Handout COPAR
Handout COPAR
Handout COPAR
IN SHORT
A healthy community is…
PPHEMAGHER
Characteristics:
Human Biology
Environment
Population
Systems of health care
Classification:
Urban
Rural
Rurban
Components of A Community
Core - PEOPLE
8 sub-systems
Housing
Education
Fire and safety
Politics/government
Health
Communication system
Economy
Recreation
Community Organizing
In its strictest definition refers to organizing which takes place in a geographically defined living area,
such as an urban poor community or a rural village
A means for empowering people; its primary aim is to transform a situation of societal injustice,
inequality and poverty.
Both a process and an orientation; an orientation for genuineness and liberating social transformation.
During the 1994 National Rural CO Conference, CO was defined as 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 and oppressive exploitative conditions.
Community Organizing
History:
Declaration of Martial Law in 1972 led to:
Elimination of formation of groups/organization grassroots activities were started by NGO’s and church
leaders like:
Urban and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines,
Episcopal Commission on Tribal Filipinos,
Share and Care Apostolate for Poor Settlers
1st Qtr 1970’s – CO was Philippine Ecumenical Council for Community Organization (PECCO).
December 1972 – establishment of ASSOCIATION OF FOUNDATIONS with 10 members
From PECCO, ZOTO was born through the use of ALINSKY’s method
1976 – AF had total of 40 members including Philippine Alliance for Rural and Urban Development
(PARUD).
NGOs recognized the need to band together into networks for purposes of linkaging, synchronization of
activities, and cooperative exchanges of experiences and resources.
Principles of CO
The social condition of the poor itself gives opportunities to conscienticize the people.
Tactics should be within the experience of the people and outside the experience of the target.
People generally act on the basis of their self-interest.
Man learns more effectively and more deeply from his own actual experiences.
The process of organizing moves from simple, concrete, short term and personal issues to more complex,
abstract, long-term and systemic issues.
Man needs to deepen and widen his horizon, therefore, he must move from the particular to the universal,
from the concrete to the abstract, to apply one's experience and its lesson to another situation.
Throughout the organizing process, the people must make their own decisions.
Types of CO
Grassroots
FBCO
Coalition
Welfare
Modernization
Transformatory/ Participative
Participation by all
Commitment
Voluntary involvement
Democratic practices
Transparency
Learning thru reflection
Flexibility
Organized group
Partnership between the people, NGO’s and LGUs
Outsiders act as facilitators
COPAR
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
A process by which a community identifies its needs and objectives, develops confidence to take action
A continuous and sustained process of educating 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
Importance of COPAR
Principles of COPAR
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
3 Dimensions of Participation
Mode
Intensity
Effectiveness
Phases of COPAR
1. Pre-entry phase
2. Entry phase
3. Helping phase
4. Phase out/ sustenance phase
Pre-entry Phase
1. Preparation of criteria and guidelines for area selection
Criteria for selection:
Leaders and community are receptive/supportive
CO can serve as model for elimination/ reduction of diseases
High prevalence of diseases
Economically depressed
Must have a population at ten thousand and above
As much as possible no RHU/BHS
Entry Phase
Helping Phase
1. Community profiling and analysis
Collection of primary data thru surveys
Walk through of the community
Collection of secondary data thru interviews/review of records
Data Analysis
2. Core group formation
3. Community planning Implementation
4. Monitoring and evaluation
Inconsistent data
Preventive measures:
Proper observation of the researcher
Inform the source of info to answer survey as honest as possible
Avoid leading questions
Questioning techniques should be reviewed and practiced
Lost/misplaced Documents
Preventive measures
Two copies should be prepared and kept by 2 different researchers
Consistency of the 2 copies
Documents must be dealt with confidentiality
Phase Out
Factors to ensure sustainability:
Structure
Skills development and technology transfer
Systems
Commitment
General Objectives:
Further develop the level of consciousness and sensitivity of the community
To provide proper motivation for the community to respond to the health needs
Specific Objectives
Bring into consciousness of the actual plight of the community’s condition
Take active part in the management and implementation of a program organization
Respond to health needs of the community
Acquire and develop skills
Contribute to the enhancement process
1. INTEGRATION
Immersion
Understand the bio-socio-cultural aspect of the community
Methods:
Participation of the direct production of activities of the people
House visits
Conversing with people where they usually gather
2. Social Investigation
- Known as community study
2. Tentative Program Planning
3. Groundwork
4. The meeting
5. Role Play
6. Mobilization Approach
7. Evaluation
8. Reflection
9. Organization
Social Mobilization
Process of generating and sustaining the active and coordinated participation of all sectors at various levels
to facilitate and accelerate improvement
SM Perspective
1. It is a continuing process
2. Cyclical and dynamic; it has neither beginning nor end
3. It is a deliberate strategy
SM Benefits
It raises people’s morale
Promotes sense of belonging
Makes people committed to health work
Contributes to wider development of the community
Enhances health care delivery
Factors Affecting SM
Socio-economic environment
Local culture, traditions and customs
Access
Availability of resources
Level of health literacy
Levels of SM
Individual
Family
Community
STEPS in SM
IEC
Community Organizing
Training and orientation
Networking
Monitoring and Evaluation
Feedback
ABCD of IEC?
3. Program Implementation
4. Program monitoring and evaluation
Types of evaluation
1. Impact evaluation
2. Cost-effective analysis
Community Diagnosis
o Process by which the health worker collects data about the community
o Types:
Comprehensive
Problem- oriented
Phases:
Preparatory Phase
Implementation Phase
Evaluation Phase
Qualities of An Organizer
Irreverence
A Sense of humor
Creativity
Flexibility
Tenacity
A genuine love for the people
Role of an Organizer
Facilitator
Animator
Enabler
Catalyst
Goals of an Organizer
Task Goals – goals concerned with the identification of objectives and the development of the means and
resources to carry them out or implement them.
Process Goals – refer to the enhancement and strengthening of the community members, competence for
participation, self-direction and cooperation.
Relationship Goals – focus on changing certain types of social relationships and decision making patterns
in the community.
“What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it
should be. “ (Saul Alinsky)