Planning Your Community Intervention Project

Lesotho Group 13 March 2015

Community Management Model

Assess

Plan

ActEvaluate

Sustain

Community:

A group of people who share a common place, experience or interest.

Community:

A group of people who share a common place, experience or interest.

Can be defined in different ways..

• For our purposes Community Development is about disadvantaged groups eg

• Men’s Literacy Group• Children in orphanage• Unemployed• People struggling with AIDS and their families• Homeless• Elderly

We want to build Community Capacity:

The ability of community members to make a difference over time and across different issues.

Community Context &

Collaborative Planning

Community Action &

Intervention

Community & Systems

Change

Risk and Protective

factors/ Widespread behaviour

change

Improvement in distance outcomes

Theory of Change

A Model for Community Change:

• Community context and planning.• Community action and intervention.• Community and system change.• Risk and protective factors and widespread

behaviour change.• Improving more distant outcomes.

1. Community Context and Planning

This means people's experiences, their dreams for a better life, and what makes them do what they do. The context is influenced by many things, such as:

– People's hopes and expectations--for example, the belief that things can change

– Job and family demands– Problems, especially poverty– Strong and deep leadership--having a diverse team with the vision,

competence, and persistence to shake mountains– Adequate financial resources– Approval (or resistance) from the community (or from those in authority)

when people attempt to change things– The broader political and social context

Assessing Community Needs

• Begin by learning what issues matter to the community, and what resources may be available.

• This will help you – To understand the environment.– To understand community opinion.– To make decisions about priorities.

• It requires time, effort and planning

Before you begin, ask yourself….

• What do you want to find out and why?• What will you do with your findings?• What research is already there? Where is it?• Who should coordinate the research?• How much time do you have to do this?• Who else can help you?• What resources do you have?• Are there particular issues you need to think about

eg literacy skills or disability?

Understanding and Describing the Community

Who is your community or group?

For example• Children• Men with literacy problems• Local crafts people• Unemployed people

WHY THIS GROUP?

Things to Find Out at the Beginning • Geographic boundaries.• How long the community has existed.• General history.• Key people and leaders.• Demographics.• Expenses and income.• Important issues.• Morale and involvement levels.• Key allies and rivals.• Available resources and strengths.

How To Gather Information• Desk Research• Ask Stakeholders: community themselves,

people who work with them, allies etc• Ask other groups doing similar work• Organisational information eg AL• Local and national government eg

statistics and policies• NGOs

Tools for Gathering Information• Questionnaires/Surveys• Focus Groups/Workshops• Public Forums• Direct observation and engagement

Questionnaires• Keep it simple, only ask questions you

need answers to• Short as possible, simple questions• Attention to layout• Have tick boxes – makes analysis clearer• But also will want more detail on some• 4 option questions: eg never, once,

sometimes, always

Questionnaires• Decide who you want to answer the

questionnaire, how you will deliver it, how it will be collected, who will ask questions

• Analyse data• Draw conclusions

Focus Groups/Workshops• At a time/venue that suits participants• Facilitator and notetaker• Focus on good things eg community

strengths, assets, as well as problems• Emphasis on LISTENING, not giving ideas• Practicalities: seating, publicity,

refreshments, easy to understand information, use of flipcharts, visual aids

• Let people know how you will feed back

Visual Aids

• Photographs taken by participants showing positive and negative features of their community

• Use a collage or life line…show where the community has come from and where they hope to go in future

• Community map – positive and negative areas that can be improved. Maps can be drawn as a group on large flipcharts.

Presenting Your Research

• Usually a written report• If you are using it for public circulation

you might use a one/two page summary• Research reports should be short and

concise and avoid jargon

Layout

• Introduction and acknowledgements• Background to group• How the research was carried out – what

methods were used• Key strengths of the area/group• Key concerns – this section can be broken

down into particular target groups or areas• Recommendations for the future

Presentation

• Graphs help but not too many• Photographs if you wish but not too many• Do a summary for circulation and publicity

if necessary• Organise meeting of stakeholders who took

part to hear results and recommendations – make workshops entertaining and interesting

• Thank people

Why should you use a community description?

• To capture unspoken rules and norms.• To gain understanding.• To get a feel for attitudes and opinions.• To understand strengths, weaknesses

and challenges.

How can you use a community description?

• For your own reference.• To share with others who do work in your

community.• To use with policy-makers.• To use as a basis for a grant proposal.

When should you write a community description?

• When you’re new to a community.• When you’ve been working in a

community for any length of time and want to take stock.

• When you’re considering introducing a new initiative or program.

Gaining an Understanding of Your Community

• Gather basic tools.• Drive through the area.• Review area with a list of things to watch for.• Contact and interview key individuals in the

community.• Visit local hangouts.• Work with a partner.

Interview Tips

• Start with small talk.• Explain your motives.• Ask for a definition of the community.• Follow up on leads and go on to subjects and areas

you haven’t reached yet.• Ask who else you should talk to.• Let interviewee end the interview.• Thank interviewee for his/her time.

How to Write Your Description

• Draft your initial description and analysis.• Share draft with key community members;

get their feedback on accuracy.• Consider results so far.• Get feedback from varied sources before

completing final description and analysis.