COMMUNITY ORGANIZING/ COPAR

DEFINITION:

CO-process whereby the community members develop the capability to assess their health needs and
problems, plan and implement actions to solve these problems, put up and sustain organizational
structures which will support and monitor implementation of health initiatives by the people.
 The emphasis is more on strengthening the member’s capacity in problem-solving and decision-
making skills necessary for self-reliant development initiatives
 Community organizing- continuous and sustained process of educating the people to let them
understand and develop their critical awareness of the existing condition;
 CO - it is working with people collectively and efficiently, discover their immediate and long term
problems and mobilizing the people to develop the capabilities and readiness to respond and
take action on their immediate needs toward the solution ot their long-term problems.
 CO as applied to PHC – process and structures through which the members of the community
are tapped to become organized for participation in health care and community development
activities.
 As a process, CO is the sequence of steps whereby the members of the community work
together to critically assess and evaluate it’s condition with the view of improving on these
conditions.
 As a structure, CO refers to the particular group of community members that work together for
common health and health related problems.

COPAR – as been a strategy used by Health Resource Distribution Program(HRDP 111) in implementing
the Primary Health Care delivery in depressed and underserved communities to become self -reliant.

Definition
 COPAR – is a social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic
and voiceless poor into dynamic , participatory and politically responsive community.
 Community Development – process of organizing people, mobilize people to become
responsible and empower community towards self-reliance, self determination, and self
sustenance,
 CD is intended to bring together to solve community problems and build community
competence, consensus, and a sence of community.
 Community Participation – process by which people are enabled to become actively and
genuinely involved in defining the issues of concern to them, in making decisions about factors
that affect their lives, in formulating and implementing policies in planning, developing and
delivering services and in taking action to achieve a change. (WHO,1999)
 PHASES OF CO (BASIC):
Phase I: Preparatory Phase
Phase II: Organizational Phase
Phase III: Education and Training Phase
 Phase I: Preparatory Phase
it include:
 area selection,
 community profiling,
 entry in the community and integration with the people
 Phase I: Preparatory Phase
A. Area Selection
- the following must be considered:
 Community need of assistance
 Community members feel the need to work together
 Groups and organizations that the nurse can possibly work with
 Counterpart/support of the community
 Commitment and human resources
 Phase I: Preparatory Phase
B. Community Profiling
 Identification of persons (core group) who can be depended upon to initiate
activities in the community and community profiling.
 The community profile provides:
• an overview of demographic characteristics
• community and health related services and facilities
• serves as an initial database of the community
• provide basis for planning and programming of activities
• help determine the appropriate approach and method of organizing
specific population group or sectors.
 Phase I: Preparatory Phase
B. Entry in the community and integration with the people
 Establishing rapport with people will be easier if one is able to understand,
accept or imbibe their community life.
 Guidelines in conducting integration work:
• recognize the role and position of local authorities
• adapt a lifestyle in keeping with that of the community
• choose a modest dwelling especially the economically disadvantaged
 Phase11: Organizational Phase
• Avoid raising expectations of the people.
• Be clear with your objectives and limitations.
• Participate actively in production process.
• Make house calls and seek out people where they usually gather.
• Participate in some activities.
 Phase II: Organizational Phase
 It consists of activities leading to the formation of a people’s organization.
A. Social preparation:
 Integration paves the way for the nurse to be introduced into the community.
 Signals the beginning of the social preparation phase. The nurse deepens and
strengthens her ties with the people.
 Phase II: Organizational Phase
B. Spotting and developing potential leaders:
 Potential leader is not necessary to be highly educated or one belonging to
affluent family in the community.
 He/she be able to identify with, understand and articulate effectively the
problems that beset the community.
 In selecting potential leaders he/she will be willing to work for the desired
change.
 Phase II: Organizational Phase
C. Core group formation:
  The core group would be tasked with laying down the foundation of a strong
people’s organization.
 The core group represents the different sectors of the community, women,
men, youth, farmers or workers.
 The group are trained on the following:
• Democratic and collective leadership
• Planning
• Handling and resolving group conflicts
• Critical thinking and decision-making process
 Phase II: Organizational Phase
D. Community organization
 This organization will facilitate wider participation and collective action on
community problems.
 There will be a maximum participation of and control by the members in all its
activities.
 Committees will be organized to look into the different concerns of the
organization and the community.
 Phase III: Education & Training Phase
 This is to strengthen the organization and develop its capability to attend to the community’s
basic health-care needs.
 This include conduct of:
a. community diagnosis
b. training of community health workers,
c. undertaking health services and mobilization a
d. leadership skills training.
A. Conducting community diagnosis
 This serves as basis of health programs and services to be delivered to
the community
 Phase III: Education & Training Phase
B. Training of community health workers
 The community decides on the roles the community health workers are
expected to perform and the competencies and personal qualities they
would possess.
 Community health workers will be trained after the nurse had facilitated
the conduct of a training need assessment to determine the level of
health skills and knowledge the trainees possess. The result of the TNA
will serve as a basis for the health skills training curriculum, which focus
on the required competencies
 Phase III: Education & Training Phase
C. Health services and mobilization
 The organization undertakes activities that will solve the problems they
are confronted with.
 People are taught to prioritize the problems that need to be addressed
at a given time.
D. Leadership-formation activities
 Leaders are trained in the conduct of meeting assessment, planning,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, financial and project
management.
  Phase III: Education & Training Phase
The interventions on leadership formation are:
1. Intersectional Collaboration Phase
 the need for resources-material, human, financial will have to be
sourced externally/ with other organizations.
2. Phase-Out Phase
 The organization and the community assume greater responsibility in
managing their health-care needs.
 The nurse gradually prepares for turn over of work and develops a plan
for monitoring and subsequent follow-up of the organization’s activities.
 Objectives of CO(PHC)
1. Make people aware of social realities toward development of local initiative, optimal use of resources
and strengthening people’s capabilities..
2. To form structures that hold people’s basic interest as oppressed and deprived sectors of the
community.
3. To initiate responsible actions intended to address holistically various community health and social
problems.
 Emphasis of CO in PHC
[Link] community works to solve their own problems.
[Link] direction is internal rather than external.
[Link] development of the capacity to establish a project is more important than the project.
4. There is a consciousness-raising to perceive health and medical care within the total structure of
society.
 Levels of People’s Participation
 Level 1- people are just physically involved in the implementation of the program designed by
the organizing agency
 Level 11 – people are involved in making a “yes or no’ decision to the plans or programs
presented by the organizing agency.
 Level 111- when working committees are created to make decisions for the community.
 Level 1V- requires active involvement of the majority of the community members in planning
and decision making.
 COPAR PROCESS
[Link]-entry Phase
 Community consultation/dialogues
 Setting of issues/considerations related to site selection
 Development of criteria for the selection
 Site selection
 Preliminary Social Investigation (PSI)
 COPAR process
 Networking the local government units (LGUs), NGOs, and other departments
[Link] Phase
 Integration with the community
 Sensitization of the community/information campaigns
 COPAR process
 Continuing social investigation
 Core group (CG) formation
- Development of criteria for selection of CG members
- Defining the roles/functions/tasks of the CG
  Coordination/Dialogue/Consultation with other community organizations
 COPAR process
 Self- Awareness and Leadership Training (SALT) Action planning
3. Community Study/Diagnosis Phase (Research Phase)
 Selection of the research team
 Training on data collection methods and techniques/capability building
 COPAR process
 Planning for the actual gathering of data
 Data gathering
 Training of data validation (include tabulation and preliminary analysis of data)
 Community validation
 Presentation of the community study/diagnosis and recommendations
 COPAR process
 Prioritization of community needs/problems for action
[Link] Organization and Capability –Building Phase
 Community meetings to draw up guidelines for the organization of the Health Organization
Community (CHO)
 COPAR process
 Election of officers
 Development of management systems and procedures, including delineation of the roles,
functions and tasks of officers and members of the CHO
 Team building/Action-Reflection-Action (ARA)
 Organization of working committees/task groups (e.g. education and training)
 COPAR process
 Training of the CHO officers/community leaders
[Link] Action Phase
 Organization and training of community health workers
- Development of criteria for the selection of Community Health Workers (CHWs)
 COPAR process
Selection of CHWs
- Training of CHWs
 Setting up of linkages/network referral system
 PIME of health services/intervention schemes and community development projects
 Initial identification and implementation
 COPAR process
of resource mobilization schemes
[Link] and Strengthening Phase
 Formulation and ratification of constitution and by- laws
 Identification and development of “secondary” leaders
 COPAR process
 Setting up and institutionalization or financing scheme for community health programs/activities
 Formalizing and institutionalization of linkages, networks and referral systems
 Development and implementation of viable management systems and procedures, committees,
continuing education/
 COPAR process
training of leaders, CHWs, community residents
 Continuing education and upgrading of community leaders, CHWs, and CHO members
 Development of medium/long term community health development plan
 Summary