CRITICAL STEPS in Community Organization

CRITICAL STEPS (ACTIVITIES) IN BUILDING PEOPLES ORGANIZATION
INTEGRATION WITH THE COMMUNITY

Integration is the process of establishing rapport with the people in a continuing effort to embed
community life by living with them and undergoing the same experiences, sharing their hopes,
aspirations and hardships towards building mutual trust and cooperation.
1. INTEGRATION- Community organization becoming one with the people in order to:
1. Immerse himself in the poor community .
2. Understand deeply the culture, economy, leaders, history, rhythms and life
style in the community.
METHODS OF INTEGRATION INCLUDE:
1. Participation in direct production activities of the people. Like planting, harvesting,
fishing and broom-making.
2. Conduct of house to house visits
3. Participation in social activities like birthday parties, fiestas, weddings, seasonal
rituals and etc..Community health workers however, should refrain from drinking.
While drinking is an effective strategy in integrating with male residents, excessive
drinking has a negative effect on the community workers reputation.
4. Conversing with people where they usually gather such as in stores, waterwells,
washing stream or in church yards.
5. Helping out in household chores like cooking, washing the dishes, cleaning the
house and the like etc..
CONDUCT OF INFORMATION CAMPAIGN ABOUT HEALTH RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (HRDP)
Simultaneous with integration and social investigation activities is the conduct of information campaign
regarding the HRDP- its rationale, objectives, main strategies and activities. Aside from being the venue
for information dissemination, this activity could become a strategy for the community organizer to
provide the people with initial health education based on initially assessed needs.
2. SOCIAL INVESTIGATION- A systematic process of collecting, collating, analyzing data to draw a clear
picture of the community.
* Also known as the community study
Preliminary Social Investigation- once the criteria for site selection have been set, the next step is to
conduct the PSI. Its basic objective is to gather information about the different areas focusing on the
data necessary to determine the site that best confirm with the criteria set.
POINTERS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SOCIAL INVESTIGATION:
Use of survey questionnaires is discouraged.
Use of secondary data from various government offices, particularly the provincial
health office and/or the rural Health units.
Community leaders can be trained to initially assist the community worker/
organizer in doing social investigation.
Data can be more effectively and efficiently collected through informal methods
(house to house visits, participating in conversations in the jeepneys and others.
Secondary data should be thoroughly examined because much of the information
might already be available.
Social investigation is facilitated if the community organization/ community worker
is properly integrated and has acquired the trust of the people.
Confirmation and validation of community data should be done regularly
EXAMPLES OF DATA TO BE GATHERERED
1. Geographic data- information about the population: size,
structure/composition, distribution, density.
2. Socio-economic data- occupation, income levels of families, land ownership,
production quality.
3. Political- leadership structure and style, decision-making process/pattern, etc..
4. Cultural- values, beliefs people uphold, norms, cultural groups..
5. Environmental- physical structures, sanitary condition.
6. Health care delivery system.
PROCESS OF DATA GATHERING
1. INTERVIEW- Is a conversation between 2 individuals in which one seeks
information and the other provides it.
2. OBSERVATION- process of obtaining data through visual means.
3. REVIEW OF SEDARY DATA- process of going over recorded information
4. COMMUNITY SURVEY
PROVISION OF BASIC HEALTH SERVICES
On the basis of the result of the social investigation, some health-related problems which need
immediate attention, may already be identified. In these cases, immediate interventions should be
initiated. The primary purpose of these activities is to respond to the acute health problems of the
residents and by doing so, stress its purpose in community organizing, to enable to draw out the
peoples interest in the project and at the same time enhance their integration into the community.
3.TENTATIVE PROGRAM PLANNING - Community organization to choose one issue to work on in order
to begin organizing the people.
4.GROUND WORKING- Going around and motivating the people on a one on one basis to do something
on the issue that has been chosen.
5.COMMUNITY GROUP MEETINGS People collectively ratifying what they have already decided
individually. The meeting gives the people the collective power and confidence. Problems and issues are
discussed.
6.ROLE PLAY- Means to act out the meeting that will take place between the leaders of the people and
the government representatives. It is a way of training the people to anticipate what will happen and
prepare themselves for such eventuality.
7.MOBILIZATION OR ACTION- Actual experience of the people in confronting the powerful and the
actual exercise of people power.
8.EVALUATION- The people reviewing the steps 1-7 so as to determine whether they were successful or
not in their objectives.
9.REFLECTION- Dealing with deeper, on-going concerns to look at the positive values community
organization is trying to build in the organization. It gives the people time to reflect on the reality of life
compared to the ideal.
10.ORGANIZATION- The peoples 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.
IIDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL LEADERS
Characteristic of potential leaders
1. He/she must belong to the poor sectors or classes in the community
2. He/she must be a respected member of the community
3. He/she must be responsive and willing to work for change
4. He/she must have potential management skills
TECHNIQUES IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL LEADERS
1. Informal discussion with the community members
2. Observing the people who are active in small mobilization activities like cleanliness and
beautification drives, road repairs, medical missions and the like.
3. Observing who in the community readily responds to community problems and emergencies
and those whose concern for other people are very well manifested in their actions.
4. Observing the people in their natural environment e.g. informal group conversations. It is
usually the people who have leadership potential who stand out.
5. Sociogram, a systematic process of identifying indigenous leaders in the community who
can help facilitate the change process.

The above steps in building organizations are done in all/ any of the phases of the COPAR process. Their
application and the specific strategies and purpose may vary slightly depending on the phase of the
process it is applied.

ROLES AND ACTIVITIES IN COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE DEVELOPMENT
As a Recorder/Documentor/ Reporter

CRITICAL STEPS in Community Organization

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What are the different methods of integrating with the community mentioned?

What are the steps involved in building people's organization?

CRITICAL STEPS (ACTIVITIES) IN BUILDING PEOPLES ORGANIZATION

INTEGRATION WITH THE COMMUNITY

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