking and linkaging

c. Conduct of mobilization on health and development concerns

d. Implementing of livelihood projects

e. Developing secondary leaders

COPAR PREENTRY PHASE

Preliminary Social Investigation

Community consultation

Settling of issues/considerations related to site selection

Networking with local government units (eg. LGUs, NGOs) ENTRY PHASE

Integration with the community

Sensitization of the community

Continuing social investigation

Core group formation

Development of criteria for selection of core group members

Defining the roles, functions and tasks of the core group

Coordination, dialogue and consultation with other community organizations

Self-awareness and leadership training planning

COMMUNITY STUDY/DIALOGUE PHASE

Selection of the research team

Training on data collection, methods and technique capability building which

includes development of data collection tools

Planning for the actual gathering of data

Data gathering

Prioritization of community needs and problems for action

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION & CAPABILITY BUILDING PHASE

Community meetings to draw up guidelines for the organization of CHO

Election of officers

Development and management system and procedures including delineation of

roles, functions and tasks of officers and members of the CHO

Team building, action-reflection in faith action

Working out the legal requirements for the establishment of the CHO

Organizations of working committes, task groups (like education and training,

membership of committees)

Training of CHO officers and community leaders COMMUNITY ACTION PHASE

Organization of training of community health workers

(CHWs)

Development of criteria for the

selection of
CHWs

Selection of CHWs
Training of CHWs

setting up of linkages and network referral Systems

Planning, implementation of resources mobilization scheme SUSTENANCE &

STRENGTHENING PHASE

Formulation of ratification of constitution and by laws

Identification and development of secondary leaders

setting up and institutionalization of financing scheme for community health

programs and activities

Development and implementation of viable management system and procedures,

committees, continuing education/training of leaders,
CHWs
and community residents

Continuing education and upgrading of community

leaders, CHWs
and CHO members

Development of medium and long term community health development SALT

ACTIVITIES
Initial Introduction
Activity: The community residents are asked to choose a letter from their name and
give a word starting with their chosen letter that describes their personality.
Rationale: The activity is done for the participants to get to know themselves better.
It is important that we know who we are and what are our strengths and
weaknesses in order for us to know other people.
Character Association
A part of SALT wherein you will associate

your character to an object

. Instruction: First look for a thing that will

suit your

personality and explain the relevance to your character. Rationale:It is to associate

yourself with an inanimate object to describe who you are as a person regardless if
you see yourself positively, or both.