Module 1

Community Development and Mobilization

OVERVIEW:

• Welcome back NSTP students! We look forward to a good distance

education rapport once again.

• This module will develop knowledge and understanding of key concepts in

community development and mobilization. As will be elaborated further,
community development is important because it provides the foundation a
community builds off to improve the lives of its citizens. Every person has
the right to feel and be safe in their community and when all members
understand and support this sentiment, they can work together to make
positive changes in the physical structure, the policies, and the attitudes
that shape their community.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Define community, community development and mobilization.
2. Enumerate community development principles.
3. Determine ingredients for successful community development.
4. Explain community development process.
5. Develop action plans.
Before we begin…
Activity 1: Answer the following questions:
1. Describe the community where you belong.
2. What does your community provide you with as individuals?
3. What are your contributions to your community?
4. How will you describe your relationship with your community?

Submit your output to our Google Classroom under assignment named

Module 1 Activity 1.
FOCUS 1: DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY &
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT &
MOBILIZATION
• Community is a group of interacting people living in a common
location. The word is often used to refer a group that is organized
around common values and is attributed with social cohesion within a
shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a
household. The word can also refer to the national community or
international community.
• Since the advent of internet, the concept of community no longer has
geographical limitations, as people can now virtually gather in an
online community and share common interests regardless of physical
location.
• Community development is a process conducted by community members.
It is a process where local people can not only create more jobs, income,
and infrastructure, but also help their community become fundamentally
better able to manage change.

• Community development builds the five capitals of a community –

physical, financial, human, social and environmental. It is through
participation in their community that people rethink problems and expand
contacts and networks, and build social capital. They learn new skills and
build human capital. They develop new economic options and build
physical and financial capital. They also can improve their environment.
FOCUS 2: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PRINCIPLES
There is no recipe for the process of community development. Rather, a set of key
principles guide a flexible process of engagement and action as follows:

Start where the people are – the existing concerns and situations of people is the
starting point of community development.

Community development creates a vehicle for people to act on existing concerns.

The passion and enthusiasm of local people drives action. Belief, motivation and
commitment are the “fuel in the tank” of community development.
Community ownership/ involvement – the community makes and implements
decisions and the community’s initiative and leadership is the source of change.

People build motivation and community capacity through participation and

active involvement in decision-making and implementation.

Inclusiveness – all citizens should be given an equal opportunity to be involved.

Effort is required to encourage divers sectors of the community to participate.

External facilitators and resource people are “involved in” to work with rural
people, rather that working for them, delivering services to them. They have a
responsibility to challenge and suggest, but not make or influence community
decision-making.
Development activities foster leadership, entrepreneurship and
altruism.

The existing capacity of people and their community needs to be

recognized and appreciated as well as creating opportunities for them
to build their capacity.

A holistic approach is used in building economic, human, social and

environmental aspects of c0mmunity as an interrelated whole.

“Reframing” – community development helps people redefine

problems and opportunities and discover new options.
Changed attitudes and networks are as important as material outcomes.

A diversity of opinion and perspective is welcomed.

Success, no matter how small, needs to be recognized and celebrated.

Activities should be fun and social.

Not all communities are suited to, or prepared for, development

activities.
FOCUS 3: INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The key elements or ingredients for successful community development
are:
A slight level of dissatisfaction – motivation and enthusiasm based on a
feeling that “things could be better.”
Belief and expectation of self-help – a belief in the future of the
community and a conviction that realizing that future depends on the
action of community members;
Local leadership – committed formal and informal leaders that can
enthuse and support others, foster “shared leadership.” Accept criticism,
and act as local champions for community development efforts;
Collaboration – a strong culture of cooperation and participation;

Willingness to experiment and take advantage of opportunities;

Cultivate allies – actively seek, inform, and network with outside supporters;

Work hard and stay with the process, especially when there is a setback;

Focus on specific actions without losing sight of the “weird and wonderful.”
FOCUS 4: COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The key to community development is facilitating a community in
applying the principles to guide a flexible series of actions that are
appropriate for the situation of the community.
Community preparedness. Communities need to have some of the key
ingredients for a development process- motivation, local leaderships, a
sense of ownership. Not all communities are interested in, or prepared
for, undertaking a process of community development. At any one
time, only a few communities may see the need, or have people
motivated to organize and lead the community in development
activities. Communities may have only a couple of the ingredients for
success.
“Bubbling’ Concerns. Community development process develop from
a situation where issues and concerns are “bubbling” around. People
are concerned, enthusiastic, motivated, frustrated. Private “troubles”
become public concern as people share issues that matter to them
individually. People may begin to see some advantage for them in
community improvement. They also may have altruistic feelings of
contributing to the welfare of the whole community.

Stimulus. A local crisis, such as famine or business leaving town

sparks community action. A local leader, a local community group or
several concerned citizens may galvanize community action.
Initial organization and involvement. After a stimulus, often that first
step is an event that brings the community together – usually at a
public meeting or forum. At this point, community representatives
may invite facilitator or resource speaker into the community to help
with suggestions, information and the process itself. Some community
members may have a clear idea of what it is needed or what they
want to do.

Engagement and issues identification. Engage local people and give a

diverse range of citizens the opportunity to be involved. Engagement
of people occurs throughout a community development process, but
it is crucial to actively foster involvement early in the process.
There are several important aspects of engagement.

a) Understanding the existing concerns of community members

b) How they would like to participate.

c) Allow people to start acting on the idea even though not

everyone may agree or it may not seem to be a priority.
Initial considerations. As a community begins to organize,
some questions are crucial for the community to answer:

a) Where are we at?

b) How do we want our community to be?
c) How do we get there?
d) Who can help us?
Purpose and goals. From initial engagement and considerations,
communities need to develop a purpose and goals for a development
effort. Its best if these are achievable, dearly defined and articulated.
The purpose may be a broad vision statement or a more specific
intention to improve a particular aspect of the community. Goals
need to be specific, measurable, and achievable and may include
achieving other stages in the process.

Self-examination. A period of self-examination and community

analysis helps people to appreciate their community’s situation and
existing capacity, to rethink problems and issues, and to identify new
options. The purpose is not just data gathering, but awareness raising,
involvement and reframing.
• Exploration. A period of exploration often
accompanies or follows self-examination, this involves
gathering new information and ideas.
a) Environmental scan
b) Community swaps
c) What others have done
d) Expert advice and consultancy
e) Brainstorming –raising ideas with only clarification. This has
been used in community “idea generation” workshops
f) Rethinking and creativity exercise.
Interpretation and prioritization. Data gathered and ideas developed
during the engagement, self-examination and exploration phases
need to be “analyzed” and debated. Community members need also
to ask “off all the things that we could do, what are the few things we
can do?”

Considering the feasibility of ideas and proposals as to politically

feasible, financially feasible, logistically feasible, and able to
implement is also important during priority setting.
Planning and action on priorities.
a) Organization – communities need to be well organized to follow through on action.
Often, a steering committee will delegate specific issues to working groups.
b) Maintaining community interest – informal networks, media output, newsletters, and
updates for community leaders help people stay informed and motivated.
c) Celebrating success – success, no matter how small, needs to be recognized and
celebrated.
Reinvestment. Community development never ends. Particular
development initiatives have a life cycle of initiation, expansion,
maturity and conclusion.
FOCUS 5: DEVELOPING ACTION
PLANS/WORK PLANS
• Action plans specify the actions needed to address each of the top
organizational issues and to reach each of the associated goals, who
will complete each action and according to what timeline.

• Develop an overall, top level action plan that depicts how each strategic
goals will be reached.

• Develop an action plan for each major function in the organization

(marketing,, development, finance, personnel, and for each
program/service, etc.)
• Ensure that each manager has an action plan that contributes to the overall top-level action
plan.

• The format of the action plan depends on the nature and needs of the organization. The plan
for the organization, each major function, each manager and each employees, might
specify:

a) The goals that are to be accomplished.

b) How each goal contributes to the organization’s overall strategic goals;

c) What specific results (objectives) must be accomplished.

d) How these results will be achieved; and

e) When the results will be achieved (or a timeline for each objective).
Developing objectives and timelines
1. Objectives are SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
Time-bound.
2. Integrate the current year’s objectives as performance criteria in
each “implementer’s job description and performance review.
3. Remember that objectives and their timeline are only guidelines,
not rules set in stone. They can be deviated from, but deviations
should be understood and explained.
 Appendix 1. Community Action Plan Template PROBLEM:

Strategic Goal Strategy Objective Responsibility Timeline

Activity 2:
In every part of the world, communities are facing challenges because of COVID-19
pandemic and what this means for community development is still uncertain.

Answer the following questions: (5 points each)

1. Name the challenges faced by your community that is caused by the COVID 19
pandemic.
2. How did the barangay officials address these challenges of the crisis?
3. How did the community people respond?
Submit your output to our Google Classroom under assignment named Module 1
Activity 2.
Activity 3:
From the challenges that you observed during Covid-19 in your community, select one
big problem and propose an action plan utilizing the template provided. (30pts)

PROBLEM: (5pts)
Strategic Goal Strategy Objective Responsibility Timeline

5pts 5pts 5pts 5pts

5pts

Submit your output to our Google Classroom under assignment named Module 1 Activity 3.