COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

Prepared by: Ritzmond Loa

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

1. A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic, and
voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory & politically responsive community.

2. A collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained & systematic process of

building people’s organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources
of the people for the resolution of their issues and concerns. – Nat’l Rural CO conference
(1994)

3. A process by which a community identifies its needs and objective, develops confidence to
take action and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the
community. - Ross (1967)

4. A process consists of steps or activities that instill and reinforce the people’s self-confidence
on their own collective strengths and capabilities - Manalili (1990)

5. A continuous and sustained process of educating the people to understand and develop their
critical awareness of their existing conditions, working with the people collectively & efficiently
on their immediate and long-term problems, and mobilizing the people to develop their
capability and readiness to respond & take action on their immediate needs towards solving
their long-term problems -CO: A Manual of Experience; PCPD

6. A 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. - Maglaya, Aracelli (2007)

BASIC VALUES IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

1. Human Rights
2. Social Justice
3. Social Responsibility
4. Apostolate Work of the Church
“The church must exert efforts to reduce the gap between the faith and practice in the area of social
transformation to achieve social justice and equality.” (PCP II Art. 20 #1)

APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

1. Social Welfare/Dole-out
2. Modernization/Project Development
3. Participatory Action
 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
Prepared by: Ritzmond Loa

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

-an investigation on problems & issues concerning life & environment of the underprivileged by way
of research collaboration (PCPD 1990)
-an approach to research that aims at promoting change among the participants. Members of the
group being studied participate as partners in all phases of the research, including design, data
collection, analysis, and dissemination (Brown et al., 2008).

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

- a community development approach that allows the community (participatory) to
systematically analyze the situation (research), plan solution, and implement
projects/programs (action) utilizing the process of community organizing. It is essentially a
research project done by the community that leads to actions that improve conditions in the
community. (Famorca,2013)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
- organized effort of people to improve the conditions of the community life.

IMPORTANCE OF COPAR
1. Tool for community development & people empowerment.
2. Prepares peoples for the management of a development programs in the future.
3. Maximize community participation and involvement; and community resources are mobilized for
community services

PRINCIPLES OF COPAR
1. Change
2. Poor
3. People-centered
4. Participative
5. Democratic
6. Developmental
7. Process-Oriented
8. Self-Reliance

PHASES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

I. PRE-ENTRY/PREPARATORY PHASE
1. Community/Site/Area Selection
Criteria for Selecting a Site
• Socio-economically depressed
• Inaccessible health services
• Poor community health status
• Relative peace and order situation
• Acceptance of the program by the community
 COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING
Prepared by: Ritzmond Loa

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
• Not currently served by similar agencies/ organizations
• Must have at least 100-200 families
2. Courtesy Call to LGU/Barangay level
3. Community consultations/dialogue/Preliminary Social Investigations

II. ENTRY/PREPARATORY PHASE

1. Integration/Immersion/Sensitization of the community/ Information Campaigns
Guidelines in Integration
a. Recognize local authorities
b. Adapt the lifestyle of the community
c. Choose a modest dwelling
d. Avoid expectation from the people.
e. Be clear with your objectives & limitations
f. Participate in the production process
g. Participate in social activities

2. Social investigations/Community Profiling/Community Survey

- process of systematically learning and analyzing structures and forces in the community to
draw a clear picture of the community.

Types of data gathered during Community Profiling

a. Demographic – total population, and geographical distribution including urban-rural
index and population density, age and sex composition, patterns of migration,
population projections
b. Socio-Economic and cultural indices – communication network, transportation system,
educational level, income, unemployment and underemployment rates, proportion of
salaried and wage earners, type of industry, occupation common in the community,
ethnicity, social classes, language, religion, race, political orientation, cultural beliefs and
practices, concepts about health and illness.
c. Environmental indices - physical/geographical characteristics of the community,
climate/season, land usage in industry, terrain characteristics that contribute to
accidents or pose as geohazard zones, water supply, waste disposal, air, water and
land pollution, insect and vermin control methods, housing,
d. Health Indices – mortality and morbidity cases, immunization of infants, family planning
methods, sources of health information, health facilities,

Methods used in Community Profiling

a. Interviews conducted through
 Fact finding meetings
 Informal gatherings
 Social gatherings
 House to house calls
 Participation- producing activities
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
b. Observations
 Pure Observations
 Participant Observation
c. Examination of Secondary Data

3. Community Diagnosis/Research/Analysis
- process of organizing, synthesizing, analyzing and interpreting data to determine
interrelationship of factors gathered and their implications in community life.

III. ORGANIZATION-BUILDING/ACTIVITY/ACTION PHASE

1. Social Preparation through Community Assembly

2. Spotting and Developing potential leaders/Education and Training

Criteria for Selection of Leaders

a. Belong to the poor sectors and classes and is directly engaged in production
b. Well respected member of the community and has relatively wide influence
c. Desirous of change and is willing to work for change
d. Must be able to communicate effectively

3. Core group Formation- training of potential leaders through Self-Awareness Leadership

Training (SALT)

4. Formation of Organization
5. Planning – process that entails formulation of steps to be undertaken in the future in order
to achieve a desired end. It takes place in order to efficiently allocate available resources. In
planning, the community organizer set goals and objectives that
a. Tentative Program Planning
b. Groundwork/Agitation
c. The Meeting
d. Role Play

6. Mobilization/Implementation/Action

IV. SUSTENANCE/STRENGTHENING/MAINTENANCE PHASE

1. Evaluation

Criteria for Evaluation

a. Effectivity
b. Efficiency
c. Appropriateness
d. Adequacy
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COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

2. Linkaging/Networking/Intersectoral Collaboration

V. PHASE OUT/EXIT

1. Documentation

2. Follow- Up

References:
Maglaya, Araceli (2004). Nursing Practice in the Community (4th Edition). Argonauta Corporation.
Cuevas, et al (2007). Public Health Nursing in the Philippines (10th Edition).
Sr. Carmen Jimenez, DC. Community Organizing Participatory Action Research for Community
Health Development.
Famorca, Nies, McEwen (2013). Nursing Care of the Community