COMMUNITY ORGANIZING TOWARDS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HEALTH

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
- Recognizes people as the center of any development effort. It is a process by which
members of the community:
Develop the capability to assume greater responsibility for assessing their health needs
and problems;
Plan and act to implement their solutions;
Create and maintain organization in support of these efforts; and
Evaluate the effects and bring about necessary adjustments in goals and collective action.
Sustainable community health development utilize three important approaches:

Community-based approach which empowers the people to address their health needs
and problems

Integrated approach which considers various dimensions of health and development such
as changing lifestyle, changing environment and reorienting health
care systems

Comprehensive approach which strikes at the root of the problem and addresses the social
determinants of health

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
- A process whereby the community members develop the capability to assess their health
needs and problem, 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.
A. PREPARATORY PHASE. - The activities in the preparatory phase include area selection,
community profiling, entry in the community and integration with the people.
1. Area Selection
To guide the nurse in choosing and prioritizing areas for community health development, the
following questions must be answered:
Is the community in need of assistance?
Do the community members feel the need to work together to overcome a specific health
problem?
Are there concerned groups and organizations that the nurse can possibly work with?
What will be the counterpart of the community in terms of community support, commitment
and human resources?
2. Community Profiling
Once the area is selected, a community member who is known and accepted by the people
will be chosen to act as the contact person.
Provides an overview of demographic characteristics, community and health related
services and facilities.
Serves as an initial database of the community and provide the basis for planning and
programming organizing activities.
Helps determine the appropriate approach and methods of organizing specific to the
population group or sectors that will be organized.
3. Entry in the community and Integration with the people
Basic information about the area in relation to the cultural practices and lifestyle of the
people must be known.

Establishing rapport
Living with the people
Understanding their hardships, problems
Sharing their hopes and aspirations

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 in dwelling which the people, especially the economically disadvantaged will
not hesitate to enter
Avoid raising expectations of the people. Be clear with your objectives and limitations
Participate directly in production process
Make house calls and seek out people where they usually gather.
Participate in some social activities.

B. ORGANIZATIONAL PHASE The organizational phase consists of activities leading to the

formation of a peoples organization.
1. Social Preparation
Integration is done; the nurse now introduced him/herself into the community.
Continuously learning more about the conditions of the community.
Nurse deepens and strengthens her ties with the people.
2. Spotting and developing potential leaders
Person who has deep concern and understanding of the condition of the community
Commitment
Gain trust and respect of the people
Not necessarily highly education or from affluent family
3. Core group formation
Group of identified potential leaders tasked in laying down the foundation of a strong
organization
Task to have democratic and collective leadership
Plan and assume tasks for the formation of a community-wide organization
Handling and resolving group conflicts
Critical thinking and decision-making process
C. EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHASE To strengthen the organization and develop its capability
to attend to communitys basic health care needs.
1. Conducting community diagnosis
Done to come up with a profile of a local health situation that will serve as basis of health
programs and services
Nurse assists in developing a plan and in the actual conduct of community diagnosis
Helps the community to identify, analyze and understand the implications of the data
collected.
2. Training of community health workers
Nurse facilitates the conduct of training needs assessment (TNA) to determine the level of
health skill s and knowledge the trainees possess.
3. Health services and mobilization

 Engaging them Collective work

Give the people opportunities to test and strengthen collective spirit and build confidence
4. Leadership-formation activities
Developing leaders is a continuous and sustained process
Engaging in actual organization activities
Utilize the opportunities in mastering organizing skills, human relations development or
supervisory skills
D. INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION PHASE
As the organization grows, its needs will also grow
Need for resources-material, human, financial-will leave to be sourced externally
Assistance and support in any form can be funneled
Nurse facilitates and coordinate with institutions, agencies and other key people to
articulate the communitys needs for support and assistance
E. PHASE-OUT
Nurse gradually prepares for turn-over of work and develops a plan for monitoring and
subsequent follow-up of the organizations activities

PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

-

The nurse must plan to establish and maintain valuable working relationships with health
organizations, educational institutions, local govt units, financial institutions, religious groups,
sectoral groups and the like.

1. NETWORKING consists of exchanging information about each others goals and objectives,
services or facilities.
2. COORDINATION modify their activities in order to provide better service to the target
beneficiary.
3. COOPERATION - organizations share information and resources
Make adjustments in ones own agenda to accommodate the other organizations agenda.
4. COLLABORATION
Help each other enhance their capacities in performing their tasks as well as in the
provision of services.
People become partners rather than competitors
5. COALITION OR MULTI-SECTOR COLLABORATION
Organizations and citizens form a partnership.
Parties give priority to the good of the community
Requires great investment in terms of effort, time, trust and the will to make a change