Community organization is a process by which a community identifies its needs, finds resources, and takes action through cooperation and collaboration. It aims to identify community objectives, problems, and needs; prioritize them; assess available resources; motivate community participation; and plan programs accordingly. The principles of community organization include democracy, community participation in decision-making, cooperation, and prevention. It is important for self-help development, realizing community strengths, and providing opportunities for meaningful participation. Community organization involves forming community-based groups, developing and implementing plans, and regularly monitoring and evaluating programs.

1. Unit 3: Community Organization
Draft Version 1..1
(4 hrs.)
Upendra Raj Dhakal
Lecturer: Valley College of Technical Science

2. Concept
• Community can have limited resources and public might be unaware
of those resources.
• Public might ignore those resources and may misuse
(overuse/underuse)
• When people use those resources without appropriate planning,
problem might be created.
• For appropriate planning, there must be loose network of people
organized.
• This loose network is community organization, which at later stage
can be organized officially.
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3. Definition
Community Organization is a process by which a community identifies
its need , finds resources, takes action, extends and develops co-
operative and collaboration attitudes and practices in the community.
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4. Function/Purpose
• To identify community objectives, problems and needs.
• To prioritize objective or problems or needs.
• To assess resources (6M - Money, Material, Manpower, Method,
Market, Machine)
• To motivate or participate member in the program.
• To plan programs based on needs and resources.
• Working Jointly and co – operatively within the community.
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5. Priniples of CO
• Democracy and social welfare;
• Community roots for community programs;
• Citizen understanding, support, and participation and professional service;
• Co-operation;
• Social Welfare Programs;
• Adequacy, distribution, and organisation of social welfare services; and.
• Prevention.
(On the basis of Arthur Dunham 19958 – 28 principles)
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6. Contd …
In India, Siddiqui in 1997 worked out a set of principles based on the existing
evidence based indigenous community organization practices.
• Objective movement
• Specific planning
• Active peoples participation
• Inter-group approach
• Democratic functioning
• Flexible organisation
• Utilisation of available resources
• Cultural orientation
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7. Importance of Community Organization
• Self – help development
• Realization of own strength
• Unorganized, poor, back warded people get chance of making participation
in decision making process of community development.
• Group Action and meaningful participation will increase in the community.
• Motivates to the weak and back warded people in the development
activities.
• Helps to organize community to fulfill its objectives
• People work for their sustainable and permanent development due to
system of decentralization
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8. Formation Process
• Evidence Collection
• Problem identification and prioritization
• Proposal Development
• Official approval of the proposal (or Plan of Action)
• Bridging Technical and Financial support
• Marketing and interpretation
• Execution and implementation
• Recording and Reporting
• Regular MnE and Supervision
• Conducting Social Audit
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9. Phases
Historical development of community organization in the U.K is divided into 4 phases by Baldock in 1974.
• First Phase (1880-1920): During this period the community work was mainly seen as a method of social
work. It was considered as a process of helping the individuals to enhance their social adjustments. It acted
as major player to co-ordinate the work of voluntary agencies.
• Second phase (1920-1950): This period saw the emergence of new ways of dealing with social issues and
problems. The community organization was closely associated with central and state Govt.'s program for
urban development. The important development in this period was its association with community
association movement.
• Third phase (1950 onwards): it emerged as a reaction to the neighborhood idea, which provided an
ideological phase for the second phase. It was period were the professional development of social work took
place. Understanding the shortcomings in the existing system, it was a period where the social workers
sought for a professional identity.
• Fourth phase: It is the ongoing period that has marked a significant involvement of the community action. It
questioned the very relationship of the community work and social work. It was thus seen as period of
radical social movement and we could see the conflicts of community with authority. The association of
social workers and the community are deprofessionalized during this period. Thus it was during this period
the conflictual strategies that were introduced in the community work.
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10. Application of CO in Development
• Resource identification/utilization
• Program Development and execution
• Disaster
• preparedness (natural and manmade disasters)
• Health Promotion
• Empowerment (e.g. Slum Area)
• fund raising
• Addressing opposition and resistance
• ………………………………
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11. CB Organizations
• CBOs are not NGOs in reality.
• Utility Groups
• HFOMCs/HDCs
• Mothers Group
• Local Clubs
• Self Help Groups
• Regular Camp (Meditation)
• …………..
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12. Livelihood Assets (Community Capital)
There are five types of Livelihood Assets (Community Capital)
• Human Capital
• Natural Capital
• Financial Capital
• Physical Capital, and
• Social Capital
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13. Social Capital (Rural and Contemporary Society)
• Form of Economic and Cultural capital in which social networks are
central.
• It is a collective property of local bodies, and community based
organizations.
• It is generally understood rules made over resources that enable
people to cooperate.
• It is formed by repeated interactions over time.
• …………….
• Most popular example: Facebook, Religion, …….?.......
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14. Web of Social Capital
(Define on the basis of Rural and contemporary Society) ……..
Social
Capital
Networks
(Bonding/Br
idging)
Feelings of
Trust and
Safety
Reciprocity
Citizen
Power/
Proactivity
Citizen
Power/
Proactivity
Values,
Norms,
Outlook in
life
Diversity
Sense of
Belonging
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15. Difference CD and CO
Community Development Community Organization
Program Method
Emphasizes end or goal Emphasizes on process
Can be from other profession (agri, health, education) COrs are social workers and social change agents
Time Bounded Not time bounded
Peoples development is important Peoples participation is important
External assistants (govmt, private) are important External organizations are not needed
Planning initiated externally Planning initiated by the people
Goals need to be achieved by organizing people People are organized to solve the problem
It differ from people to place (urban, rural, ….) Universal to all communities
………………………. …………………….
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16. `
Thank You
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