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Self-Help Approach in Community Development:

What it is and how it is differ from other approach

Prepared and submitted by; Nicholus Tint Zaw MACD First Batch

CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Different Approaches to Community Development


3. Self-Help Approach

1. Introduction Community practice and theory will varied according to time, place and in different society as the community social system is always changing. Therefore, the theories of development practice also have to adopt those changes to meet the development need in respect the social system. For that reason, Community development theory has to be dynamic by necessity and demand by the environment where it will going to apply. Then, an issues raise is that the conditions faced by community development practitioners simply require constant situational theory building. To fill this gap for development practitioners, eight core principles were developed and it will also helpful to identify what are the community develop activities and what are the community related activities. Therefore, they community development practice can consume as a purposive activities and which purposes are always aimed to happen positive outcome and impact. And it exits in the efforts of people and not too much necessarily in goal achievement but focus on qualitatively changes on social structure, mechanism and resources. 2. Different Approaches to Community Development To address the issues and get the result of community benefit as expand the community participation, reaction against some proposed change in the local area that is deemed as having negative consequence on residents quality of life, modify severe social, economic or environmental problems in the community and satisfy missing needs or resources, community development practice have use the flowing approach to deal with development work.

1. Technical Assistance Approach (Assumes that answers to community problems can be arrived
at scientifically)

2. Conflict Approach (Goal is to build a peoples organization to allow those without power to gain
it through direct action. Their strength is in numbers -- people working collectively)

3. Self Help Approach (Emphasis is on process)


3. Self-Help Approach 3.1 Concept and Definition Self-Help approach is an approach which focus on the process where people within the community working together to arrive at group decisions and taking actions to improve their community. It not too much focuses on the results but more favor on process. The main principles of this approach are that people can collaborate in a community to provide important needs and services, sound like the ways and capacity to deal with each and individual community need and problems are stay within the boundaries and network of each community social system.

When it was checked with the eight core principles of community development1, self-help approach is consistent as focus on the unit of community and changes of its social process and capacity, and emphasize on public participation. The most valuable concept that involve in this approach are promote sense of ownership and self reliance. The goal of this approach is to institutionalize a process of change based on building community institutions and strengthening community relationships, rather than to achieve any particular objective. 3.2 Key Features of the Self-Help Approach The key features of this approach can summarize as follow table. Area of Focus Owner/Control Need Statement Initiative Role Human Capital Usage Financial Status Way of implementation Accessibility to outside resources Sustainability Key Factures Community Clearly Define Community Effective use of volunteers/Leadership Secure financial resources Cooperation and integration Can do as required Self sustaining enterprises

3.3 Using Self-Help Approach in CD Efforts Using self-help approach, community development can strengthen and expand the pool of leaders at the local level who can facilitate or organize the process of community development. Than, it can also useful in the facilitating job training and retraining activities for specific communities. On the other hand, it also supports the capacity development of local community and human capital. In addition, it can also apply in the following community development work. a.
1

Community Assets Mapping

8 Core Principles for Community Development Work; Focus on unit (Community), Induce non reversible structural change, Use paid professional, Initiation by external to the unit, Emphasize public participation, Participate for self help, Increase participatory democracy (community decision making) and Use holistic approach

In the community assets approach starts with what is present in the community concentrates on the agenda-building and problem-solving capacity of the residents stresses local determination, investment, creativity, and control

b.

Conflict Mediation

Mediation is one of several approaches to conflict resolution that uses a "third party" intermediary to help the disputing parties resolve their conflict. Unlike arbitration, where the third party actually makes the decision about how the conflict should be resolved, mediators only assist the parties in their efforts to formulate a solution of their own. Thus, mediators bring the parties together (or sometimes shuttle between them), help them describe the problem in terms of negotiable interests and needs rather than non-negotiable positions, and develop a set of ideas for how the interests and needs of both sides can be met simultaneously. The mediator will then help the parties assess the relative merits of the different options and draft an agreement that works best to satisfy everyones interests. It is up to the parties, however, to decide whether to accept the final agreement or not. While there may be considerable social pressure to agree to the settlement, if it does not meet the needs of a party as well as an alternative approach might, that party is still free to reject the settlement and try an alternative conflict resolution technique, be it litigation, direct action, an election, or war.

c.

Public Issue Education

The main purpose of a public-education and civic-engagement campaigns are to educate the public about an organization or issue, but they also can be used to garner support and change behavior. Public-education campaigns are strengthened when they contain unified messages that are repeated so that they become easily identifiable with the project or issue. Public-education plays a strategic role in compelling an audience to engage or to take a specific action. These go hand in hand with civic engagement, which includes an awareness of public issues as well as active participation with community organizations. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions.

3.4 Self-Help Vs Technical Assistance Approach

Focus Area

Technical Assistance

Self help

Control/Own Nature of approach Result Participation Perception on citizens Understanding the community

Organization/Agency Top - down Tasks completion Difficulties (complex) Consumers Not always has full understanding

Community Bottom - up Institutionalization Simple, promote participation Actors Well know

References;

1. Gray Paul Green. Introduction to Community Development. SAGE Publication press, 2011

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