METHODS OF COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
2.1 Introduction
In Community organization for its successful practice in social work as one of the method should follow certain methods viz, Planning, Education, Communication, Community participation, Collective diction making, Leadership development, Resource mobilization, Community action, Promotion, Coordination and so on.
2.2 PLANNING
Planning is one of the methods of community organization. It is the conscious and deliberate guidance of thinking so as to create logical means for achieving agreed-upon goals. Planning is basic and fundamental approach or way of dealing with the human problems which beset us. Community planning can be defined as a process in which a number of activities are undertaken in a systematic manner for bringing about an adjustment between community resources and felt community needs collectively determined by residents of the community themselves. Community organization is a broader word which not only includes planning but implements the programmes for the development of community and its relations.
2.2.1 Steps in planning
There are three steps involved in the task of planning
· The first task of planning is that its objective should be defined clearly.
· The next step in effective planning is to formulate broad policies governing its achievements.
· The third step in planning is the analysis of the ways and means of achieving the objective within the framework of policies.
The community planning as a “concertmaster,” who has a challenging opportunity to build and maintain support, particularly to coordinate and integrate various activities and developments related to the understanding of social problem and their solutions. They discuss the community planner as a "technician," who must have a considerable amount of information and ability in interpreting information and helping with the mechanics and actualization of social action, including use of concepts and principles from management such as Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Program Planning and Budgeting Systems (PPBS), Management by Objectives (MBO), and systems analysis.
2.3 EDUCATION
The educational process is one of increasing group and community knowledge about social problems and possible actions regarding them. It involves obtaining unity of thinking among a given group, working out plans for action on a democratic basis, and mobilization of community resources in obtaining the desired action.
In thinking of the educational process, it is important to keep in mind that not only facts and knowledge are important, but even more vital in many ways are the feelings the people involved possess. Community social workers, in particular, try to help people in the community to understand the problems and their feelings toward them. Action results especially when feelings are congruent with the thoughts and relational plans.
Educating the community, which should enable them not merely learning the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic but it, should be more than that. The community education is a method of learning the art of learning. In general the present banking system of education enables an individual to acquire information and store it in their memory, which could be retrieved but there is no guarantee that we would be able to retrieve all the information stored. However, there are different types of education, which could be used in the process of community organization as a method. Educational programmes are organized to attract the people to equip themselves in information and knowledge in basic and different aspects of the community.
2.3.1 General Education
It is imparting of knowledge and information to the members of the selected group or the voluntary group or to the whole community with all the possible and required information so that the members attain a basic understanding about the community in general.
2.3.2 Family Education
A specific area is selected to provide the knowledge and information to the people. The education on health, nutrition, childcare, home making and family planning are the different areas which are considered to educate the people so that they would be able to manage their own personal needs and the community needs.
2.3.3 Community Education
In order to strengthen local and national institution, local and national government, co-operation, participation and community projects and educational programmes are organized which would enable the community to improve their standard of living and increase the infrastructure and solve various problems of the community through self help.
2.3.4 Occupational Education
Instead of providing mere information imparting into the minds of the people it is essential to design the educational programmes to provide particular knowledge and skills, which are useful in making a living.
Methods of Education
Informal education is a life-long process and day-to-day activity for anyone to learn. The whole environment of the society contributes in providing opportunities top acquire knowledge.
Formal Education
Formal Education is provided through institutionalized and structured activities, which are being carried out by the government or with the aid of the government. In a formal setting one cannot except awareness based education or consciousness based education.
Non-Formal Education
Non-formal education is organized, in a systematic way, being carried out, outside the formal system. Usually in the community, either the volunteers or voluntary organizations concentrate on such educational programmes. Community organization uses non-formal, functional literacy and adult education activity in educating the community.
2.4 COMMUNICATION
Communication is the flow of information between and among the members of the community as well as between the community and the community organizer. Communication plays a vital role in community organization. In the process of community organization the information have to be shared and by sharing the community is brought together to avail and utilize the information. Information is power and hence the possessing of information makes the community more powerful and sharing the same involves sharing of power. The communication has to be mutual and two - way. There should be dialogue and conversation rather than arguments in the process of communication. Proper communication will enable to community to get united for further action. Communication enables the whole community being prepared for any eventuality and attained preparedness.
2.5 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Community participation involves members of communities in planning, implementing and monitoring of social welfare activities. Community participation is the process in which individual; families assume responsibility for their own welfare. They come to know their own situation better and are motivated to solve their common problems. This enables them to become agents of their own development instead of passive beneficiaries of development aid.
The participation could be direct or indirect, active or passive, individual or group, sort term or long term, temporary or permanent, voluntary or involuntary etc. by encouraging participation in the community whatever may be the type of participation it would enable the community to come united to think about themselves and act if necessary.
2.5.1 Purpose of community participation
· To develop local leader who can further educate and mobilize the people in the area
· To encourage the people to adapt modern changes this can accelerate the socio economic development.
· To arrange extra-curricular activities to generate social awareness through well designed publicity.
· To encourage the people to develop themselves rather than depend upon the government for all activities and this become self-reliance which is the key to development.
2.6 COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING
Decision making can be defined as the selection based on same criteria of one behavior alternative form two or more possible alternatives.
A decision-making process takes place in a framework which has fix sets of limits which define, direct and regulate both process and content. They are:
· The limits of permissibility i.e. laws, charters etc.,
· The limits of resources i.e. funds, personnel, space
· The limits of time
· The limits of previous binding commitments
· The limits of available information
Because of the structure organizational decision-making attempts to be highly rational, sharp, focused, goal-directed, practical, empirical, and predictive.
2.6.1 Process of decision-making
· Enumerating the existing alternative solution to the problem
· An effort to expand the range of alternative solutions
· An effort to predict the extend to which the desired or intended consequences
· An effort to forecast the unintended or undesirable consequences flow from the sensitivity, subtlety and intimacy of the relationship of various organizational elements
· Assessing the alternatives on the basis of predictive weighing of the intended and unintended consequences
· Selection of the alternative or combination of alternatives which has the most favorable ratio of intended consequences to unintended consequences.
2.7 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Leadership has played an important role in the human history since earliest times. In modern society too, there is a great emphasis on leadership. Leadership is the activity of persuading people to co-operate in the achievement of a common objective. Leadership is the ability in an individual to influence others in getting things done. The influencing ability depends on the qualities of integrity of the leader. By increasing the ability of the people enables them empowered.
2.7.1 Functions of a leader in community organization
· The determination of objectives.
· The manipulation of means.
· The control of the instrumentality of action.
· The stimulation of coordinated action.
2.7.2 The required qualities of a leader
· Interested in the people.
· Interesting to the people.
· Interested with the people in the solution of their problems.
The community organizer may depend on the formal and informal leaders. At times in order to carry out the community activity the community has to assign duties and responsibilities to the suitable persons. If such persons are not readily available such qualities have to be inculcated into the individuals so that they would be fit to accept responsibilities. By providing opportunities to individuals or by organizing activities to enable the people to acquire leadership qualities, the community could be made to undergo the community organization process.
2.8 RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
For the execution of any plan there is a need for resources. The resources are manpower, money, material and time. When the community plans its community activity, it also decides about the resources needed and the ways and means to mobilize such resources. Resource mobilization is used as a method of community organization. It is also a technique one should learn while working with a community. In the process of community organization where the people identify their problems, prioritize them, work out the alternatives, select the best alternatives, assess the resources needed and design the methodology in mobilizing the required resources. While mobilizing the resources it is also stated that we can mobilize the unutilized resources, which are available either internally or externally. Resources mobilization method makes the community to self - reliant by tapping the local and inter - resources and if need by mobilize resources from outside.
2.9 COMMUNITY ACTION
Once the decision making is over, the community sets into action. The action may be a kind of process, a continuous and ever going one. The speed or the pace may be delayed/increased with regard to aspirations. It depends upon
· How ambitions the people are forwards progress.
· The resources and the “readiness” of the people.
· The dynamic leadership.
· The stronger involvement of associations in the community.
· The aspect of the community/areas.
2.9.1 Types of community action
(a) Spontaneous community action:
It is un-organized and spontaneous.
E.g. Students demonstration, agitation etc,
(b) Reutilized community action:
Many actions/events occur as a routine way (includes any event or activity that is normal, recurrent part of community life)
(c) Initiated community action:
Being initiation of change at the community level though mechanism of orderly group processes.
2.9.2 Characteristics of initiated community action
· Concrete goal.
· A voluntary participation of local citizen, groups, institutions.
· A democratic operation.
2.9.3 Community action in community organization practice
Community organization is used as a means to achieve. The actions to address any problems are planned and executed with active participation of the people. The planning of actions and execution of plans involve the members of the community.
Community action here refers to the action taken by the community in order to address a problem, which could be within the community or against an oppressive force. The action could before the welfare of the community and development of the community. In the action process the members of the, community, volunteer and accept responsibilities in taking part in the actions and the possible outcome of the positive and negative effects of the actions.
2.10 PROMOTION
In this method the community organization should promote the skill of the people in the community, promote the coordination and cooperation among the people in the community, if necessary to promote fund raising, resource mobilization etc.
2.11 COORDINATION
The process of coordination attempts at making the most making the use of every individual in the community so as to get the best results, dovetailing the various discipline to eliminate any wastage of time or effort.
Coordination operation is one in which the activities of the employees are harmonious, dovetailed and integrated towards a common objective.
2.11.1 Objectives of the Coordination
· Coordination helps in removing some of the handicaps and bottlenecks in running the programme and project.
· Coordination helps in economizing on expenditure.
· Coordination also makes it possible for using skilled techniques.
· Coordination facilitates study of common problems and Joint efforts at their solution including creating public opinion and working for Social legislation.
· Coordination improves general efficiency of work.
2.11.2 How coordination can be secured?
· Instilling dominant objectives among the community organization.
· Developing generally accepted strategies.
· Promoting informal contact to supplement formal communication.
· Using group methods for exchange of ideas of and views.
In the community organization process there are different stages and phases wherein the members of the community are able to contribute their ability and skills. But if such efforts were not properly coordinated it would lead to confusion, duplication and overlapping which would result in wastage of time, energy and resources. Therefore, by coordinating the activities the community would be able to practice the process of community organization on one hand and on the other achieves the desired goals.
2.12 PHASES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
2.12.1 Study
To understand the community the basic information about the community is needed for which a formal or an informal survey could be conducted.The following steps are to be taken under study in community organization.
(I) Identifying the problem
Under the step the following information is gathered.
· Nature of the problem.
· Severity of the problem.
· Implications of the problem.
· Causation of the problem.
· Recognitions of the need for change.
· Scope of the problem.
· Efforts made to solve the problem.
· Effectiveness of the previous efforts.
· Reasons for success or failure.
(II) Perception of the problem – Facts and data
· Attitude of the communities.
· Perception of the problem.
· Significant different attitudes.
(III) Structural – Functional analysis
· Origins of the problem.
· Characteristics of the community structure that maintains problems.
· Forces operating favorably and unfavorably.
· Significant element of the social structure.
This phase also involves the invitation of the community organizer from the community to take the developmental activities in the community. So as to legitimatize his/her role and the community organizer should come to a local area only when he/she receives an invitation, generally from an organization or a small group that is discontented about present conditions. Often the community organizer has to tactfully work out to receive such an invitation, by speaking to friends who will speak to others who will make it known that help is available for social improvement.
2.12.2 Analysis
We analyze certain factors in the community and study the same to make more pragmatic approach.
C.F.Mcveil defined the analysis as
That successful community organization work is susceptible of analysis and the purpose of such review should be search for governing rather than merely appraisal of result attained.
What to be analyzed?
· The total number of organization discovered: an actual count.
· Which organizations have similar purpose? Which organizations have antagonistic purpose?
· Which organizations carry on similar activities?
· What is the average size (in terms of members) of the community organization?
· What important segments of community are not being served by organization?
· What organizations meet at the same time what days are most free of the organizational meetings?
· How will do people of community attend meetings?
· What organizations are in cooperative relationship?
· Which organizations cooperate with no other organization?
· What leaders are influential in two or more organizations?
· What general observations do people who helped in the survey?
The collected information should be classified according to the common characteristics and quantify the information for its magnitude and severity. The analysed information is ready for sharing with the others .though the analysis appears to be a technical process the community organizer could carry this out or the members of the community are encouraged to analyze the data.
2.12.3 ASSESSMENT
Assessment is an important task for the community organizer. Assessment provides a differential approach to treatment based on community differences and needs. It clearly recognized the uniqueness of every situation, the importance of treatment planning related to a particular problematic situation system breakdown or trouble within a life situation. In addition to the above, the communities’ strengths need to be identified and utilized as part of the change process.
Major tasks of assessment
· Developing a rapport with the community that will facilitate community’s genuine engagements in the assessment process.
· Using appropriate theoretical constructs that allow the community and the practitioner to better understand the community’s circumstances.
· Setting goals, along with determining the appropriate intervention to employ.
The community organizer seeks to find some common problems or concerns or needs that the local citizens are willing to try to resolve through informal conversations. The needs and problems, which are widely felt by the community, are identified and given priority according to the urgency. After prioritizing the problem, the symptoms, the causes, the magnitude and severity could be assessed for further action
The number of people who are willing to work at a problem is often very small at first, perhaps as small as two or three. This small chunk forms the 'nucleus". A nucleus is defined as a small group of serious - minded citizens who should have the following characteristics:
(1) Know and trust each other, even when disagreements arise
(2) Have a concern about local problems and a desire to improve conditions for all their neighbors, and
(3) Conscious of standards of right and wrong. They become the means for involving others.
In this stage the community organizer has to make an attempt to precisely define and agree upon the area of interest through the informal meetings. Often there will be many considerations, differing points of view, and long, long discussions. The initial few in the nucleus are encouraged to invite their friends and neighbors to these meetings to enlarge the size of the nucleus.
At times local participants become aware that they are lacking in some skill viewed as important to accomplishing their objective. Perhaps a need is recognized for training in record - keeping of events, meetings, and encounters with people. Or, perhaps a community survey is viewed as essential to accomplishing the purpose, and a need is felt for training in such research, when such a training need is agreed upon, a qualified and sympathetic outsider may be invited in to provide training or act as a resource discussant.
2.12.4 DISCUSSION
The next phase of community organization after the assessment is discussion. In this phase the community organizer should have elaborate discussion with the community people about the ways and means to solve their problems and discussion leads to getting cooperation and coordination of the community people. The following aspects are to be discussed and finalized by the community organizer.
· Level of efforts required for success.
· Nature of activities required.
· Minimum work required.
ORGANISATION OF ACTION
Capable individuals and groups who are suitable to carry out the task should be identified. With the help of them comities are formed and roles and responsibilities are allocated. The community organizer should organize for the active participation of the members and plan of action should be prepared and implemented.
The following action plan should be discussed and planned
· Thinking of various possible course of action.
· Analysis of the course of action in terms of cost, efforts, consequences, effectiveness, acceptability.
· Selecting the problem – solving structure and processes.
2.12.5 EVALUATION
Evaluation is a systematic assessment of progress of the role of the implementing machinery and analysis of problems and difficulties arising in the effective implementation of programme; and an indication of the corrective measure necessary all by the community organizer.
Functions of Evaluation
· Evaluation is necessary to judge the effectiveness of the programmes keeping in view the changing needs of the society.
· Further needs are essential for sound planning and the task of the policy-making which are provided by evaluation.
· Through evaluation we can measure accomplishment in order to avoid weaknesses and future mistakes.
· Evaluation helps us to see efficiency of the techniques and skills employed in welfare programmes.
· Evaluation is necessary to understand the amount of participation of the community.
· Evaluation helps the community organizer to make plans for future work on the basis of data collected.
The members of the organization formed to take up the community project have to discuss and critically evaluate the results of the work project. Often, the organizer finds that the members will judge themselves harshly and be vigorous in self criticism. Sometimes the organizer needs to soften the self-criticism, especially if certain participants react overly defensively. With such discussions participants and the nucleus frequently begin to make some revisions in their practical value systems.
2.12.6 MODIFICATION
In this phase any changes in the implementations of the programmes in its strategies, may be modified according to the needs problems of the community by the community organizer.
2.12.7 CONTINUATION
One of the major goals of community development is establishing a permanent organization in the community. The healthy growth of community nucleus may result the permanent organization in the community. So, the needs for outside support to organization will not necessary after the nucleus has developed the self-confidence to maintain on its own. At this point the organizer has to withdraw him self from the organizational activities. The organizer may withdraw gradually, perhaps by attending fewer meetings and contributing very less in the organizational dialogue. The organizer may withdraw completely, except perhaps for friendly letters and an occasional visit. Or, perhaps the encourager will remain "on call" for complexities that arise. The nature, timing, and rapidity of the withdrawal are matters of judgment that should be based primarily on the needs of the nucleus. As the nucleus continues to grow in size and confidence, it is anticipated that the nucleus will take on increasing responsibility by tackling problems of increasing complexity