The document discusses the meaning and concept of community development, emphasizing the characteristics of a community and the importance of community members' participation in identifying and addressing their issues. It highlights various aspects such as social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to effective community development, along with models of community organization and principles guiding these efforts. Lastly, it addresses major issues and problems faced in the context of community development in Nepal, emphasizing the lack of integration of local values and the reliance on external agencies.

1. TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL SCIENCE
PAKLIHAWA, RUPANDEHI
ASSIGNMENT OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMRNT
SUBMITTED BY:
Roll no. Name
21 Dipa Sharma
22 Gaurab Neupane
23 Gresha Suwal
24 Hemant Kumar Sahani
25 Himani Chand
B.Sc. Ag 6th
Semester
SUBMITTED TO:
Ghanshyam Kandel
Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural extension
ON THE TOPIC," COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: MEANING
AND CONCEPT, MAJOR PROBLEMS AND ISSUES OF
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN NEPAL "

2. Concept and definition of community
Community is a set of descriptions of what is implied. Boundaries of a community may be
physical or tangible, as they configure on a map or as an administrative area. However, some
boundaries may be symbolic, in that they may exist in the minds of the beholders, and therefore
people feel a “sense of belonging” to the community. According to Foundation for Community
Encouragement “A community is a group of two or more people who have been able to accept
and transcend their differences regardless of the diversity of their backgrounds (social,
spiritual, educational, ethnic, economic, political, etc.
Important characteristics of community
Meaning of community can be better understood if we analyse its characteristics or elements.
These characteristics decide whether a group is a community or not. However, community has
the following characteristics or elements:
1.A group of people: A group of people is the most fundamental or essential characteristic or
element of community. This group may be small or large but community always refers to a
group of people.
2. A definite locality: A group of people forms a community only when they reside in a definite
territory. The territory need not be fixed forever. A group of people like nomadic people may
change their habitations. But majority community are settled and a strong bond of unity and
solidarity is derived from their living in a definite locality.
3. Community sentiment: Community sentiment refers to a strong sense of awe feeling among
the members or a feeling of belonging together. It refers to a sentiment of common living that
exists among the members of a locality. Because of common living within an area for a long
time a sentiment of common living is created among the members of that area. With this the
members emotionally identify themselves. This emotional identification of the members
distinguishes them from the members of other community.
4. Naturality: Communities are naturally organized. It is neither a product of human will nor
create by an act of government. It grows spontaneously. Individuals became the member by
birth.
5. Permanence: Community is always a permanent group. It refers to a permanent living of
individuals within a definite territory. It is not temporary like that of a crowd or association.
6. Similarity: The members of a community are similar in a number of ways. As they live
within a definite locality, they lead a common life and share some common ends. Among the
members similarity in language, culture, customs, and traditions and in many other things is
observed. Similarities in these respects are responsible for the development of community
sentiment.
7. Wider ends: A community has wider ends. Members of a community associate not for the
fulfilment of a particular end but for a variety of ends. These are natural for a community.

3. 8. Total organized social life: A community is marked by total organized social life. It means
a community includes all aspects of social life. Hence a community is a society in miniature.
Community Development: Meaning and concept
Community development is a process where community members are supported by agencies
to identify and take collective action on issues which are important to them. Community
development empowers community members and creates stronger and more connected
communities.
The concept of community development was developed from community organization which
can be simply explained as a method of social work. Social planning, social action, Locality
development, Community partnership or coalitions are some models or practice in community
organization. The programs of community development are led by community members at
every stage - from deciding on issues to selecting and implementing actions, and evaluation.
Community development has an explicit focus on the redistribution of power to address the
causes of inequality and disadvantage. The United Nations characterizes community
development as "a cycle where local area individuals meet up to make an aggregate move and
create answers for normal problems." It is a wide idea, applied to the acts of metro pioneers,
activists, involved residents, and experts to work on different parts of networks, ordinarily
meaning to construct more grounded and stronger neighbourhood networks.
Some key aspects of community development
There are five Key aspects of community development and are as follows:
1. Social: The structure promotes people-centred development, social justice, a better quality
of life. It also aids in forming active community organizations for solving problems of the
citizens of the locality.
2. Economic: The focus points are generating income from local production, being self-reliant,
and promoting a diversified local economy. This implies creating job opportunities, boosting
productivity, and providing the base for sustained poverty-reducing growth.
3. Political: The primary area of the highlight is democratization which means letting every
person in the community have access to all its resources. For this creating awareness about the
rights of every individual is a key factor. It requires active participation from community
members and local authorities.
4. Cultural: Boosting formal and informal education is necessary for the all-round growth of
the youth in the rural areas. Skill development training along with community development
short courses can bridge the gap and make them ready for the future. Also, it is the duty of the
present generation to pass on the culture to the next generation.
5. Environmental: Taking proper care of our environment forms a major responsibility.
Making judicious use of resources, reducing environmental damage through human activities,
and keeping in mind the natural resource management rights. Promoting sustainable use of raw
materials, minimizing pollution levels, and managing wastes are also important aspects.

4. Elements of community development & Community work
Community development usually has three major elements:
(a) Community members’ well-being or welfare involving both material sufficiency and non-
economic aspects of living such as health and education;
(b) Resource development, involving increased production and efficiency; and
(c) Organizational development, involving the maintenance and creation of social and
economic structures through which members of the community may channel their energies for
the betterment of community living.
Other elements include:
1. Local initiative and leadership
2. Use of local and outside resources
3. Participation
4. Organized comprehensive approach
5. Democratic accomplishment
6. Participation
7. As a unit of action
Community development process
Fig: Community development process
Indicators of community development
Beside the elements like changes in thinking, cultural belief, tradition etc., major indicators of
community development are listed below:
Identify
needs
Prioritize
needs
Identify
resources
Develop
skill and
capacities
Take a
decision
Share
benefits
Evaluation

5. i. Increased income level of people that allows families and community to meet their
basic necessities.
ii. Extension of new and advanced technologies.
iii. Increment in social services like good housing, health, education, nutrition, clothing
etc.
iv. Decreased infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate.
v. Sustainable resource use.
vi. Alleviating poverty.
Models of Community Organization
In year 1968, Jack Rothman introduced 3 models of community organization:
i. Locality development model
ii. Social planning/Policy model and
iii. Social action model
In 2001, he revised and refined these models by taking account the changes in practices and
conditions in communities. He preferred calling these “Core models of Community
Intervention” instead of models.
i. Locality development model: This model is humanistic and strongly people-oriented, with
the aim of “helping people to help themselves”. Some examples of locality development
include neighbourhood work programmes conducted by community-based agencies, and
village level work in community development programmes.
ii. Social planning model: This approach emphasizes a technical problem-solving procedure
for substantial social issues including housing, education, health, and women's development,
among others. By and large the concern here is with task goals: conceptualizing, selecting,
arranging and delivering goods and services to people who need them.
iii. Social action model: This model tries to bring about fundamental changes in the
community, such as the redistribution of power and resources and the inclusion of marginalized
groups in decision-making processes. It assumes that there is a disgruntled or disadvantaged
sector of the population that has to be organized in order to make demands on the greater
community for more resources or equal treatment. As disadvantaged groups usually rely largely
on "people power," which has the capacity to pressure and disrupt, confrontational methods
such as protests, strikes, marches, boycotts, and other disruptive or attention-getting acts have
been emphasized.
Principle of Community Development
Common principles used in community development are:
1. Self-help: Individuals are encouraged to come together in a loving group setting to exchange
information, knowledge, skills, and life experience in order to achieve their own personal
objectives.

6. 2. Community participation: Everyone may make a useful contribution, and members of the
community can participate at any level. At all levels of the organization, volunteers and
community members have an important role in decision-making, evaluation, provision,
engagement, and direction setting.
3. Empowerment: A procedure is implemented that respects, values, and increases people's
ability to exercise control over their life. This method helps people to meet their goals and
objectives in a self-aware and educated manner, utilizing their talents, experience, and
potential. Individuals and communities are informed and empowered, which results in change
and growth.
4. lifelong learning: Learning is incorporated into all elements of the centre’s activities,
allowing people to develop and support their personal skills, knowledge, capacities, and
resilience. Through official and informal routes in education, work, and self-development, they
improve people's health, wellbeing, and connections with their family.
5. Access and equity: The facilities are easily accessible and friendly. They attempt to develop
the social, environmental, economic, and cultural infrastructures within their communities to
create a more equitable allocation of economic resources and power between people (Islam,
n.d.)
Philosophy of Community Development Programs:
1. The program should assist the community in resolving some of the issues that it perceives to
be present.
2. It is thought that community members seek a level of life that allows them to be free of
discomfort caused by a lack of adequate social interaction. It is also assumed that individuals
have four basic wishes: a) security, b) recognition, c) reaction, and d) new experience.
3. People are thought to want the freedom to draw their own borders and choose the kind of
economic, religious, educational, and political institutions that will govern their lives.
4. People's values are taken into account. The program is expected to incorporate co-operation,
group decision-making, self-initiative, social responsibility, leadership, trustworthiness, and
the ability to work.
5. People actively plan and work on their own solutions to their difficulties. If the community's
issues are completely solved by the efforts of an outside agency, then collective decision-
making, self-initiative, self-reliance, leadership, and other skills will not develop, and the
community will not be considered to be developing (Philosophy of Community Development
Programme, n.d.).
THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
1. Effective Local Leadership: The co-operative attitude and persistent dedication of members
is always a vital ingredient in the community development. The ability of local leaders to
challenge both provincial and federal government helps in directing problems faced by
residents. The actions taken by township leaders can help to bring establishment of several

7. industries, encourage joint agreements and community planning and brings about numerous
municipal facilities. Commitment to a self-managed approach to problem-solving approach is
considered model of an ideal community development.
2. A spirit of Determination: Community needs to have a spirited passion and bring
development activities, services in action and residents who are reluctant to abandon their
investment in the community and in their property. This positive attitude can help citizen to
involve in projects from their recreation center, to an interest in their industrial future; as
residents attitudes play a large part in successful economic development.
3. Better educational facilities to cultivate conscience and good mind: educational institutions
are evidence of a community desirous of enriching the quality of life for residents. Building
charter and community schools and colleges through major investments in academic
background of the community in a way that helps to interlink with prestigious and established
colleges and universities which can offer trainings on variety of technological and specialized
fields to affirm an attractive educational credentials to discrete populations. These specially
designated high schools and finest higher educational institutions, in conjunction with nearby
community colleges, can open the door to a better educated population and better trained work
force that represent the future of the character town. For economic development, the network
of educational options evidences a community with a very clear understanding about workforce
needs. On a much smaller scale, the community college offers advancement, cultural
enlightenment, and a catalyst for other activity.
4. Successful community displays openness and warmth, and are welcoming: Much of the
cheering, advising, and building comes from outsiders who are welcomed into the community.
These character communities incline themselves toward being egalitarian. They display an
interest in welcoming the ideas, participation, and certainly the investment of outsiders. What
is not unusual is to see certain communities rally and gather to like-minded or similarly oriented
people. We see this in inner city neighbourhoods that have been revitalized by newcomers,
whether immigrants from other places or the emerging millennials from the resident
population.
5. Health and wellness are prioritized: With the conjoint investments and planning, recreational
sports like soccer, basketball, badminton, etc. are played to bring the commitment towards
health, wellness, and overall well-being into action. This can encourage for the development
of professional team in few communities either. The growth of youth sports and training
facilities targeted towards both professional and amateur groups can also create economic
opportunities for communities' side-by-side to health. All sports and recreational activities
might also combine with education, nutrition, and wellness programs.
6. Successful communities have inventoried and played to their assets: Communities which
play to their obvious strength have opportunities ready to leverage immediately. In some
character towns, these strengths derive from their history or their iconic themes. Other towns
may have an industrial history in which a certain manufacturer may still be dominant or remain
strongly connected with other industries. Some towns are closely associated with a local
university. Others may have a health or cultural theme. These icons are ordinary things which
have become the extraordinary. Promoted as the “world’s largest”, the collection of wooden
shoes, post box, rocking chair, and other inventive pieces are housed inside or near individual
businesses. These creations have become a draw for the curious and the town is experiencing

8. a boost in visitation. The strength in other places may be the scale of its resident artist
populations, its local produce, period antiques, some naturally occurring amenity, or simply its
location as part of a larger heritage or regional bike trail. These places may be environmentally
centric towns having a network of pathways and linkages to natural recreation areas. The
options are as varied as the number of character towns. What the options share in common is a
laser focus on building or maintaining a foundation that boosts other opportunities – produce
into wines, produce into large open markets – and to build the civic infrastructure on which so
many other initiatives rely.
Core Values of Community Development: Core values and principles of community
development are designed to establish an acceptable process and standard within which modern
community development process and framework should operate.
1. Collaboration and inclusion – A large part of community development revolves around two
major values: group inclusion and collaboration. Healthy teamwork is crucial in order for a
community development project to succeed.
2. Meaningful participation and change – Speaking of teamwork, it’s essential to understand
that your participation is needed for a greater purpose. Your contributions have significant
meaning and value as you move your community towards change.
3. Respect – Respect for your community and others is so important in this process. Without
it, the change that’s needed will not be possible. Focusing on solidarity and being respectful of
others is a large part of the process.
4. Strengths-based assets – A goal of community development is to strengthen the overall
strength of the community and its residents.
5. Integrity – No good work can be accomplished without integrity. We need honest, dutiful
people who value their community and actively seek out positive change for everyone.
6. Hope – There’s no more important quality for community development than hope. Change
starts with individuals, then it grows as we work together with hope for a better, more fruitful
future.
MAJOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN NEPAL
In Nepal, community development approach was introduced in Nepal only in 1951 under name
of village development. Though welfare activities at community level were not new to
Nepalese people, yet, externally introduced community development programs lacked the
integration of local wisdom, values and aspirations and thus were found unsuitable and could
not sustain community supply of inputs such as improved seeds and chemical fertilizers in
heavily subsidized rates or free distribution of medicines were some of the features of
Community development program of Nepal (Pyakuryal, 1970).
It was assumed that farmers would continue to adopt those technologies after they knew and
would practice them. But all of these efforts were futile. Rather heavy subsidization had a
negative effect on farmers. Farmers were found to be more dependent on GOS and/or NGOS.
Other Issues and problems related to community development in Nepal are:

9. 1. Programs developed by the community members themselves which sought
supplementary assistance from outside agencies are different from externally thought
and brought program which later sought participation from community members.
2. Community development's reliance on its own agents and total collaboration with
established leaders further confirmed the elitist and paternalist bias, a colonial heritage,
and inhibited the growth of true local initiative.
3. To the specialist departments, Community development's role as a generalist captain
and coordinator was not acceptable. agricultural experts especially complained about
inadequacy of a multipurpose VLW as their agent.
4. In Nepal, most of the community development programs reflect outside agency's (GOs
and NGOs) value judgements on deciding and implementing the program. But these
programs were different from needs and aspirations of community people and hence
lack people's participation at desirable level.
5. Community development program appeared to be of ad hoc in nature and after
figurative completion of project, its impacts were invisible, not sustained.
6. Even Community development programs and projects promoted welfare activities more
effectively than productive activities, particularly, it seemed to be incapable of solving
national food crisis.
7. Community development did not succeed significantly in forming harmonious
communities. It doesn't secure general participation. Poorer classes remained as they
were, apathetic and sceptical.
8. Nepal being one of the least developed countries in the world, population growth,
underemployment, geographical barriers and poverty are some of the major constraints
for the community development especially in the remote hilly and rural area
communities.
9. Resource scarcity has made development projects increasingly complex to finance,
requiring the CDCs to increase both their technical skills and management capacity to
heighten the impact of their work. And at the same time, the fact that many CDCs are
small, undercapitalized, and, therefore, engaged in very modest levels of development
activity fuel a desire to strengthen CDC capacity. In some places, these factors also
raise concerns about whether there are too many CDCs that are too small to have a real
impact (Stoecker, 1997).
References
Islam, M. A. (n.d.). Community development top ten principles. Retrieved December 26,
2021, from
https://www.academia.edu/33663775/Community_Development_Top_Ten_Principles
Philosophy of Community Development Programme. (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2021,
from https://agriinfo.in/philosophy-of-community-development-programme-1434/
Pyakuryal, K. (1970). Community Development as a Strategy to Rural Development.
Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anthropology, 3, 58–68.
https://doi.org/10.3126/opsa.v3i0.1076
Stoecker, R. (1997). The CDC model of urban redevelopment: A critique and an alternative.
Journal of Urban Affairs, 19(1), 1–22.