COPAR

Community Organizing Participatory

Action Research
Dr. Melba Caraan Palcon RN,RM MPH MAN
 COPAR
Definitions:

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 towards
effecting change in their existing
oppressive and exploitative conditions
(1994 National Rural CO conference )
3. A process by which a community
identifies its needs and objectives,
develops confidence to take action
in respect to them and doing so,
extends and develops cooperative
and collaborative attitudes and
practices in the community (Ross
1967)
4. 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)
 Importance of COPAR
• An important tool for community
development & people empowerment as
this helps the community workers to
generate community participation in
development activities

• Prepares peoples/clients to eventually

take over the management of a
development program/s in the future

• Maximize community participation and

involvement; community resources are
mobilized for community services
Principles of COPAR
1. People, especially the most oppressed,
exploited and deprived sectors are
open to change, have the capacity to
change, and are able to bring about
change.

2. COPAR should be based on the

interests of the poorest sectors of
society.

3. COPAR should lead to self-reliant

community and society.
Approaches to Community Development
1. Welfare / Dole out Approach
▣ The immediate and /
or spontaneous
response to ameliorate
the manifestation of
poverty, especially on
the personal level

▣ Assumes that poverty is

God given
2. Modernization Approach
▣ Also referred to as the
Project Development
Approach

▣ Considered a national
strategy which adopts
the western mode of
technological
development
3. Participatory Approach
• The process of
empowering /
transforming the
poor and the
oppressed sectors
of society so that
they can pursue
more just and
humane society
Integration
Social Investigation
Tentative Program
Planning
Ground working
The Meeting
Role Play
Social Mobilization
Evaluation
Reflection
Organization
Integration
• Living in solidarity
with the people in
the community to
understand more
deeply their lives
Social Investigation
• Also known as the
COMMUNITY STUDY
• Systematic process
of collecting,
collating,
analyzing data to
draw a clear
picture of the
community
Pointers to conduct Social
Investigation
▣ Use of survey questionnaires is
discouraged
▣ Community leaders can be trained
to initially assist the community
worker / organizer in doing the SI
▣ Data can be more effectively and
efficiently collected thru informal
methods
▣ Secondary data should be
thoroughly examined because
much information might already be
available
▣ SI is facilitated is the CO is properly
integrated and has acquired the
trust of the people
▣ Confirmation and validation of
community data should be done
regularly
Tentative Program
Planning
• CO to choose
one issue to work
on in order to
begin organizing
the people
Ground working
• Going around
and motivating
the people on a
one on one basis
to do something
on the issue that
has been chosen
• People THE MEETING
collectively
ratifying what
they have
already
decided
individually

• Where the
problems and
issues are
discuss
 • To act out the meeting
Role that will take place
between the leaders
of the people and the
Play governmenT
representatives

• A way of training the

people to anticipate
what will happen and
prepare themselves
for such eventuality
Social Mobilization
• Actual experience of
the people in
confronting the
powerful and the
actual exercise of
people power
• A broad scale
movement and a
planned process that
seeks to facilitate
change and
development
Evaluation
▣ An assessment of how
the project is going,
how well the
participants are doing
and what effect it is
having to the intended
beneficiaries ( strength
and weaknesses of the
program )

▣ CO implies that we
assess the impact of the
program / project in
terms of its over all and
varied impact ( both
direct and indirect )
Reflection
• Dealing with deeper,
on going concerns to
look at the positive
values
• It gives the people time
to reflect on the reality
of life compared to the
ideal
Organization
• The result of many
successive and
similar actions of the
people
Processes / Methods
Used
PROGRESSIVE CYCLE OF ACTION REFLECTION
ACTION

begins with small, local and concrete issues

identified by the people and the evaluation
and reflection of and on the action taken by
them
 CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING

emphasis on learning that emerges

from concrete action and which
enriches succeeding action
• COPAR is PARTICIPATORY and MASS
BASED

primarily towards and biased in favor of

the poor, the powerless and the
oppressed
• COPAR is GROUP CENTERED and NOT
LEADER ORIENTED

leaders are identified, emerge and are

tested through action rather than
appointed or selected by some external
force or entity
2 main activities of COPAR process

1. Community organizing

Guiding people to understand the

existing condition of their own
community

Organizing people to work

collectively and efficiently on
their immediate and long-term
problems
•Principles
CommunityandOrganizing is a
Activities of
continuousOrganizing
Community and sustained process
of:
▪ Guiding people to understand the
existing condition of their own
community.
▪ Organizing people to work collectively
and efficiently on their immediate and
long-term problems.
▪ Mobilizing people to develop their
capacity and readiness to respond and
take action on their immediate and
long-term needs.
28
Community organization is that process by
which the people organize themselves to
‘take charge’ of their situation and thus
develop a sense of being a community
together.

It is a particularly affective tool for the poor

and powerless as they determine for
themselves the actions they will take to deal
with the essential forces that are destroying
their community and consequently causing
them to be powerless.
Importance of Community
Organizing
Opportunity to get involved and
identify the common health
problems.

Guides decision-making
towards self-reliance.

Guides in analyzing the strengths

and weaknesses of every possible
solution.
Mobilizing people to develop their capacity and
readiness to respond and take action on their
immediate and long term needs.

▣ A middle ground where the healthcare worker and

the people need to attain community organization
▣ A liberal freedom of the community where the
people are allowed to participate in the overall
health care status of their community
▣ A transformation force, that enables the
individuals, families and communities to be
responsible for their own health
▣ A phenomenon of interest goals and objectives at
the health care worker and the people in their way
to health citizenry
Key participation of community
organizing
• A participative culture
• Inclusiveness
• Breadth of mission and vision
• Critical perspective
 ROLE OF THE NURSE AS THE
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER of
Nurse
Enabler as a
• Representing the dominant interest (s) of the
Community
community.
Organizer
• Work together to solve certain problems.

Advocate
Directly represents or persuades other members of
professional groups to represent estranged,
disadvantaged, less powerful usually less articulate sector
of population.
Developer/Builder
• Nurtures and develops community’s ability to
adapt to social conditions, and support local
efforts.
 2. PAR (Participatory Action Research)
Process
▣ An investigation on problems and issues concerning
life and environment of the underprivileged by way of
research collaboration with underprivileged whose
representatives participate in the actual research as
researchers themselves, doing research of their own
problem.

▣ Active process where the expected beneficiaries of

research are the main actors in the entire research
process

▣ It is a combination of education, research and action

▣ PURPOSE : empowerment of people

▣ The essential element of PAR is participation

 Characteristics of traditional and
participatory action research
Traditional
1. Research for purpose of
identifying and meeting
individual needs within existing
social systems
2. Community problems or needs
are defined by experts or the
external researchers to
community group and
considered neutral or
non-biased
3. The research problem is studied
by the researchers who control
the research process
4. Recommendations for the
community are based on the
researchers findings and
analysis
PAR
1. Research seeks social
transformation
2. The research problems are defined
by the community members
themselves who are viewed as
“experts of their own reality”
3. The community group undertakes
the investigation or research
process from data collection to
analysis. External researchers work
alongside the community group
4. The community formulates
recommendation and an action
plan based on research outcome
Phases of COPAR
• Pre entry phase

• Entry phase

• Organizational
Building phase

• Sustenance and
Strengthening
phase

• Phase Out
PRE ENTRY
PHASE
PRE ENTRY PHASE
▣ This phase is also known as The conduct of
preliminary social analysis of the community
is needed to be able to plan the most
effective way of entering the community

▣ The initial phase of the organizing process

where the community / organizer looks for
communities to serve

▣ Considered the simplest phase in terms of

actual outputs, activities and strategies and
time spent for it
• Major activities during Pre-Entry Phase

❖ Statement of objectives and realization of COPAR

guidelines
❖ Laying out of the site criteria
❖ Site selection
❖ Meeting and courtesy call with the local
government unit of the selected site
❖ Courtesy call with the barangay level
❖ Meeting with the “will be” foster parents of the
healthcare students
❖ Setting the target date of immersion exposure and
departure
Activities in Site Selection
• Developing the criteria for site selection

• Identifying potential municipalities and

/ or catchment areas

• Identifying potential barangay/s

• Choosing the final project barangay

Criteria for Initial Site Selection

• The site must be a depressed rural

community with the majority of the
population belonging to the poor
sector

• Health services in the site are

inaccessible or inadequate to meet
the needs of the majority community
residents

• Poor health status of the community in

general
 Criteria for Initial Site Selection

The area must not have a serious peace and

order problem to ensure the safety of
students and faculty members as well as
other staff who will be involved in the CO
work
There must be no strong resistance from the
community regarding the program / project
being initiated
The area is not currently being served by
similar agencies or programs to avoid
competition and duplication of services.
 Choosing a Host Family

• Family should be strategically located in the barangay

to enable the project staff to reach out more efficiently
and effectively to community residents

• Family should not belong to the rich segment of the

community whose houses offer the best facilities

• Family should be respected by both the formal and

informal leaders and community residents

• Family should have a house where neighbors, especially

the poor are not hesitant to enter

• No member of the host family should be displaced once

the project staff moves in
ENTRY PHASE
This phase signals the actual entry of
(Immersion)
the community organizer into the
community
• This is also known as the social
preparation of the community. It is
considered crucial because the
success of later activities depend
largely on the community
organizer’s (CO) extent of
integration with the people, her/his
understanding of the events in the
community, and how he/she is
identified by the people
• Major Activities during Entry Phase
❖ Courtesy call with the Mayor of the local
government leader of the selected site
❖ Meeting with the foster parents
❖ Appreciating the environment
❖ Meeting with the community officials and
residents
❖ General assembly
❖ Preparation of survey forms
❖ Actual survey
❖ Analysis of data gathered
Guidelines during this phase :
▣ CO should recognize the role of local
authorities by paying them visits to inform
them of their presence and activities

▣ CO’s appearance, speech, behavior and

lifestyle should be in keeping with those of
the community residents without disregard of
their being role model

▣ CO should avoid raising the consciousness

of the community residents, adopt a low key
profile
 4 Main Activities that are interrelated and
simultaneously carried out to be totally
immersed in the community.

A. Integration with the Community

• The process of establishing rapport with the

people in a continuing effort to imbibe
community profile by living with them and
undergoing the same experiences, and
sharing their hopes, aspirations, and hardship
toward building mutual trust and
cooperation.`
▣ Community Integration involves:
◼ Participating in community activities.
◼ Conducting house to house visits or social calls.
◼ Conversing with people in place where they are usually
conversing .
◼ Lending a hand in doing household chores
◼ Avoidance of gambling and drinking and
sharing respect for the peoples strength to handle their
values and lifestyle

B. Identification of potential leaders

Potential leaders are considered future community
organizers and managers of community-based
programs. They are the people who will also be the
foundations of the community organization.
C. Information campaign on Health Programs

• Discussions during house to house visits.

• Small group discussions/focus group
discussions
• Purok meetings and community assemblies.

D. Provision of basic health services

• Responding to immediate health-related

needs
• Problems of the community may already be
identified.
Methods of Integration
• Participation in direct production
activities of the people

• Participation in social activities

• Conversing with people where they

usually gather

• Doing household chore with the

family
Conduct of Deepening Social
Investigation
• The use of survey-questionnaires as tools for SI is
strongly discouraged

• Community leaders can be trained to initially assist

the CO in doing SI until such time when the leaders
are trained to do SI by themselves

• Data can be more effectively and efficiently

gathered through informal methods

• Secondary data should be thoroughly examined

because much of the information needed might
already be available
• Components of the Study/Social
investigation

❖ Physical and geographic characteristics

❖ Demographics
❖ Economic condition
❖ Mortality and Morbidity
❖ Food Supply and Nutrition
❖ Cultural patterns, common cultural
beliefs, and health practices
❖ Health services and facilities
❖ Education
❖ Community Leadership and
Organization
❖ Development Agencies
❖ Community problems and needs
• Potential Leaders = • Core Group = a
considered the group of individuals
future community / community
organizers and residents who
possible partners of possess leadership
NGO in the delivery potentials formed /
of health services to organized into a
community cohesive
residents participation in
project activities
Characteristics of Potential Leaders /
Core Group member
• He/She must belong to the poor sectors or classes
in the community

• He/She must be a respected member of the

community

• He/She must be responsible, committed and

willing to work for social change and
transformation

• He/She must willing to learn

• He/She must possess relatively good

communication skills
Sociogram
• A systematic process of identifying
indigenous leaders in the community
who can help facilitate the change
process

• Purpose : Identify the key person,

opinion leaders and deviants or isolates
in the community to get indigenous
leaders to express their support for the
COPAR program
Types of Leaders :
• Key Person = person who is the “star” in
the sociogram, person who is
approachable and an obvious leader

• Opinion Leader = person who is

approached by the key person and is
therefore the person behind the key
person’s opinions and ideas

• Isolate Person = persons who are never

or hardly approach by the community
people
Roles and functions of Core
Group Members :
• The social preparation of the community
for health and development work

• Organizing a community research team

for the conduct of a community
assessment diagnosis

• Setting up the CHO and facilitate in the

identification of second liners

• Scrutinizing and mobilizing the community

to act on their own immediate health
services
Organizational
Building Phase
• Entails the more formation of
more formal structures and the
inclusion of more formal
procedures of planning,
implementing and evaluating
community wide activities
• Major Activities during Organizational
and Building Phase
❖ Meeting with officials/community to draw up guidelines
for the CHO
❖ Identifying problems
❖ Spreading Awareness and soliciting
solutions/suggestions
❖ Analysis of the presented solutions
❖ Planning of activities such as teambuilding, ARAS and
SALT
❖ Health services in the health center
❖ Organizing the people to build their own
organization
❖ Development of management systems and
procedures and delineation of rules, functions and
tasks of the officers and members
❖ Registration of the organization(legality purposes)
❖ Training of CHO officers and members
❖ Setting up of linkages ,networks and referral system
❖ Implementation of activities
❖ Evaluation
 Roles and functions of CHO
• It is not an organization of the leaders of the people
but of leaders among and with the people

• There should exist a collective type of leadership

that is, no individual should monopolize decision
making

• Regular planning, ARAS must always become a part

of the group activity

• The CHO should always take the lead in PIME of all

organizational, educational and mobilization
activities of the people

• The CHO officers / members should act as a role

model for all community residents to emulate
 Sustenance
and
Strengthening
Phase
• Occurs when the community
organization has already been
established and the community
members are already actively
participating in community wide
undertakings
Major Strategies used :
▣ Education and Training

▣ Formalize and institutionalize networking,

linkages and referral system

▣ Conduct of mobilization on health and

development concerns

▣ Implementation of livelihood projects

▣ Identify and develop secondary leaders

▣ Develop and implement the viable financial
and management systems and procedures.

▣ Institute continuing education and upgrade

the knowledge, skills and attitude of
community leaders, CHWs and CHO members

▣ Formulation and ratification of the constitution

and by laws of the CHO

▣ Work for registration of the CHO with SEC to

legalize its existence

▣ Develop medium and long term community

health and development plans
▣ Networking and Linkages

▣ Works towards affiliating or federating with

other organizations

▣ Negotiate for the absorption of CHWs by local

government units

▣ Work for the registration of CHD with the

securities and Exchange Commission – to
legalize its existence

▣ Development and implementation of viable

management systems and procedures,
committees, continuing education and
training of leaders, CHWs and CHO members
▣ Implementation of Livelihood project

▣ Conduct of mobilization on health services

and development concerns

▣ Development of medium and long term

community health and development plans

▣ Work towards affiliating or federating with

other organizations

▣ Negotiate for the absorption of CHWs with

local government units. This will provide
benefits and privileges to CHWs especially in
the form of honorarium.
• Leaving the immersion site
• People can stand on their own
• Documentation
• This phase could mean that a
program is already community
managed. Facilitators (or
outsiders) withdraw form
self-reliant groups who will now
continue to implement the cycle
of direction setting, organizing,
planning, implementation, and
review for the benefit of the
community members.
Determining factors to ensure
sustainability

• Structure
• Skills development and
technology factors
• Systems
• Commitment
• When to phase out?

– When the objectives have been attained

– When the impact of the project has become visible or

change has been made

– When the members of the community can take over

the planning, implementation, monitoring, and
evaluation of the project.

– When the community resources can already be

maximized by the people

– When a viable community-based organization has

been established.
 Organization-Building Phase
❑ Entails the formation of more
formal structure and the
inclusion of more formal
procedure of planning,
implementing, and evaluating
community-wise activities.

❑ It is at this phase where the

organized leaders or groups
are being given training
(formal, informal, OJT) to
develop their style in
managing their own
concerns/programs.
76
• Phase out strategy

– Conduct of an impact assessment

– Preparation of a comprehensive phase out

action plan

– Gradual pull-out of intervention

– Institutionalization of the community organization

with other agencies who provide support

– Provision of consultancy services

DOC MELBA