REVIEW NOTES IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

(Working with Communities)

Prepared by: Xhelxea Francesca A. Lerios, RSW | June 2021
Contact Details: 98xhelxealerios@gmail.com/0961-0569-549

Description:

Community Organization as a method of Social Work Practice covers the values,

concepts, theories, principles, processes, approaches, and skills required in the practice
of Community Organization. It will be considered in relation to community development,
social planning and social action. Social realities and emerging trends will also be
included.

Outline:

I. The Conceptual Framework of Community Organization

II. The Philosophical Base of Community Organization
a. Values
b. Assumptions
c. Principles
III. Goals and Objectives of Community Organization
IV. History of Community Organization
V. Models of Community Organization
a. Community Development
b. Social Planning
c. Social Action
VI. The Community Organization Process
a. Pre-Helping Phase
b. Helping Phase
VII. Roles, Functions, Techniques and Strategies used by a CO Worker
VIII. Emerging Process in Community Organization

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THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

Before we discuss and review the definition of Community Organization, one of

the primary methods used by Social Workers, let us take a look back on some of the
important terms and concepts on the study of Human Society, Communities and
Organizations.

THE STUDY OF SOCIETY

The Nature of Society

Society is universal among humans. For ages, it has performed major adaptive
functions that have increased the chances of human survival. Society is the counterpart
of those biological adaptive mechanisms that cause one species to survive and another
to become extinct. In the case of humans, the social organizations that result in society
have enabled man to survive.

In human society, members are mutually interdependent to an extent not true to

any non-human society.

Every society is organized in such a way that there are rules of conduct, customs,
traditions, folkways and mores, and expectations that ensure appropriate behavior
among behaviors. The socialization process inculcates these into all members in the early
stages of life. However, these norms or standards of behavior are never exactly the same
from one society to another.

Early anthropologists believed that society’s norms determine the behavior of its
members. It was believed that people were born into a world in which the society’s norms
had already been set and that early socialization made these norms an integral part of
every member’s personality.

Characteristics of Human Society

The concept of society implies a number of characteristics in sociological and

anthropological sense. It has been viewed as people living in interdependence.

1. A society is a social system. A social system is made up of individuals and groups

that interact in a relatively stable and patterned manner. As a system, it consists
pf sub-parts. A change in one segment will affect all the other parts of the system.
2. A society is relatively large. The society can be regarded as the largest and most
inclusive social unit that exists. In fact, it integrates all the smaller social groups and
units of which it is composed of the family, neighborhood, communities and
others. It follows therefore that society must be larger in comparison with its
surrounding population. For example, a small, isolated group like the Tasaday, a
Stone Age group in the Philippines forest, is a complete society, even though it
consists only of a few hundred people.

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 3. A society recruits most of its members from within. This is done through
reproduction and socialization. Most members of any society are born to it, and
who are taught the basic norms and expectations of such a society. However, the
process of migration and social geographic mobility give rise to members who
come from other societies. Nevertheless, before any individual is accepted as a
functioning member, he/she must first be socialized into or taught the
expectations of such society.
4. A society sustains itself across generations. This characteristic is related to the fact
that societies recruit their members from within. For any group of people to be a
society, they must show their ability to endure, produce, and sustain at least
several generations of members. For instance, the Ik society in Uganda is on the
verge of extinction since they no longer have the ability to produce and sustain
new members. Conditions of hunger and extreme poverty have destroyed the
fiber of their social structure.
5. Society’s members share a culture. Sharing a culture gives individuals the vision
and sense of purpose to sustain the patterns of interaction that hold together the
society. As members of society, individuals acquire a repertory of ways of thinking,
feeling, and acting. Culture consists largely of symbols, norms, and values shared
by members of the society.
6. A society occupies a territory. Society is restricted to a group whose members
mostly live in a specific, clearly defined geographic area. While many
organizations use the term society to refer to them, human society refers to one
that occupies a specific habitat.

THE STUDY OF COMMUNITY

Meaning and Nature of Community

Based on his researches on the meaning of community, George Hillery defines

community as consisting of persons in social interaction within a geographical area and
having one or more additional ties. This definition includes the following: (1) territorial
aspect (geographical area); (2) sociological aspect (social interaction); and (3) a
psychological aspect (common ties). In other words, a community consists of people
who live closely to one another, who interact with one another frequently, and who feel
that they have common traits or values that they share with one another.

A community refers to an organized way of life within a geographic area. It refers

to a population aggregate inhabiting a delimited area, sharing a historical heritage,
possessing a set of basic service institutions, participating in a common life, conscious of
local unity – able to act together in solving problems involving public interests.

Arlien Johnson used the term community to refer to a group of people gathered
together in any geographical area, large or small, who have common interests, actual
or potentially recognized, on the social welfare field.

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 Other authorities define community as referring to a group of people who occupy
a common contiguous territory, possessed of a common set of traditions associated with
their living together in that territory, and served by a set of local institutions which make
them interdependent of surroundings to a high degree, and who are conscious of their
common interests in the way these institutions function for the satisfaction of the group as
a whole.

Main Types of Communities

1. Geographical Community - All the people in a specific village, town,

neighborhood, district, area, city, metropolitan region, state, province, territory,
nation or the world. It has physical boundaries by which make it distinct or
separate, such as a river, a street. In a town there might be several neighborhoods,
each with some special attributes: caste, religion, rich and poor. In addition, a
neighborhood usually has a diverse population with individuals and groups
occupying different physical space. It is important to observe who in a village or
a section of a city or town, lives in a cleaner part, and who lives near an open
sewer, or who has more space and who has less; how far or close they are from
the center of the village; how much they have to walk to get water etc. It can be
instructive in seeing certain patterns of physical exclusion and marginalization.
2. Functional Community - composed of the people who hold common values,
share some common function, or express some common interest such as in
education, social welfare, and agriculture and so on.

Functions of Community

The following have been considered to be the functions of the community:

1. A system of production, distribution and consumption. A community must provide

for the basic needs of its members and their group --- food, clothing, dwelling,
transportation, education, and other goods needed for basic existence, either by
producing them or by importing them from outside.
2. A system of socialization. A community must provide mechanisms for the
transmission of existing knowledge, social values, and in dominant patterns of
behavior to the members. The family plays this role in the early stages of the of the
individual’s development. Eventually, other components of the community such
as peer group, work group, the school, and the Church, among others come into
play.
3. A system of social control. This requires mechanisms through which conformity to
the prevailing group norms are ensured. Formal organization such as the police,
the courts, and the Church are important in this aspect. The pressure created by
the community tends to regulate and control the members’ behavior.
4. A system of social participation. Members of a community learn to interact with
other members spontaneously, starting from the family to a much bigger group.
Often, religious organizations or civic associations perform this function by

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 providing a means for members of the community to interact with one another
and to renew their commitments to community values and norms.
5. A system of mutual support. The community is always expected to provide relief
and solutions to the members’ problems. For instance, when someone is in need
because of illness or when a family is in distress because of economic problems,
the community must provide ways to help these people. Forms of assistance
usually come from family members and kin, neighbors, social welfare agencies
and social, civic and religious groups.

Characteristics of a Community

The following are the general characteristics or elements of every community:

1. Population aggregate preferable to human group.

2. Delimited area. It exists somewhere; it occupies a particular space, a measurable
habitat; every community has a center.
3. Sharing of historical heritage. This implies an interest in the area’s past, a concern
for what has happened.
4. The number of service institutions. This should be enough to meet the needs of the
people so that they live within the area if they so decide.
5. Participating in a common life. This refers to the life pursuit of people day by day,
the year round. This means that the people must have common lifestyle.
6. Consciousness of local unity. This means much the same as community spirit,
which a community exists in the minds of its members as an object of attention
and concern.
7. Ability to act together in solving civic problems. This is the best single test of a
community; in times of crises, people acting together must achieve and maintain
control or else they will face the loss of cherished values, their way of life, or the
death of their community.

Rural-Urban Interaction Pattern

Communities are types of social groupings which are the extension of the
groupings of family. They vary greatly in many ways such as size and population density,
occupation, and specialization. Some are very small, consisting of a few families like the
neighborhood, the barangays, the sitios, while others consist of thousand and millions of
people like the Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Tokyo, New York, London or Calcutta.

A community is rural when the people live in contiguous farms; their chief
occupations and interests are fishing and farming; and they have certain interests and
purposes to common actions. It refers to a number of families residing in a relatively small
area within which their lives have developed a more or less complete sociocultural
definition imbued with collective identification and by means of which they solve
problems arising from the sharing of an area.

The following characterize the rural interaction pattern:

1. Primary contacts among the populations

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 2. Complete and solid due to people’s cooperation
3. Gemeinschaft in nature
4. Sacred
5. Homogenous in terms of population
6. Familiarity among the members
7. Life is characterized by general competence.

On the other hand, the following characterize the urban pattern of interaction:

1. Secondary contact among the population

2. Population is segmented due to limited and minimal personal relationships
3. Gesellschaft in nature
4. Secular
5. Population is heterogeneous in terms of occupation, background, attainment,
and lifestyle
6. There is an element of anonymity among the people – less interaction and less
personal contacts
7. Life is characterized by specialization

Sociologists use special indices to show rural-urban differences. These are

occupations, environment, size, density of population, heterogeneity and homogeneity
of culture, social differentiation and stratification, mobility, and system of interaction.

THE STUDY OF ORGANIZATION

Meaning and Nature of Organization

Organization is defined as the orderly arrangement of group effort to provide unity

of action in the pursuit of common purpose. It is the unification of individuals and/or
groups for the purpose of brotherhood, mutual assistance, cooperation and capability in
dealing effectively with their common needs or problems or for the purpose of power,
self-determination, participation and/or social transformation.

People unite based on their concrete situation and problems. They organize
themselves because individual strivings are not sufficient in resolving their common
problems and achieving their common objectives, while, when and where they are
organized, they can solve many or all such problems. They also organize because of the
need or urgency to resist foreign invasion or intervention, economic exploitation, human
rights violation, or the like. They want freedom to decide for themselves. They want to
eradicate poverty and other barriers to development. They want to change the social
situation or social order.

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INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

What is Community Organization?

Social workers use the term “community organization” to describe the method as
well as the process they use to help communities.

Murray Ross defines community organization as a process of identifying problems

and needs, prioritizing them, formulating solutions in solving problems/attaining needs
and implementing them through cooperative and collaborative efforts which results to
improved capacity in community problem-solving process and community integration.

Arthur Dunham defines CO as the process of matching needs with resources and
as a conscious process of social interaction concerned with three types of objectives
which are task goals, process goals and relationship goals. The definition also includes
CO as the mobilization of forces around real and created conflict in order to force
communication and movement. Thus, controversy is used as a tool for organization of a
strong citizen-based group which can affect the decision-making process. Through such
means, citizens are helped to become articulate, informed and politically active, and to
exercise their collective influence at the point where decisions are made.

Perlman and Gurin on the other hand define CO as a process of finding solutions
to social problems by redistributing resources, functions and decision-making power.

Integrating Ross, Dunham’s, Perlman and Gurin’s foregoing definitions with other
concepts, community organization has therefore been defined “as a method of social
work that uses the conscious process of social interaction of meeting any or all of the
following objectives:

1. The meeting of broad needs and bringing about and maintaining adjustment
between needs and resources in a community;
2. Helping people to deal more effectively with their problems, needs and aspirations
by helping them develop, strengthen and maintain qualities of participation, self-
direction, cooperation and integration of efforts; and
3. Bringing about changes in community and group relationship in polices and in the
distribution of decision-making power.

What is the philosophy of community organization?

The following is the philosophy of community organization:

“Acceptance of the right of the community to decide what it wants rather than having
the organizer’s views imposed upon it, belief on the capacity of the people to find
richer and more satisfying ways of living if they are helped to use the resources within
themselves and their environment which are and could be made available to them.”

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THE PHILOSOPHICAL BASE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

Values of Community Organization

The values of community organization as a method of social work are:

1. A commitment to democratic processes and goals;

2. The right of a client community to self-determination;
3. Belief on the capacity of people to change;
4. Belief on the innate dignity of the individual in the community; and
5. The commitment to seek social justice.

Assumptions of Community Organization

The assumptions of community organization are:

1. “Changes in which individuals, groups and communities determine their own

destiny in a democratic process have a better chance of enduring than changes
that are imposed.”
This means that the people should undergo the process of identifying their
own problems and needs; analyze and solve them by participating in the
problem-solving and decision-making process so that the changes sought
for would be a felt need and the resultant change would endure and not
just be ningas cogon.
2. “Readiness to change is a variable which affects the potential and the rate of
community change obtainable at a given time.”
This would entail people’s social preparation for change. It can be brought
about through consciousness raising, education, information dissemination,
demonstrations, etc.
3. “Skills in participating in democratic process can be taught and learned by
individuals and groups.”
People’s involvement in problem-solving and decision-making in their own
community problems and needs would enable them to learn how to
participate in democratic processes even in a national scale.
4. “Society can provide ways to achieve maximum compatibility of individual and
community interest.”
The greater good for the greatest number is the primary goal of every
society. Thus, individual interests should be harmonized with society’s
primary goal wherein the majority’s benefit and interests override any
individual’s self-interest.
5. “Social welfare provisions, services and programs can enhance human welfare
and prevent and reduce social ills.”
The livelihood programs as providing capital for income generating
projects, family life education, primary health care, establishment of day
care center for preschoolers, cooperatives and recreation facilities are
examples of these social and human welfare programs designed to
prevent and reduce social ills in our society.

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 6. “Planning, coordination and integration of social welfare provisions are by
individuals; social ills are inter-related and social welfare provisions are inter-
dependent.”
Society can derive maximum benefit when social welfare programs and
services are integrated and coordinated among existing welfare agencies
working in the communities since social ills are inter-related and social
welfare provisions are inter-dependent.

Principles of Community Organization

According to Saul Alinsky, a renowned figure in community organizing in the

United States of America, the following are the principles of community organization:

1. It is rooted in the local indigenous leadership, the local organizations and

agencies, and, in short, the local people;
2. Its energy or driving force is generated by the self-interest of the local residents for
the welfare of their children and themselves;
3. Its program for action develops hand in hand with the organization of the
community council. The program is in actual fact that series of common
agreement which results in the development of the local organization.
4. It is a program arising out of the local people, carrying with it the direct
participation of practically all the organizations in a particular area. It involves a
substantial degree of individual citizen participation; a constant day to day flow
of volunteer activities and the daily functioning of numerous local committees
charged with specific short-term functions;
5. It constantly emphasizes the functional relationship between problems and
therefore its program is as broad as the social horizon of the community. It avoids,
at all costs, circumscribed and segmental programs which in turn would attract
the support of only a segment of the local population;
6. It recognizes that a democratic society is one which responds to popular pressures,
and therefore realistically operates on the basis of the pressure. For the same
reason it does not shy away from involvement in matters of controversy;
7. It concentrates on the utilization of indigenous individuals, who, if not leaders at
the beginning, can be developed into leaders;
8. It gives priority to the significance of legitimate self-interest. The organization itself
proceeds on the idea of channeling the many diverse forces of self-interest within
the community into a common direction for the common good and at the same
time respects the autonomy of individuals and organizations; and
9. It moves toward goal of self-financing. This not only testifies to its representatives’
character in that the local residents support their own organization financially, but
insures to the local council, the acid test of independence: “the ability to pay
one’s way”.

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THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

Goals of Community Organization

Arthur Dunham have described the following as the goals of community

organization:

1. Tasks Goals – concerned with concrete tasks to be undertaken to meet specific

needs and people’s aspirations or to solve particular problems.
2. Process Goals – concerned with the process of helping people in a community or
group strengthen their quality of participation, self-direction and cooperation. Its
concern is to help people grow and develop to prepare them for that specific
roles in community building and development.
3. Relationship Goals – focused in changing certain types of relationships and
decision-making process in a community by diffusing power to a wider base. CO
believes in participative leadership rather than in an authoritarian leadership since
people’s participation in community undertakings develops enlightened citizenry.

The aforementioned goals may be used simultaneously in one task or one

community activity as illustrated in the following figure:

Task Goals Process Goals Relationship Goals

• Assessment of the • To motivate people to
community through
data gathering by use
of survey, interview
with families and
leaders; informal
conversation with the
people, group
discussions, use of
statistics and studies
made by different
agencies/groups on
the community.
• To help the people • To assist the people to
analyze their
expressed family and
community problems
and needs as
gathered from the
survey and research
made on the
community through
problem analysis and
situation analysis.
• To engender wider
be aware of their
conditions, problems/
needs, and aspirations
and be able to
concretize and
express them through
the survey interview,
informal conversations
and group discussions.
• To develop
be aware of the
causes and effects of
their expressed
problems and needs
that would move
them to correctly deal
with those causes and
prevent the
proliferation of
problems; and to
attain the people’s
needs and aspirations.
cooperation and
understanding through
collaborative and joint
efforts of the people in
solving their problems/
needs and attaining
the people’s
aspirations.
interrelationship/
support with one
another in dealing
with their
problems/needs and
doing away with
people’s dependence
on authority figure for
decision making
regarding the
community’s
problems/needs.

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Objectives of Community Organization

The objectives of community organization and how these objectives are achieved
as follows:

1. Removal of blocks to growth

What are these blocks to growth? As identified by many community leaders
and CO workers in the Philippines based on experience, the following are
the existing blocks to growth:
a. Ignorance - the Philippines takes pride to be one of the countries that
have a high literacy rate. It is true majority of our people have gone to
school but are considered ignorant especially when it comes to
significant issues and how these issues affect their lives, their community
and country as a whole. Such ignorance can be minimized if not
eradicated through continuing non-formal education, consciousness
raising, seminars, informal education as use of indigenous media, film
showing and participation in group discussions, community assembly,
etc.
b. Negative social values/patterns/attitudes as the ningas cogon attitude,
maniana habit, bahala na, palakasan, utang na loob, fatalistic attitude
as attributing poverty or poor health to God’s will, etc. - some negative
values can be positivized as hiya, pakikisama, utang na loob, and
bahala na. Hiya for example can be cited as a virtue when a person
refuses to do wrong out of shame. He also gets to be involved in
community activities out of hiya. The bahala na attitude as epitomized
by Juan Tamad can be made positive when referred to as the
willingness to take some risks for the betterment of the community
instead of just leaving things to chance. Pakikisama becomes also a
virtue when people get involved in community affairs out of
camaraderie with their civic-minded neighbors and not for gaining
favors for self-interest or joining boycott movement just to please some
barkada. The ningas cogon and maniana habit can be done away with
by setting up time frames for a job or activity to be completed as using
success/impact indicators as guide.
c. Regionalism/factionalism/as electing only candidates for leadership
roles belonging to one’s region or religion without considering their
competence and qualifications for the position – Regionalism and
factionalism can be discouraged by organizing groups whose
membership come from diverse places of origin. Even groups for
sportsfest should be carefully organized so as not to allow tribal groups
to compete against each other as it would only engender factionalism.
In electing also local leaders as council or committee chairman, it
would be wise to provide the group or assembly the criteria desired for
one to serve in such position and that the group will be evaluated based

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 on their group effort to preclude any designs in sabotaging the group
chairman a member may happen not to like.
d. Oppressive power structures that take advantage of the poor and the
weak – to get rid of oppressive power structures, the community’s
problem-solving and decision-making should be diffused to a wider
base. The CO worker can also create new centers of power where the
poor and the weak are well represented to safeguard their own
interests.
2. To release potentialities and bring about people’s empowerment
Every individual, group or a community no matter how depressed have
potentials that can be tapped for their own development. All that need to
be done is to provide the opportunities for the tapping of said potentials.
This can be done by involving people to participate in community activities,
group discussions, problem-solving and decision-making sessions. They can
also be given challenging roles in community building and development
starting from simple roles to the more difficult ones.
For people empowerment, the people should be given opportunities to
acquire new knowledge and skills through informal education, seminars,
skill training, field exposures and on-the-job trainings. They should be given
the opportunity to think through a problem and formulate plans and
decisions. They should be provided with a good supply of reading materials
where they can learn additional knowledge and be kept abreast with
current events, significant issues in their country and the outside world. The
people should also be exposed to other creative ideas, projects and a
better way of life through exposure programs outside their communities. All
these would broaden their horizons, their way of doing things for the better.
3. To develop the capacity to manage community life and be self-reliant
The first thing to do in attaining this objective is to first identify the
community’s indigenous leaders. They are the formal and informal leaders
in the community. The formal leaders are those who have been elected as
officials of the local government, the heads of the different government
and private agencies, and the heads of the different civic and religious
organizations.
The informal leaders are those persons to whom the people have a high
regard and go for advice by virtue of his past positions and high standing
in the community, those who have a strong influence with the people by
virtue of his wisdom and integrity so that his opinion is widely sought and
valued and those persons the people consider dependable for any
undertaking.
As soon as the indigenous leaders are identified, they should be organized
to form a core group that would be entrusted to plan for the development
of the community, solve its problems and meet its expressed needs and
aspirations. Said group should also be made responsible in the
implementation of their own plans, monitor them and regularly evaluate

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 the results of its implementation. The people’s participation in all phases of
the planning process from identification of problems/needs, their analysis
and planning their solutions is a must in developing their capability to
manage their community affairs.
For these leaders to effectively carry out their tasks and responsibilities, they
should benefit from appropriate trainings for their job as seminars on
leadership, management, development planning, human and public
relations, cooperatives, primary health care, etc. With appropriate trainings
and their actual involvement in the management of their community affairs
they would assuredly become responsible, competent and confident
leaders.
4. To develop the ability to function as an Integrated Unit
In most communities, there are different groups working independently of
one another for the same target clientele and objectives. This often results
to duplication of services, competition and uneven benefits to the
intended beneficiaries. Thus, some sectors in the community become more
discontented and instead of being grateful they rue the presence of such
groups in their midst.
It is therefore one of the objectives of community organizations to bring
these disparate groups together in order that they can integrate their
programs and efforts so that their intended beneficiaries may receive fair
treatment and prevent their discontent. Competition among the groups
can also be avoided as more beneficiaries can be served since duplication
of services can be prevented when separate groups work as in integrated
unit because their services can be harmonized and rationalized when they
work in collaboration with one another.
5. To encourage the full use of inner or indigenous resources for community
development before tapping outside resources
Every community need to realize that no matter how depressed they are,
they have their own internal resources that can be tapped for their
development. Instead of habitually depending on outside resources to tap
they should first make use of their own resources so as not delay
development efforts for their community. This is the reason why it is a must
for CO workers to first make a survey of their target community and prepare
a community profile which includes the identified internal resources of the
community in terms of manpower; economic resources such as indigenous
raw materials and other social facilities.
The community should also be made to realize that their most important
resource is the people themselves who if properly trained, organized and
motivated can be a potent force for their own development.
6. To change/modify existing policies and programs that are oppressive, defective
or irrelevant and to propose needed one
There are existing or proposed laws, ordinances or policy guidelines which
the people may find oppressive, defective or irrelevant which need to be

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 changed or modified as such laws/policies run counter to the welfare of
the people or tend to benefit only a privileged sector of the population.
The CO worker may also experience the need for the passing of new laws,
ordinances or policies that would solve some identified problems and
needs in the course of her work with the people. When confronted with
these situations, it is the CO worker’s responsibility to initiate with the
people’s participation the passing of these required legal statutes and/or
to change/modify existing ones as the situation demands.

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THE HISTORY OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

WESTERN BEGINNINGS

To the extent that social work was identified with the reform movements in the
United States at the end of the nineteenth and early days of the twentieth centuries, its
emphasis was on what would now be recognized as community organization. Reform
efforts were directed toward achieving change in social provisions, legislation and
methods of rendering services to people. They were organized in large part at the local
community level, where the early social settlements played an important role. Many of
the techniques that are now employed by professional social workers in carrying out
community organization and planning projects were used then. The early American
social workers-reformers organized people on a house-to-house basis identified and
studied the dimensions of social problems, devised policies and program proposals,
formed pressure groups, and conducted various campaigns to achieve change
objectives.

Much of the knowledge base and practice of community organization in the

Philippines has been derived from the experience of the United States since many of its
pioneers were graduates of schools of social work there.

There have been four major periods in the development of community welfare
organization in the United States since 1870.

I. The Charity Organization Period (1870-1917)

The first may be called the charity organization period, because the charity
organization societies were the clearest expression of community organization during
these years. The first city-wide charity organization society in the United States was
established in Buffalo in 1877. It traced its lineage to the London Charity Organization
Society which had been founded in 1869.

At the initial stages the charity organization movement was concerned with both
social casework and community organization. Towards the end of this period, the charity
organizations tended to give more intensive concern to social casework and primary
leadership in community organization was exercised increasingly by chests and councils.

The first Council of Social Agencies was organized in Pittsburgh in 1908. The social
service exchange which served primarily as a central index about families receiving relief
were transferred from the charity organizations to chests and councils.

The social settlement, another pioneer organization concerned with group and
recreational activities and with the welfare of the neighborhood or local community
within the large city, came into existence during this period. The use of the survey method
was introduced through studies by settlements such as Hull House in Chicago and South
End House in Boston.

In 1912, the Russell Sage Foundation established a Department of Surveys and

Exhibits, which became a center for information, advice and assistance with surveys. In

15 | C O , 2 0 2 1
1914, this Department conducted a comprehensive survey of Springfield, Illinois and
published its report in a series of pamphlets. The survey method gradually came into use
by many national and other welfare agencies.

II. The Rise of Federations (1917-1935)

In the second period of community organization, the central phenomenon was

the rise and rapid growth of community chests and councils of social agencies. Financial
federation among voluntary social welfare agencies seems to have originated in
Liverpool, England about 1873. In Denver, in 1887, a “Charity Organization Society”,
conducted a joint campaign that raised $21,700 for ten organizations.

The Cleveland Federation for Charity and Philanthropy established in 1903 is

usually thought of as the first modern community chest, uniting the concepts of both joint
fund-raising and joint budgeting.

With the entry of the United States into World War I in 1917, there was a
mushrooming growth of 300 to 400 “war chests”, or financial federations concerned
wholly or partially with war appeals. After the war, particularly during the 1920s, many war
chests were converted into peacetime community chest plan had become the
established pattern for financing most of the important voluntary welfare agencies in
large cities. When community chests were organized in many communities during the
1920’s, a council was often set-up in connection with the chest, and an existing council
was bought into close relationship with the chest. Chests and councils began to be
though of as parts of one movement and as allied agencies for joint financing,
community planning, and coordination.

At least three types of councils originated about the time of World war I. The
Cincinnati Public Health Federation, established in 1917, was probably the first
independent “health council” in an American City. Some of the first rural “community
councils” were organized in Massachusetts between 1912 and 1918. The first
“coordinating council” traces its origin to Berkeley, California, in 1919. By the early 1930s,
the plan began to spread through California, and later beyond the borders of the state.

III. Expansion and Professional Development (1935-1955)

The third period, from 1935 to about 1955, was a period of expansion and
professional development; it was marked by a recognition of the broader implications of
community organization and by an increased concern with the analysis of the process
and the development of professional skills.

The stock market crash of 1929 heralded the beginning of the great depression of
1930s. One important development during this period was the greater use of the
community organization process in the field of public welfare.

The beginning of modern thinking about community welfare organization dates

chiefly from 1939. An exploratory study-group project was developed under a section of
the National Conference of Social Work in 1938-1939, and the activities of six local

16 | C O , 2 0 2 1
committees led to the Lane Report, the first cooperative and widely circulated statement
regarding the nature of generic community welfare organization.

Community organization was recognized as an integral and important aspect of

social work education in the Hollis-Taylor study (1948-1951) and in the activities of the
American Association of Schools of Social Work and its successor, the Council on Social
Work Education (1952).

Wayne McMillen’s Community Organization for Social Welfare, published in 1945,

was the first contemporary textbook on community organization, and was undoubtedly
the most important single contribution to the literature of the subject up to that time. It
was the first of a series of textbooks and collections of case materials that have done
much to present factual material in systematic form, to clarify concepts, and to stimulate
thinking.

After World War II, there was growth of voluntary health agencies carrying on
independent fund-raising. The problem of “multiple appeals” led in 1945 to the
organization of the first united fund in Detroit. The United Fund expanded federated
funding and financing beyond the local community chest agencies and sought to
include as many state and national agencies as possible.

The publication in 1952 of Community Planning for Human Services, by Bradley

Buell and associates, is an important event from the standpoint of community welfare
planning. While its analysis of social welfare problems in the areas of dependency, ill
health, maladjustment, and recreational need was not all-inclusive, it did present the
clearest picture of American social welfare problems, service functions, and service
systems up to that time.

During the 1940s and even later, a widespread if not the prevailing conception of
community organization focused on task goals and on bringing about maintaining an
adjustment between social welfare needs and resources.

IV. Community Organization and Social Change (1955-1970)

In one way or another, the outstanding events and trends in the development of
community organization in the US since 1955 all reflect the theme of social change. Four
major intertwined themes stand out in community organization from 1955-1979:

a. The struggle for civil rights and racial justice;

b. Urban decay and efforts at urban development;
c. The Economic Opportunity Program and the War on Poverty; and
d. The phenomenon of mass organization of consumers and lower-income
groups.

In the sense in which the phrase “mass organization” is used, it means the
organization for relatively large numbers of consumers or members of lower income
groups for the purpose of developing power and bringing pressure to bear on institutions,
groups, and individuals in order to achieve the objectives of the organization. In general,

17 | C O , 2 0 2 1
such organizations are conflict-oriented, that is, they ordinarily use conflict and
confrontation as deliberate strategies. It may be added that the adjective “mass” is
sometimes more of an aspiration than a reality; the actual number of actively involved
members is sometimes only a small percentage of the area’s residents.

Two examples of such organizations may be noted. During the depression of the
1930s, pressure groups of the unemployed were organized, and these culminated in the
Workers Alliance in 1935. The tactics of this organization included visits to relief offices by
large committees, “demonstrations, hunger-marches, work-relief strikes,” and forcible
resistance to the eviction of families for non-payment of rent. There were clashes with the
police and consequent arrests.

The other example is the organization of the Back of the Yards Neighborhood
Council in Chicago in the late 1930s, under the leadership of Saul D. Alinsky, a militant
social actionist. Alinsky subsequently became executive of the Industrial Areas
Foundation, which has promoted the development of militant “people’s organizations”
in various communities. The fullest expression of Alinsky’s philosophy and methods is found
in his book Reveille for Radicals.

CURRENT TRENDS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

Conceptualization and Philosophy

1. The most important trend in the late 1960s was the heightened effort to develop a
more adequate conceptual basis for community organization.
2. The search for a sound conceptual foundation was bound up with a closer
relationship between community organization and the social sciences,
particularly sociology and social psychology.
3. The widespread acceptance by teachers and practitioners of process goals as
well as task goals, as a proper objective of community organization. This idea has
always been basic to the philosophy of community development; and it is the
corner-stone of Murray Ross’ interpretation of community organization. Task goals,
as has been said are concerned with meeting specific needs, performing definite
tasks, and achieving certain concrete objectives. Process goals are concerned
with helping the people in a community or neighborhood or a particular
constituency group strengthen qualities of participation, self-direction and
cooperation. Jack Rothman has characterized this process approach as an
attempt to increase the “gross functional capacity” of the community – a
suggestive if somewhat formidable phase. The idea of process goals is clearly
incorporated in the NASW report of 1962 on Defining Community Organization
Practice.
4. Along with the greater emphasis on the total life of the community there is a
tendency to think of community organization as applying not only to social
welfare but also to other aspects of community life.

18 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 5. There are also some signs of the recognition of a third objective of community
organization – the changing of relationships and decision-making patterns in the
community. So far as Arthur Dunham knows, this has not been explicitly recognized
in professional social work literature. However, it is an obvious focus of community
organization activities carried on by civil rights groups, organizations of low-income
residents, and other militant social action groups.
6. One of the most significant developments in community organization thinking is
the recent emphasis on community organization’s concern with social change. As
late as 1962, Roland Warren implied that community organization was concerned
with “system maintenance and problem solving” which is essentially within the
existing institutional structure. He distinguished community organization from
community development, a “system-disturbing approach” concerned with
“problem-solving which is principally based on some sort of reorganization of the
institutional structure through grassroots effort”.

Today, in the literature of community organization, social change is the keynote –

whether it is change in institutions, programs, policies, citizen capacity, or decision-
making patterns. Coordination and “mere” re-arrangements within the existing
community welfare structure are almost in disrepute; certainly, they are widely
regarded as less urgent and challenging than undertakings involving social
change.

Agencies and Programs

With regards to programs and services, there is now:

1. Increased emphasis on broad progress concerned with such objectives as the

elimination of poverty, urban development, the struggle for civil rights and justice
and full equality for ethnic minorities, and the elimination of urban ghettoes;
2. Substantial shift from voluntary to government leadership in planning; and
3. Greater concern by program planners for involving consumers in program
planning and operation than ever before.

There are some indications of the recognition of four major types of community
organization programs, oriented respectively, toward social planning, community
development (with a marked emphasis on resident participation and consensus), social
action, and fund-raising and allocation.

Method

Of the various methods used by community organization practitioners, there is:

1. More emphasis on the nature of planning and particularly on methods of

implementing planning through organization, negotiation, and social action;
2. Clearer and more realistic conception of the place of conflict in a democratic
society and the techniques and strategies of social action;

19 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 3. Greater emphasis on communication and the education of the community.
Education is of course implied by process goals; it is, indeed, the most important
single method when attempting to realize such goals. With the adoption of
process goals, community organization moves appreciably closer to adult
education, and this implies that community organization workers now need more
understanding of and skill in adult education methods.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

The history of community organization in the Philippines is closely tied up with the
history of social welfare and the development of social work as a profession. The early
Filipino social workers had mostly received their training from American schools which at
the time stressed casework as a method.

However, since CO as an approach to development, has been used in the

Philippines for almost two decades now, many agencies and organizations have already
tested various CO techniques in trying to establish self-reliant and self-determining
communities mostly with promising results.

The overall view of community organization practice in the Philippines can be had
through a description of agencies and programs utilizing the CO method. The CO
method was used initially to achieve the goal of coordination and joint planning at the
interagency level.

Inter-Agency Level

Council of Welfare Agencies of the Philippines Inc. (CWAPI)

Concerned with the proliferation of social agencies offering a variety of social

services with apparently very little if at all, coordination among them, the Council of
Welfare Agencies of the Philippines was organized in 1949. Its main objective was to
“coordinate the welfare services of its member agencies for sound community planning
and concerted action”. Coordination as far as CWAPI was concerned, is not solely
confined to eliminate overlapping and duplication of services but also included sharing
of ideas, resources and establishing inter-agency working relationships, all of which are
aimed at achieving the maximum impact possible through social services as applied to
social problems. CWAPI became known from 1977 to mid-1988 as the Council of welfare
Agencies Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. or CWAFPI. On June 16, 1988, CWAFPI
assumed a new name as the National Council of Social Development Foundation of the
Philippines (NCSDFP). This marked increasing involvement of NCSDFP in networking on the
national and international levels.

Community Chest of Greater Manila

The Community Chest idea was adapted from the United States. The need for a
unified approach to raise funds for the support of private voluntary welfare organizations
was felt in the Philippines as early as 1947. This need became crucial and urgent because

20 | C O , 2 0 2 1
of the proliferation of private welfare organizations soon after World war II. The individual
efforts of so many of the helping agencies to raise their own funding resulted in
overlapping, duplication and confusion thus creating negative attitudes among the
donors. The Community Chest of Greater Manila was formally organized on December
20, 1949.

In order to enable the Community Chest of Greater Manila to be relevant to the

expanding social welfare needs of the communities, the organization was converted into
a foundation on March 25, 1974. In addition to its three main functions of planning,
budgeting and fundraising, the Community Chest as a foundation pursues scientific
studies and research in health, social welfare and the humanities, as well as the
establishment of a permanent foundation for the accomplishment of its objectives.

The Community Chest and Council of the Philippines was organized on May 5,
1970.

Philippine Youth Welfare Coordination Council (PYWCC)

The PYWCC, formerly known as the National Youth Council was organized in the
middle fifties. Though its main task is to coordinate governmental and non-governmental
agencies engaged in youth welfare agencies, it has likewise tried to help its members
become aware of the needs and problems of the youth through publications and forums
and tried to promote public understanding of these needs and problems.

Grassroots Organizations

President’s Action Committee on Social Amelioration (PACSA)

On August 1948, President Elpidio Quirino as a partial solution to the under-

development of the rural areas which was one of the major causes of social unrest
established the PACSA, the Philippine forerunner of community development. A major
component of PACSA was its social work arm which was supposed to provide social
services in support of the nationwide social amelioration program. Among the major
functions of the social worker was the socio-economic survey of affected areas, farmers’
relocation and land settlement, relief distribution, the establishment of self-help projects
for community improvement and of cottage industries for economic development, and
disaster relief.

Presidential Assistant on Community Development (PACD)

On January 6, 1956, the PACD was established with US-AID and in the summer of
that year an examination was given to select participants for training as community
development workers.

While the grassroots concepts as presented by Murray Ross are quoted in the
literature of rural community development programs, social workers played a direct
service role rather than a leadership role in initiating these programs. This can perhaps be
attributed to the fact that social work education and practice in the Philippines had not
given emphasis to community organization as a social work method.

21 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 Rural community development work has over the years, been observed to evolve
from emphasis on self-help physical infrastructure projects to all other types of community
improvement activities, both economic and social. Its primary channel has been the
legally constituted governing unit of the barrio, the barrio council. In subsequent years,
more recognition was given to the need of helping the barrio residents themselves
particularly the women and youth to organize themselves for self-help. The “people and
project” orientation rather than the “people and process” orientation seems to have
been emphasized in many rural community development programs in the past. The
significance of a consciously guided process of assisting people to organize themselves
and to develop attitudes and skills which would equip them for decision-making,
problem-solving and community planning and programming was given more impetus in
the urban community organization programs developed in the sixties.

Urban Community Programs

The Community Welfare Services Program of the then UNICEF-Assisted Social

Services Project of the Social Welfare Administration was still on the drawing boards when
an opportune time for its implementation suddenly came in 1964. Thousands upon
thousands of Manila slum dwellers were relocated to Sapang Palay, Bulacan with very
little planning and preparation. A new community-based and community-oriented
program was rather prematurely launched in January 1964. Since then, the urban
community programs with a center as a focal point, have taken roots in urban and semi-
urban areas all over the country where problems of urbanization have disrupted the
traditional rural way of life.

The then Department of Social Welfare is (now DSWD) community organization

approach was also two-pronged; on the one hand it operated on the grassroots level;
on the other it brought together the grassroots organizations and other agencies,
organizations and individuals and helped them collaborate, coordinate, jointly plan, and
develop services and programs.

Housing, Squatter Relocation and Resettlement

The goal of housing relocation and resettlement is consistent with the social
welfare goal – “the wellbeing of man”.

Aware of this, social workers help the families to enjoy the maximum benefits from
the program of housing, relocation and resettlement. This enormous task can be broken
down in various specific areas:

1. Communicating change involved in acquiring better housing and improved

environment;
2. Providing opportunities for involvement in the process of change and
development;
3. Identification and development of local leaders;
4. Promotion of coordination among agencies and community groups; and
5. Provision of social services for the relocated needy families.

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People’s Organizations

The Office of Research and Publication (ORP) of the Institute of Social work and
Community Development (ISWCD) of the University of the Philippines had published “An
Anthology on Community Organizing” in 1978. An update was published in 1983 and
another monograph came out in 1986. These series of annotated bibliographies will be
useful as reference for any community organization practitioner, particularly in tracing
the historical beginnings of CO practice in the Philippines.

The first series in 1978 mentioned an important event in this historical process. This
was the introduction by the Philippine Ecumenical Council on Community Organization
(PECCO) in 1971 of a new methodology systematized and popularized by Saul Alinsky.
PECCO’s goal was two-fold:

1. To promote a training program for organizers in a systematic and professional way;

and
2. To build a mass-based people’s organization through which resignation and fear
– the primary blocks in planning, deciding and acting by and for the people – can
slowly be eliminated.

The Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO) was the fruit of this effort, it being the
first people’s organization in the Philippines.

An important part of Alinsky’s teachings is the concept of power. Organizing

people for power could be described then as a process which engages the oppressed
in a continuous reflection and action against situations which limit the unfolding of their
potentials. It seeks to develop the people’s ability to think critically.

In using the Alinsky framework, PECCO made adaptations to suit Philippine needs
such as: issues were viewed as a means to organize people for power so that ultimately,
they will be more prepared to fight systems responsible for the oppressive order. The ideas
of Paolo Freire were also incorporated and given practical application. Thus, the
reflection-educational aspect was emphasized. The essence, therefore of CO in the
context of Philippine experience is, people’s participation.

Social Development

The launching of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) on December 16,
1970 opened a new field of endeavor for social workers: social development. Founded
by 50 leaders in Philippine Business, PBSP aims to mobilize the scattered resources and
efforts of private enterprise in social action into a unified social development program to
be administered in a scientific manner. Specifically, PBSP is a non-profit service
organization established by the private sector to help people who need help to help
themselves. PBSP has been assisting private organizations and development foundations
engaged in social development programs, to include community organization in order
to achieve the objective of developing viable, self-propelling, and self-actualizing
communities in both rural and urban settings.

23 | C O , 2 0 2 1
Cooperatives

Cooperatives are said to be different from ordinary economic enterprises since it

aims beyond the promotion of interests of the individual members who compose it.
Cooperation, at its best, aims to promote the programs and welfare of humanity. Six
cooperative principles are the following:

1. Membership to a cooperative society should be voluntary and available

without artificial restriction or any social, political or religious organization to all
persons, who can make use of its services and are willing to accept the
responsibilities of membership;
2. Cooperative societies are democratic organizations. Their affairs should be
administered by persons elected or appointed in a manner agreed by the
members and accountable to them. Members of primary societies should
enjoy equal rights to voting (one member, one vote) and participation in
decisions affecting their societies. In other than primary societies, the
administration should be conducted on a democratic basis in a suitable form;
3. Share capital should only receive a strictly limited rate of interest, if any;
4. Surplus or savings, if any, arising out of the operations of a society, belong to
the members of that society and should be distributed in such a manner as
would avoid one member gaining at the expense of the other;
5. All cooperative societies should make provisions for the education of their
members, officers and employees and of the general public, in the principles
and techniques of cooperation, both economic and democratic; and
6. All cooperative organizations, in order to best serve the interests of their
members and their communities should actively cooperate in every practical
way with other cooperatives at local, national and international levels.

Cooperative’s formation has been considered as an important strategy in

community organization, particularly in the struggle of people to obtain power over
economic and political resources. The broad aims of the cooperative movement are:

1. Economic improvement;
2. Instrument of education;
3. School of democratic living;
4. Center for social harmony;
5. Agent of international understanding; and
6. Cultural and spiritual improvement.

The primary aim of the cooperative is not only the improvement of its members’
economic position but also the development in members of a sense of both individual
and joint responsibility so that they may rise individually to a full personal life and
collectively to a full social life. The tripod of development processes in cooperative
movements are, education, capital formation, and discipline.

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Baranganic Approach

The baranganic approach was first discussed during the National Management
Conference of the DSSD (DSWD) on May 10-14, 1976 in Manila. The baranganic
approach is founded on the philosophy that individual, group, community and national
growth and development can only come about when there is active participation and
involvement of the people themselves in any development process. And that the
promotion of social welfare is not the sole responsibility and concern of the government
alone, but is shared with all sectors in the community, that is, public, private and religious.

Basic Christian Communities-Community Organization (BCC-CO)

The BCCs of the liturgical type have been existing in Prelatures in certain parts of
the Philippines before 1985. The BCC-CO approach started however, only in 1985 in
response to the need of the local church for a type of BCC that would answer to the
total life needs of the people, not only to the liturgical spiritual.

Julma Neo, DC, in her book “Towards A Liberating Formation of Christian

Communities” described the BCC-CO approach that took place in the Prelature of
Isabela, Basilan. According to Sr. Julma, the integration of faith and life, as well as of
liberation and development, remained a constant goal of BCC-CO. Community or group
actions: political and socio-economic, are undertaken as a result of faith reflection.

Some principles of the BCC-CO model are:

1. People are makers of history. They have the power to create history and to shape
their destiny. No single individual or elitist group can make history for the people;
2. Work in delimited areas, e.g., a basic community mass organization of a definite
location, not the whole barrio or entire parish at once;
3. Involve progressive elements/classes but the foundation must be the basic
masses;
4. Tackle all problems, especially the root problems. This means consider all personal,
social structural problems on the micro-level as related to the macro. Piece-meal
approach will not bring the desired results. The people must develop progressive,
strategic and tactical plans and actions.; and
5. Create historical models. Basic community building is the creation of a symbol of
the possibility of what can be done, what the people are capable of. This
encourages people to have both patience and a sense of urgency.

Networking

Networking may be defined as the linking of organizations, institutions and

individuals for a common purpose. Networking may also be seen as a process, a concept
or a technique that creates awareness, builds alliances and pools resources. Networks
can be characterized as being either formal or informal, international or local, and
individual or institutional. There are also two aspects of networking: levels and linkages.
Networking can be attempted at different levels: institutional, district, state or national

25 | C O , 2 0 2 1
level. On the other hand, linkages can be either horizontal or vertical. Five possible types
of information network configuration exist:

1. Centralized network;
2. Network using regional centers;
3. Centralized network with limited transfer of information and materials;
4. Decentralized of centralized network where members communicate directly
with each other; and
5. Decentralized network with major members communicating with peripheral
members.

The National Council of Social Development Foundation of the Philippines, Inc

(NCSDF) is the best example of a network utilizing the social work method of community
organization. NCSD is:

An umbrella organization of public and voluntary welfare agencies as well

as interested individuals;
A forum for studying needs and resources in order to provide equitable
access to opportunities for meeting these needs; and
A private coordinating body for collective action which attempts to effect
improvements in the quantity, quality and arrangements of social welfare
services.

The mission of NCSDF states that its members commit agencies/themselves to:

1. Build a dynamic, organized community of committed social service and

developmental non-governmental organizations collaborating effectively
toward developing self-reliant individuals, groups and communities;
2. Promote community-based social and developmental services with maximum
grassroots people participation which provide opportunities for:
Strengthening the family
Developing problem-solving and leadership capabilities
Self-reliance and social responsibility among disadvantaged individual
clients, groups and communities
3. Promote the development of alternative community-based structures towards
social transformation and sustained development; and
4. Promote government & non-government cooperation towards transformation
of local communities.

The goals of NCSDF are:

1. The development and maximization of human and material capabilities and

resources of member agencies through an expanded human resource
development program;
2. Strengthened linkages and utilization of capabilities of member agencies
through systematic data banking, referral and networking systems for direct
and immediate services;

26 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 3. The planning and implementation of a comprehensive program of activities to
meet the needs of member agencies in the areas of human resource
development and networking, advocacy and lobbying with executive and
legislative bodies and the management of community-based programs; and
4. The implementation of other measures identified by member agencies as
within the context of its functions as an interagency representative body and
within its resource capabilities.

Government-NGO Cooperation in Social Development

Government Agencies (GAs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is a

type of networking which has received a lot of attention from the United Nations in
particular. The Seminar on Cooperation between Government Agencies and Non-
Government Organizations in the Planning and Delivery of Social Services conducted by
ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia) in Hongkong in 1990, came up with
the following general principles:

1. Social development is a process that directly involves the people at the local
community level, and the best agent for social development is the community
itself;
2. NGOs arise out of the community as a manifestation of the people’s desire to
put their energy to work for the common good;
3. NGOs are most important channel for the delivery of social services that:
a. Address the grassroots
b. Focus on people’s participation and self-sustainable development
c. Concern the disadvantaged sections of society
4. Recognizing the above, government should take all possible steps to ensure
the development of a strong NGO sector and draw it into partnership in the
planning and delivery of social services.

The ESCAP Proceedings from the same Seminar also stated the following positions
regarding GAs and NGOs in the planning and delivery of social services:

1. The meeting affirmed the importance of the essential differences between

GAs and NGOs, namely that:
a. Consistent with the central role of the State, GAs carries primary
responsibility for planning and ensuring the deliver of social service;
while
b. NGOs, consistent with their community orientation, discharge
important complementary and supplementary functions in:
i. Contributing a sensitive understanding of the social situation in
communities and of their social service needs;
ii. Advocating social policies appropriate to the needs of the
people;
iii. Participating in the effective planning and delivery of social
services, especially at the community level.

27 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 2. The meeting maintained that the essential differences in the nature of GAs and
NGOs imply:
a. The importance of active joint participation by GAs and NGOs in the
planning and delivery of social services; and
b. The need for GAs and NGOs to work together closely in that endeavor.

Community-Based Strategies for Advocacy and Grassroots Action

Based on the experiences of the DSWD-NCSWDF Joint Project on Street Children

in the Philippines, Leopoldo Moselina prepared a paper for the Asian Conference on
Street Children held in manila last May 1989. Community-based programs were
described by Moselina as preventive in approach and offers an alternative to
“institutionalization” of street children. It is an attempt to address the problem where it
starts – the family and the community of the child. Activities include providing children
educational opportunities through informal/non-formal education and other forms of
alternative education, providing their families ways to obtain a regular income, training
parents on responsible parenting and family life, especially the care and protection of
the young. On the whole, community-based programmes aim to enhance the
capacities of families and communities so that they themselves can take care of their
own children. Moselina also described the following project components:

a. Situation analysis;
b. Advocacy, social mobilization and networking;
c. Program development and delivery of basic services;
d. Human resource development/technical support; and
e. Monitoring and evaluation.

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THE MODELS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

It has been shown that the initial thrust of community organization in the United
States and in the Philippines was at the interagency level hence the emergence of
community welfare councils. However, in both countries, after World War II, there
emerged certain conditions which made it imperative for CO workers to work at a lower
level, i.e., directly with segments of a city or town, smaller communities within the larger
community. In the United States, the discovery and realization during the 1960s that there
existed pockets of poverty in the midst of plenty prompted the passage of the Economic
Opportunity Act and the establishment of War on Poverty programs. The emergence of
mass organizations required the help of social workers at the neighborhood level instead
of the total community level. Thus, social planning and social action preceded
community development or “locality” development as referred to by some American
authors.

In the Philippines despite the initial thrust at coordination and social planning, the
community development model became more widely known and practiced. The reason
for this is not hard to find. The Philippines suffered severe devastation as a result of three
years of enemy occupation and the battle of liberation. Social workers were recruited to
work at the community level, first under the label of rural community improvement and
later when the program was assisted by US/AID, as community development. This was
the trend for almost twenty years until a presidential decree was passed requiring
barangay councils to formulate and adopt a barangay development plan as a plan of
action for community improvement. Thus, was social planning brought down from the
national, regional and agency levels to the smallest political unit – the barangay and
social workers became involved. All the while social workers were engaged in the
traditional modes of social action, mostly lobbying petitions and testimonies. Starting in
the early 1960s, social workers became advocates largely of slums dwellers and
squatters, the cultural communities and other disadvantaged groups, speaking for and
acting on their behalf. Since then, social workers have developed and acquired more
sophisticated skills and techniques and fashioned better strategies for social action, both
at the national level as well as at the local level.

To ensure better understanding and knowledge of the models of community

organization, the theoretical framework for each model will be briefly presently in the
following discussions:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Definition

Community Development is a popular term most often used to denote

improvement of the environment but in some UN literature, it was used to mean “the
process by which the efforts of the people themselves are united with those of
government authorities to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of the

29 | C O , 2 0 2 1
communities, to integrate these communities into the life of the nation, and to enable
them to contribute fully to national progress”. The goal is community competence.

Community Development as a CO model refers to efforts to mobilize the people

(the victims, the unaffiliated, the unorganized and the non-participating) who are
affected by a community condition, into groups and organizations to enable them to
take action on those social problems and issues which affect them. The goal is the
solution of specific community problems and needs which would redound to the
development of the community and benefit its citizens.

Process

More particularly from the perspective of social work, community development

may be regarded as a process of deliberative intervention at the grassroots level for the
purpose of improving the environment and the people’s socio-political functioning. The
process focuses on people and organizations. It demonstrates the reversal process in that
instead of the programs or project starting from the top and handed down to the bottom,
the process starts at the grassroots hence becomes a “bottom-up” approach, instead of
a “top-bottom” approach. CD emphasizes people’s involvement in decision-making, in
the development of community plans and projects, in implementation, and in the sharing
of benefits from such programs and projects. The interaction with each other of those
who participated as well as with organization will certainly affect their social relationship
and have some political implications both for the local community and the larger
institutional or social structure of which the community is a part.

The process in itself requires the organization, the putting together as a system of
individual and group relationships and interest, because of a collected concern to do
something about a common problem or a need within a specific geographical area or
community. It is a complex process that usually involve professionals and experts,
paraprofessionals and technicians, leaders and citizens in an integrated problem-solving
effort. In the Philippines, community development deals directly and primarily with
barangay (neighborhood) concerns. Its moving spirit is participation, its primary aim is
social change, in people as well as structures.

Basic Elements of Community Development

The basic elements of community development as identified by Kenneth

Maygood are the following:

1. The community is approached as a whole;

2. Activities undertaken correspond to the basic needs of the community;
3. The educational-organization process moves from an awareness of problems to a
definition of problems followed by study;
4. Community development activities are thought of in long-range terms;
5. Widespread participation and involvement are sought with decision-making
taking place at the lowest level, consistent with the nature of the problem;

30 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 6. The resources of both governmental and non-governmental organizations are
utilized;
7. Both professional and lay participation are sought in community development
programs; and
8. The identification, encouragement and training of local leaders is a central
feature of community development programs.

Guidelines

Years ago, UN provided some guidelines for the practice of community

development which remain very relevant and applicable to this day. These are:

1. Activities should be based on the “felt” needs of the people;

2. Community development should be integrated and multi-purpose;
3. The development of local leadership is critical to the success of the movement;
4. The quantity and quality of participation should continuously sought;
5. The participation of women and youth should be encouraged;
6. The fullest use should be made of existing organizational resources and leadership
within the community; and
7. Changed attitudes are as important as material improvements.

Simply stated, the community development process is as those followed in the

other models of community organization work. These are: problem identification, study
and analysis, planning the solution, intervention, evaluation and feedback.

Some other important things to remember in community development work are

that:

1. The community development worker must possess adequate knowledge

about the local community which would include available resources, internal
and external;
2. He must know the community and its people, their values, socio-cultural and
spiritual beliefs, their attitudes and general behavior;
3. He must identify and know the leaders;
4. He must stimulate the community to recognize that it does have problems
which require the people’s concern and involvement in the solutions;
5. He must help the people to identify their problems, discuss them and rank the
most pressing ones so as to determine which one to act on first;
6. He must help them realize that in addition to material resources which can be
brought into the community, the people themselves possess resources such as
their knowledge, skills and attitudes which would be valuable to the success of
the project;
7. He must foster community self-confidence in respect to decision-making; and
8. He must assist the community groups to recognize and work towards increasing
their capacity for self-help.

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 The social worker acting as a community development worker need not doubt
that he becomes involved in environmental projects as long as he does not forget that
the ultimate goal of his activities is the improvement of the capability of the people to
effect change in their own community.

SOCIAL PLANNING

Definition

Social planning refers to “efforts directed toward integrating the different action
systems of the community with other system of the local community and/or with extra
community action systems, efforts aimed at bringing about reforms in attitudes, policies
and practice of large private and public agencies, including legal, functional and
operating system”. It is translating social goals into effective programs and services by an
agency, group of agencies, public or private in collaborative efforts with the community.

According to Gilbert and Specht, social planning refers to the organization of a

community action system composed of individuals, groups or organizations to deal with
social problems found in the community. They added that social planning has two major
interrelated components:

1. The socio-political process within an action system including the identification,

recruitment, and work with its members and the development of organizational
and interpersonal relationships among them to facilitate their efforts; and
2. The technical tasks of identifying the problem areas, analyzing causes, formulating
plans, developing strategies, and mobilizing the resources necessary to effect
action.

In effect, it follows the generic problem-solving process although the immediate

tasks are the development of plans for the community which will serve as a guide and
provide the direction for community improvement.

As a process, Alfred J. Kahn suggests that social planning should contain the
following elements:

Research (fact-finding, projection and inventory taking)

Value analysis and facilitation of expression of various positions, sometimes
through political machinations
Policy formulation
Programming
Measuring and feedback

Kahn also posited that in social planning what may be sought as outcome is one
or more of the following:

New policies (standing plans)

Program and policy coordination

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 Service integration
Innovation in programs
Choice in priorities in any of the foregoing or for the allocation of services
Administrative decisions

The three levels of action in social planning as suggested by John Dickman are
the following:

1. Societal goals – selecting goals and setting targets for their achievement.
2. Testing consequences – the application of social values and action criteria to
the assessment of programs undertaken in pursuit of economic and political
goals and the testing of consequences in terms of inter-group or interpersonal
relations of everything from broad economic development programs to
specific redevelopment projects.
3. Social programming – planning the more traditional welfare activities of public
and private agencies and the coordination by many groups.

To assure successful implementation of the process in social planning, Kahn

suggest that the following steps should be taken:

1. Clarify goals, priorities, interests;

2. Ascertain the facts, the social realities, the trends;
3. Inventory the knowledge, the skills, the resources available and obtainable;
4. Analyze the alternatives and the predictable outcomes of choices among them;
5. Formalize the expression of preference and the process of choice;
6. Translate policies into implications for program or different levels of objectives; and
7. Measure the outcome of the program.

Social Planning at the Barangay Level

In the Philippines, the development of barangay plans by the barangay council is

mandatory so that this is an area in which the social worker can be quite helpful. The
plans become useful as the basis for requests made to higher authorities for the allocation
of funds and to other private and external resources.

At the national or macro level, social planning or social development planning is

an essential component of government plans in order to ameliorate or solve the
undesirable by-products of proposed economic and environmental development plans.

SOCIAL ACTION

Definition

Social action refers to individual or group activity designed to influence a change

in social policy. Such policy may be formal as in law or is a written statement by an
organization or agency, or it may be informal, handed down from generation to
generation as custom or tradition. Social action is aimed at the individual, group or

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organization responsible for said policy. Social action is based on the belief that it is the
birth right of every human being, the responsibility and privilege to attempt to mold the
environment in terms of personal and/or societal values. In the Philippines, social action
is fast becoming a popular activity used by the poor, the oppressed and the
disadvantaged with the social worker acting as an advocate, for and on their behalf.

As far as social workers are concerned, social action is the systematic and
conscious effort exerted by the worker, the leaders and concerned individuals, groups
and organizations to influence the basic social conditions and policies which have given
rise to social problems affecting a group or a sector in the community who is or are the
immediate concern of social workers.

To the direct service worker or the community organization practitioner, social

action may actually refer to the act of organizing the disadvantaged segment of the
population sometimes in alliance with others to make adequate demands on the larger
community or government administration for increased resources, improved conditions,
or the status quo in accordance with human rights and social justice. The aim is to
change policy or the present situation. This is how it is present in the Philippines.

Strategies

The three strategies of social action are:

1. Social Brokerage to Increase Participation – a shared problem leads to the

formulation of an informal group in their cooperative attempt to solve the
problem, the members learn how to meet their needs through group processes
and cooperative action.
2. Integrative Mechanisms to Strengthen Organizations – a loose organization
working for a community welfare cause can be more effective in its social action
if other integrative efforts and resources could reinforce its own.
3. Social Protests to Support Social Movements – this the most popular social action
strategy in our contemporary scene. In fact, social action as commonly perceived
is very much associated with this strategy. It is sometimes mislabeled as
“subversion” while actually it could be called positive activism or militant
movement. It therefore involves risks on the part of the participants in a country
that curtails freedom.

Integrated in these strategies are the traditional methods of social action used by
social workers: lobbying, testimonies and petitions also when it comes to national issues,
educational and information campaigns are launched through the trimedia: print,
broadcast, and audio-visual such as in the current campaign against child exploitation
and the trafficking of Filipino women.

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THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION PROCESS

A HELPING MODEL: A Suggested Guide (Marasigan, et Al, 1992)

I. Pre-Helping Phase
1. Formulation of indices for selection of areas to be helped;
2. Identification of the target area/barangay/community;
3. Assignment of workers to target areas;
4. Establishment of initial linkages between community people and resources
systems;
5. Gathering initial information about the community; and
6. Getting people’s sanction and commitment.

II. Helping Phase

1. Exploration and Identification of the Problem
1.1. Gathering information on the situations and feelings of the community
1.2. Analysis/Diagnosis
a. Identify the problem, need, lack or difficulty
b. Identify the strengths and weakness of the community
c. Examine the causal relationship of situations/data (cause-problem-
effect)
d. Identify the problem-solving patterns of the people
e. Rank the needs and problems
2. Planning the solutions
2.1. Agree on the goals of community life
2.2. Identify the activities and strategies to be done
2.3. Agree with the people on roles and responsibilities
2.4. Identify resources which are needed
2.5. Set a time table
2.6. Formulate indices for success
3. Action/Implementation
3.1. Organization of community working groups and assignment of tasks
and responsibilities to implement action plan
3.2. Implementation of action plan by community and social worker
3.3. Utilization of available resources and strategies; generation and
organization of resources
4. Evaluation
4.1. Examination of results of implementation against objectives and
success indicators
4.2. Statement of findings
4.3. Documentation
5. Modification, Termination or Transfer of Action

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PRE-HELPING PHASE

The essential aim of the pre-helping phase is the conscious and continuing
involvement of all sectors concerned in the welfare of people in the community and
ultimately getting their full commitment to help in the entire process of community
problem resolution.

Formulation of Guidelines

In this particular stage, the initiating or sponsoring agency oftentimes formulates

general guidelines or indices for the selection of target areas to be helped and
formulates these guidelines or indices into a policy to serve as bases for selection of
subsequent target communities or barangays.

The social worker or the team starts orienting himself or itself to the task at hand by
examining available data and information about the target area such as census data,
profiles, statistical reports, government reports, surveys, etc. and view the totality of these
general information against his agency’s objectives, policies, programs and services. This
will give the worker a clearer view on how to function or mediate within the standard of
the agency and the profession.

After reviewing the agency’s organizational framework, he moves on to identify

and link with the various agencies and network of organizations existing in the community
such as the government and non-government agencies. This involves finding out whom
these agencies and organizations serve (criteria for eligibility) and what type of programs
and services they offer. Criteria for eligibility describes the age group of the target
clientele, their income levels, years of residence in the areas, typology of problem, the
area of coverage, etc. Worker may also explore potential service providers both
individuals, groups or agencies for the target community. This may be done through
agency visitations, dialogues, meetings or reviewing the directory of community
resources, if such is available.

The social worker usually starts his work in the area with a courtesy call on the
leader, usually the barangay captain or one with a legal personality. This is done to gain
acceptance of his presence in the community and sanction with whatever he and the
people shall undertake in the future. “Courtesy call”, a display of recognition and respect
for an authority figure in a locality is fundamental in the Filipino culture. The acceptance
of the social worker by that authority figure is very important because the quality of
working relationship which will be established between the two is a necessary factor
which can block or facilitate the much needed involvement of the people in the CO
process. The leader’s acceptance of the need for the service and his and the people’s
willingness to participate in the helping process are equally significant in the Philippine
setting.

This sanction or acceptance which the social work derives from his relationship
with the leaders and the community is called the “negotiated sanction”. This gives him
the right to offer services and engaged in activities related to a set goal and to a certain

36 | C O , 2 0 2 1
degree, tell them what should be done. This type of sanction is differentiated from the
“official sanction” which is derived from being a professional social worker (licensed) and
the agency which he represents. Both types of sanction, however, imply accountability,
that is, the social worker is accountable to the source that provides the sanction. These
sources of sanction on the other hand expect the social worker to devote himself to the
best interest of his clients, and to be committed to the service of others by ideals rather
than personal interest and profit.

In working with communities especially in rural areas, the social worker should at
all times be mindful of the patterns and values which affect the people that he serves as
well as the helping discipline which he represents. The level at which people involve
themselves which is one success indicator depends largely on how the people view the
worker, his work and the impressions he creates as he continuously mingles with them.
Example of this is the use of the Ilocano words, “Manong”/”Manang” when one
addresses people who are a little bit older. Terms of respect are found all over the country
although the words may differ according to dialect or language spoken.

With this initial contact with the leaders or representatives of the area, the social
worker must consciously achieve three significant concerns:

1. Establishment of initial rapport to facilitate the working relationship;

2. Interpretation of the agency’s mission, philosophy, objectives, policies,
procedures, programs and services and the agency’s intention in working with this
target area; and
3. Gathering of initial data about the people and the community.

The development of a helping relationship starting from this stage which will be
carried through all stages is crucial to the effectiveness of any helping strategy. At this
stage, the social begins to explore the conditions and steps necessary for creating an
emphatic climate and examine the conditions that will affect and hinder such
relationships. The pointers to be observed in establishing initial helping relationships with
leaders and people in the community are as follows:

1. When a social worker initiates the first meeting, it is necessary that the leaders and
the people understand the purpose of such meeting so that they will learn to trust
him and offset their resistance and defenses. Further, the social worker must select
a mutually convenient meeting place and time. This can be determined by asking
where and when they want the meeting to take place. This act communicates
the social worker’s genuine concern willingness to be available to the people and
respect for their decision.
2. A warm greeting with a smile is the best way to convey acceptance and desire
to work with them.
3. Promptness in meetings should be observed at all times. Avoid unnecessary
interruptions like telephone calls or conversation with the other workers or staff.
One can demonstrate full concern and respect as well as total involvement by
giving the people full attention and time.

37 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 4. In recording the minutes of meetings, explain the purpose of the record and clarify
who will or will not have access to the recorded data. Such explanation promotes
trust and credibility.
5. Exert efforts to remember their names and listen carefully to what they want to
convey. Every person wants to be called by his right name. Avoid calling them,
“Mang Ano”, or “Aling Kuwan”.

HELPING PHASE

I. Data Gathering, Exploration and Identification of the Problem

1.1. Data Gathering
When the social worker or a team of service workers is assigned to
work in a particular target area or barangay, the assignment is
always based on the existence of a concrete viable need. The area
of assignment is often described as depressed community, distressed
community, a poverty enclave or plain, poor community.
In carrying out the task of data gathering, the social worker may use
a variety of methods. No one method can adequately collect all
aspects of community life so that it is necessary to use a combination
of appropriate methods.
1.1.1. Use of Instruments
These instruments consist of a series of structured questions
developed for a particular purpose and administered to a
number of people in the community. There are two popularly
known instruments used by social workers: the interview
schedule and the questionnaire. Both are primarily self-reports,
thus the social worker can only gather information that the
client is willing and able to report.
There are some important differences between the two
instruments. In a questionnaire, the information that the social
worker obtains is limited to the written response of the client to
the questions. In an interview schedule, since the social worker
and client are both present as the questions are asked and
answered, there is an opportunity to observe the client and the
total situation to which he is responding. However, there is also
an advantage in using a questionnaire, that is, the anonymity
of the client is kept and as such he feels freer to express through
writing his views without fear of being identified. The
questionnaire can only be administered to those who have
adequate reading and writing ability or skills. An interview
schedule stimulate interaction, thus bringing up attitudes,
feelings and observed behavior which may be helpful in
exploring and understanding problems. The use of the

38 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 instrument in assessing problems motivates people to think and
reflect on their conditions.
To ensure good results through interviews the following skills
should be consciously applied:
a. Skills in listening
b. Skills in conversation
c. Skills in the use of setting
d. Skills in the establishment of relationship and rapport
e. Skills in meeting resistance
f. Skills in recognizing ambivalence
g. Skills in the use of authority
h. Skills in the use of questions
i. Skills in the use of silence
Gathering of data through the use of instruments is costly and
time-consuming, but it has advantages too. The method can
gather detailed information and some of this information
cannot be gathered accurately by the use of other data
gathering methods.
1.1.2. Records Analysis/Review
Records review and analysis is one of the simplest ways of
economizing effort in gathering data. Here, the social worker
reviews and builds upon the work already done by others. The
task is to review available, updated material with sensitivity to
the area which the worker is interested in.
There are also limitations to the use of this method since past
records may not have been gathered for the purpose for which
the social worker has in mind, therefore, there are incomplete
and inaccurate.
1.1.3. Observation
This method is particularly appropriate when one enters a
community for the first time.
Significant information can be obtained by simply drifting
around the community, carefully looking, listening, feeling and
talking to the people informally at various occasions and
appropriate situations. Observation like the other methods
should be deliberate and carefully planned.
The worker may use varied techniques. He may be totally
uninvolved observer, simply listening attentively or a participant
observer joining in some of their activities, feeling his way and
asking questions unobtrusively, or a leader-and-initiator
observer.
1.1.4. Collateral Information
There is some information in the community that needs to be
gathered through other people or sources other than the

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 clients themselves. However, the selection of collateral
informants should be done with utmost care to ensure
accuracy and objectivity of information sought.
The key informants should be knowledgeable about the
community situations and they should be reliable individuals or
individuals with fair judgement. Data on leadership patterns,
opinion on current issues, strength and limitation of the
community and other information can be gathered through
this method.
1.1.5. Community Meetings and Assemblies
Due to the urgent need of data, the social worker use
community meetings or assemblies as venue for data
collection.
The worker employs this method through the barangay leaders
of councils and together they identify the people and the
agencies to attend this meeting. It is ideal that the barangay
captain or any of the council members (not the social worker)
presides over the community meeting.
It is imperative that in gathering information from any source,
the principle of parsimony be observed, that is, only relevant
information should be taken, information that has significance
to the situation at hand. The respondent or source of data or
profile should fully understand the following:
a. Who are you (the worker)?
b. What is your purpose?
c. What is/are the information you need?
d. Why and how was he selected as respondent?
e. How much time is involved?

Data Collation

After all the necessary data are collected, processing follows. Data processing
involves the conversion of all the collected information into a form that permits
tabulation. This is done by converting and arranging the raw and unorganized data into
a matrix form so that the units of analysis are arranged along the rows, the variables along
the columns and the specific values for each case and variable in the boxes that appear
at the respective intersection of rows and columns.

The Community Profile which is the by-product of a data gathering effort on a

community or target area comprehensively describes essentially the people who live in
a certain geographic area, their origin and cultural value system, the ethical standards
or a system of morality supported by them, their patterns of behavior developed around
such recurring issues as economic well-being or security of income through their
resources, both internal and external, how they depend on each other as they work and
interact together to meet their needs and enhance their physical well-being such as

40 | C O , 2 0 2 1
security of life and property, how they adopt to other circumstances, the existing and
property, how they adopt to other circumstances, the existing power and control systems
and lastly their aspirations or goals in life.

II. Analysis of Data/Diagnosis

Diagnosis is a professional judgement or opinion as to what is the problem and

how it affects the people. Analysis involves breaking up the data gathered into parts and
pieces, exploring the content and meaning of each situation.

The purpose in general of analysis and interpretation is to summarize the

completed data in such a manner that they yield answers to questions, and to search for
the broader meaning or depth view of the existing situation by linking them to other
available knowledge.

This step or stage in the community organization process directs the social worker
to define the needs and problems or difficulties which he and the people in the
community will work on and to rank these problems accordingly. The necessary steps in
defining problem are:

1. Describe the characteristics of the people by making a generalization and/or

interference out of the causal relations of the data;
2. Find out whether one characteristic is associated with or parallel by another
characteristic;
3. Indicate how people in the community vary widely;
4. Describe the difference among two or more groups of people in the
community;
5. Upon initial identification of the problem or need, the worker moves on to
understanding fully how such problems come about by examining its origin
and the conditions brought about;
6. An essential concern in problem analysis is to know the extent of the problem
or how widely it is distributed among the people and the degree at which they
are affected by it; and
7. Hand in hand with defining the problem is also an assessment of its resource
systems.

The task of defining and analyzing problems is not the sole responsibility of the
social worker. The people must participate actively in the process of defining their own
problems because it is through direct participation that awareness of their problems is
heightened and that the effect on their lives will stir them into action. Participation may
come in the form of involving them in identifying needs and problems from the raw or
collated data asking them directly what their problems are, or validating with them
identified needs.

If for some reasons, the social worker had to go ahead in the task of collation,
analysis and interpretation of community problems, he must share of his analysis with the

41 | C O , 2 0 2 1
people for confirmation through community assembly. Oftentimes, there is a variance
between what the people perceive as their problems and the analysis of the worker
because this is what appears relevant to them at the time. If this occurs, the worker should
attempt to reconcile his diagnosis with that of the people’s perception because defining
the initial problem differently often results in non-participation of people in the problem-
solving process or their total loss to the worker. The worker should never move to the next
step, which is planning intervention unless this is resolved. The social worker using the
interpretative method explains the causal relationship of the data gathered (cause-
problem-effect) and initiates discussion among the people.

It should be emphasized that needs and problems come in bulk, most often
interrelate and that one cannot do everything at once, so that the task of the social
worker is to engage the client in the business of deciding where to start. This is what we
call “ranking” or “ordering” problems. The hard fact is that there is no dogmatic
assumption as to which social need in a given area or community should be given priority
at any given time, simply because conditions vary greatly in a geographic area. Three
factors should guide the social worker and the people in ranking problems. They are as
follows:

1. The urgency of the problem (how serious is the problem);

2. The extent of the problem (how many are affected); and
3. The capacity and capability of both the worker and community people for the
resolution of the problem (do they have the competence, manpower and
material resources to solve the problem).

The output of the process of analysis and diagnosis is a listing of needs, problems,
resources and capability of the people in the community.

III. Planning of Solution

Planning, as defined by Jose D. Olivar, refers to a process in which men and

women, acting through organized entities, endeavor to guide development so as to
solve the pressing problems around them. It is a way of defining purpose, arriving at
effective solutions and choosing means of carrying out those decisions in order to
achieve objectives. He emphasized that planning is intended to make possible the free
choice of individual action in order to permit the most efficient function of our
democratic way of life.

The universal features of a plan are:

1. It is a conscious, deliberate process;

2. It is continuing, as it involves revision, replanning from time to time for various
reasons;
3. It aims at economic and social development; and
4. It alters institutional obstacles to development.

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 The phrase “planning for solutions” is also called by social work authors as
treatment planning, intervention, plan of action or service contract. This particular step
in problem solving is simply a deliberate and conscious formulation of informal working
agreements between the social worker, the people in the community and other resource
systems in order to solve identified needs and problems. This plan is oftentimes called a
community development plan or a barangay development plan. Such plan serves as
the blueprint for implementation.

There are three components of planning for solution which are objective setting,
contract setting and success indicator formulation.

a. Objective Setting
An objective is simply a statement of a result to be achieved based on
needs and problems previously identified from the analysis conducted
in the earlier steps. Generally, it provides direction and it forms the basis
for determining what activities should be performed. It also helps
establish criteria for evaluating how well they are being performed.
It is in objective setting that the specific measurable accomplishment to
be achieved within a specific time and resources are identified.
There are two kinds of objectives:
1. General Objectives – oftentimes called as “goal”; it is broad
and long ranged to cover all significant areas of performance
expected to be done by the community for its total well-being.
2. Specific Objectives – objectives that run downs of things to be
done to achieve the general objective; it is short ranged and
behavioral in nature (that which can be observed).
The following are some guidelines for writing down objectives:
1. The objectives start with the word “to” followed by an action
verb.
2. It specifies a target date for its accomplishment.
3. It specifies only the “what” and “when”.
4. It is easily understandable by those who will be contributing to
its attainment.
5. It is realistic and attainable.
6. It is as specific and quantifiable as possible.
7. It is willingly agreed upon by the social worker and the
community people.
8. It is in keeping with the agency’s philosophy, policies and
practices.
9. It is recorded in writing for the reference of all who are
concerned.
b. Contract Setting
A contract is an agreement between and among people or groups
of people to conduct a particular task or achieve a specific objective
and a decision on the conditions under which they work on it, so they

43 | C O , 2 0 2 1
 can smoothly and meaningfully develop a sense of belongingness,
responsibility and accountability for it. The purpose of the social worker
in initiating a contract with and among the community people is to
influence and motivate them (leaders, agencies and residents) to get
involved in the change effort being planned.
The contract incorporates four sub-steps:
1. Programming – establishing a sequence of action to follow in
reaching objectives.
2. Fixing assignments and accountability – determining who will
see to the accomplishment of objectives and action steps and
defining specific rules.
3. Budgeting – determining and assigning the resources required
to reach objectives.
4. Scheduling – establishing time requirements for objectives and
action steps.
In the process, it is important for the social worker to be aware of
people’s dynamics, his own behavior, too, and know how to deal with
them.
The following are suggested guide questions that should be
considered in contract setting:
1. What detailed tasks are necessary to achieve specific
objectives?
2. Are these tasks appropriately selected assigned, and
distributed to develop individual capacity?
3. Are the people to whom tasks and activities are delegated
willing, competent and committed to do the job?
4. Are roles clearly defined and assigned so as to avoid confusion,
duplication and further resistance?
5. Are resources needed for each task identified?
6. Is the time frame determined and agreed upon by all
concerned parties?
7. Are the expected outputs clearly spelled out?
Some component parts of a contract are:
1. List of activities relevant to achieve a specific objective;
2. The strategy to employ such activities;
3. Names of people assigned to do the activity;
4. Specific role of each individual;
5. Role of the social worker in relation to the activity and to the
individual;
6. List of resources needed to be able to perform the activity;
7. Sources of resources; and
8. Time frame for every activity.
The social worker’s role in the contract setting phase is largely that of
motivator and teacher.

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 Conflicts are inevitable during contract setting and these may be
avoided. Some of the ways to avoid conflicts and to minimize them
are:
1. Keep people thoroughly informed.
2. Goals and objectives should be clearly stated.
3. In organizing committees, do not appoint two dominating
individuals to one committee.
4. Make it easy for people to participate by recognizing their
present status, their likes and dislikes.
5. Give credit where it is due.
6. In assigning tasks, study the personality of the participants-
cooperators.
7. Build a good working team so that members complement and
support each other in carrying out the job.
8. Take a definite stand only when all facts are known.
9. The group or committee should plan and work first on problems
that are easy and of common interest to the members.
c. Formulating Success Indicators
A success indicator implies qualification of performance factors, a unit
of measurement used as a standard against which to evaluate
performance.
In formulating success indicators, one should go back to each specific
objective and content, then determine and agree with the people
concerned what and when can an objective be considered
accomplished or achieved.
The advantages of having success indicators in our action plans are:
1. It guides us to what we should be doing;
2. It serves as a tool for determining if we are actually doing it
correctly or not;
3. It calls attention/warns us/signals us;
4. It measures individual performance;
5. It is a means of self-improvement and correction; and
6. It is a means of comparison with performance of other
organizations or units.

IV. Implementation

Implementation as the 4th step is putting into action or carrying out the plan
formulated jointly by the people of the community, the existing social agencies and the
social worker/community organization worker during the planning phase to bring about
positive change in the area or community.

The following are the tasks during the social worker during the implementation
phase:

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 1. Oversee and direct the implementation of projects and activities.
2. Clarify roles of each member in projects or activities.
3. Motivate the community members to contribute to the projects and
activities. Mobilize the use of community resources for the projects or
activities.
4. Conduct regular consultation and feedback with community members.
5. Manage inter-personal relationships and conflict management. Facilitate
team building activities.
6. Conduct an information and advocacy campaign on the “Community
Action Plan”.

Target of Change

Selecting a starting point of intervention in dealing with community problems is by

no means easy. Hence, it is important to distinguish the primary target of change as
distinct from the person who may be the primary client. The primary target of change
thus becomes the human or physical environment toward which professional efforts via
direct intervention are aimed in order to facilitate change.

There major factors that may determine the target of change are offered by harry
Specht and Frank Biessman, in Some Notes on a Model for an Integrated Social Work
Approach to Social Problems. They are as follows:

1. Knowledge of the various systems within which the social problems was
located;
2. Knowledge of the various methods appropriate for intervention in these
different social systems;
3. The resources available to the agency.

Resource Mobilization

Eduarte in his Handbook on Community Planning, suggests way and means of

generating and harnessing resources.

The CO worker employs a range of techniques and strategies in the

implementation of the Community/Barangay Development Plan to achieve set goals.
With the present political and economic crisis in the Philippines, the CO worker must out
of necessity focus his efforts on facilitating the collective work of people putting them in
touch with community resources. One very relevant role which the CO worker can take
is that of an advocate, reinforcing client groups in pleading a cause. Specifically, it
means that the CO worker seeks to serve the interest of a client group as a partisan and
may brace to challenge the service institution. This is sometimes called “activist role”
where the worker reject neutrality, takes the side of the client group, and assures a more
active role.

However, before activism became fashionable, the Filipino direct service worker
has been taking on more subtle roles: the enabler, the facilitator, the organizer, and the

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broker. He has directly focused his attention on the service recipients rather than service
provisions. The goal of his efforts is to engage and involve the poor in the decision-making
processes in the community.

Strategies

Strategy is defined as the procedure adopted by social workers to achieve a goal.

The term is used primarily to solve a difficult problem. The following are some selected
indigenous strategies which can be used in working in a community setting. These
strategies were presented and demonstrated by participants on the Preparatory
Technical meeting in Innovative Social Work Strategies in Working with Poverty Groups in
the Philippines sponsored by UNICEF (1977):

1. Hikayat (To convince)

2. Ugnayan (Coordination)
3. Damayan (Support)
4. Balik-diwa (Action-Reflection-Action)
5. Magkabalikat (Partnership)
6. Saupan (Helping Each Other)
7. Pangkat-Buod (Core Group)
8. Study-Action
9. Role Playing
10. Baranganic Approach
11. Learning Written Contract
12. Peer Helping
13. Experiential Learning
14. Use of Creative Literature and Folk Media
15. Group Dynamics
16. Modelling
17. Utilization of Informal Structure as an entry point for community planning

V. Evaluation

Evaluation is the phase is concerned with the assessment of the whole scheme of
the helping, problem-solving process, whether the efforts of the community in effecting
problem resolution is successful or a failure. Specifically, evaluation is conducted to:

1. Determine whether the program or project has accomplished the objectives it

was intended for;
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the plan so that revisions could be
made;
3. Identify the factors which contributed to success or failure and gain insights
into factors necessary to achieve objectives;
4. Determine whether inputs into the project are justified by the benefits or
outputs; and

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 5. Serve as basis for a continuous improvement of the community and future
plans.

An evaluation is said to be technically sound if it is based on standards. In

community organization, standards can take the form of success indicators which have
been formulated during the planning phase. Methods can either be to review the
barangay development plan and compare it with actual accomplishment of the people
or to conduct a research.

Any positive changes resulting from community organization must not be viewed
in terms of numbers alone, but in terms of the people’s well-being and the positive
changes in attitude and behavior.

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ROLES, FUNCTIONS, TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES USED BY A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
WORKER

It important for a social worker to know his/her roles and functions when he/she
practices as a CO worker. The CO worker should also need to be familiar with the CO
techniques and strategies and the situations they are called for.

ROLES OF A CO WORKER

The roles of a CO worker are the following:

1. Enabler – enabling the community to engage in establishing goals, objectives and

setting priorities.
2. Helper – helping community groups identify their problems/needs and take
effective action on their planned goals and objectives to solve their problems and
meet their needs and aspirations.
3. Guide – guiding the community groups in the process through difficulties
encountered.
4. Initiator – initiating action through education, demonstration and other techniques
and strategies.
5. Broker – acting as broker between groups, the client community and outside
resources.
6. Advocate – advocating the just cause of any disadvantaged groups, sector or
community as a whole.
7. Consultant – providing expert knowledge and information to achieve planned
goals and objectives.
8. Intervenor – intervening for and on behalf of the people for their participation and
involvement in the formulation of social welfare programs, services and projects
intended to benefit or affect them or when their interest and welfare are in
jeopardy.
9. Planner – sits as planner for the social welfare/social services sector in planning
bodies as the barangay, municipal, provincial, regional and national
development councils.
10. Researcher – makes research on current problems, needs and issues as basis for
action planning.

FUNCTIONS OF A CO WORKER

The following are the functions of the CO worker according to Arthur Dunham:

1. Fact Finding – to secure and maintain an adequate factual basis for sound
planning.

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 2. Program Development – to initiate, develop new programs and services and
modify or terminate social welfare programs and services that had become
irrelevant.
3. Establishment of standards – to establish, maintain and improve social welfare
standards, and to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of
operation of social welfare agencies.
4. Coordination – to improve and facilitate interrelationships and to promote
coordination between organizations, groups and individuals concerned with
social welfare programs and services.
5. Education – to develop better public understanding of social welfare needs,
problems, resources, objectives, services, methods and standards.
6. Support and Participation – to develop adequate public support of and public
participation in social welfare activities.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE OF A CO WORKER

Based on the CO worker’s roles and functions, he/she should possess the following
knowledge:

1. The goals and objectives of society

2. Social legislations
3. Research
4. Group processes/human and group behavior
5. Power structure in a community
6. Management of power
7. Use of inter-group relationship
8. Problem-solving and decision making
9. Situation analysis
10. Planning processes
11. Policy formulation
12. Existing resources (internal and external)
13. Program development

REQUIRED SKILLS OF A CO WORKER

The CO worker should possess the following skills:

1. Working with people/one on one and small groups

2. Organizing
3. Verbal and written communication
4. Committee work
5. Leadership
6. Administration
7. Interviewing

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 8. Research
9. Planning and policy formulation
10. Strategy design and implementation
11. Lobbying
12. Recording
13. Social education and action
14. Inter-group relationship
15. Coordination

TECHNIQUES USED BY A CO WORKER

According to the Philippine Social work Encyclopedia, technique refers to the

manner by which certain activities are executed based on the mechanical or formal
aspects. The following are the techniques of a CO worker:

1. Structuring – it employs the use of suitable structures to engage in problem-solving

as councils, committees, task force, ad hoc committee, study groups, etc.
2. Situation Analysis – it involves the breaking up of a problem situation or collection
of data, exploring the content and examining and setting forth of the various
aspects, issues and relationships involved to gain insight and understanding the
content better for logical conclusions/solutions.
3. Problem Analysis – the process of looking into the causes of the problem and their
effects on those affected by it.
4. Role Playing and Socio-Drama – Role Playing is acting out a situation which would
depict a problem or varied problem and their effects designed to change the
attitude and thinking of the target audience towards the problem as from apathy
to concern. On the other hand, socio-drama is a dramatic performance with
psychological overtones that is also designed to change the values, attitudes,
habits and thinking of the target audience to a desired manner.
5. Education and Promotion – it employs a range of educational and promotional
ways/approaches to enhance people’s understanding and support of programs,
projects and plans for community improvement and development. Example
includes film showing, training seminars, posters, folk media, field visits and
community assemblies.
6. Demonstration – the organization of demonstration projects to illustrate ways of
dealing with certain social problems which can be subsequently adopted for
similar uses by the community and other communities and organization.
7. Use of Group Dynamics and Experiential Learning in Training – these are effective
techniques in training indigenous leaders who have an aversion to lecture-type
seminars. Experiential learning employs the exposure of trainees to a planned
situation or game where they experience a learning process. Group dynamics on
the other hand had been defined and to mean “the interacting forces within a
small human group”. In this context, it refers to planned group processes designed
to communicate new knowledge and ideas; to change negative values, attitudes

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 and behavior and to promote/strengthen relationships among the target group
members.
8. Use of an Expert/Consultant – utilizing the knowledge and expertise of others, the
CO worker enriches her own and wastes no time doing things through the trial-
and-error method.
9. Formal Study – the CO worker employs this technique to influence public opinion
and motivate people to act on certain community and national issues wherein
the results of which the CO worker can interprets and disseminates to the public
that they would appropriately act on said issues or problem.
10. Use of Questions in Handling Group Discussion – as practiced and learned from
leading CO practitioners, the use of questions has the following uses:
a. To open discussions
b. To stimulate interest
c. To provoke thinking
d. To accumulate data
e. To get individual participation
f. To develop a subject matter
g. To change the trend of discussion
h. To limit or terminate discussion

STRATEGIES USED BY A CO WORKER

According to the Philippine Social Work Encyclopedia, strategy refers to the

procedure adopted by social workers to achieve a goal. It is also defined as the tactic
of careful plan or a method devised to achieve a desired goal. The different strategies
being employed by a CO worker are the following:

1. Management of Power – the CO worker uses this strategy by helping create new
centers of power in communities where leadership is indifferent and ineffective.
This is a process to attain people empowerment.
2. Training of Leaders for their Role Function – an effective strategy in enabling the
community to be a self-reliant and self-managed community. The leaders should
therefore be trained on the following leadership requirements:
a. Management and administration
b. Leadership
c. Development planning, problem-solving and decision-making
d. Interpersonal and group relationship
e. Disaster preparedness and its management
f. Primary health care
g. Knowledge on the national social and economic development thrusts
h. Knowledge of internal and external resources
i. How to prepare project proposals/feasibility studies
j. How to prepare policies and ordinances
k. Barangay justice system

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 l. Local Government Code and other pertinent laws
3. Organizing People for Specific Tasks, Roles and Functions – organizing people for
these purposes is the forte of CO worker. People are organized to do specific tasks
is a strategy that facilitates the attainment of goals and objectives since the job is
done in a more organized manner which uses at the same time the pooled
thinking, expertise and resources of those involved in the different organized
operational units.
4. Use of Conflict – popularized by Alinsky; it is used in communities where the people
are apathetic towards their pressing problems and needs when other strategies
fail. The introduction of conflict is designed to awaken the people from their
lethargy and trigger the desired action on their part to do something about their
community problems. According to Burke, conflict strategy works best for
organizations committed to a cause rather than specific issues.
5. Strategies by Roland Warren – Roland Warren had developed a typology of
strategies for achieving purposive change which are the following:
a. Collaborative Strategy – based on the assumption of consensus or
common based of values and interests among the parties in
disagreement.
b. Campaign Strategy – applicable when the people are not in agreement
on how an issue should be resolved. This strategy employs educating,
persuading and pressuring the recalcitrant into agreeing with a group’s
proposed solution/approach to a major issue or problem in the
community.
c. Contest Strategy – this strategy would apply to crystallize the issues
involved and to get majority vote/support for one of the contestant’s
proposal which will be considered the community’s adopted decision
after the voting.
6. Strategies under Social Action – the following are the strategies found under the
Social Action Model:
a. Social Brokerage – it is employed when a problem threatens to be
explosive or disruptive and is diffused through the CO worker’s intervention
as a broker with the involvement of relevant groups and individuals who
can help diffuse a crisis situation and bring in relevant agencies and
individuals to help the families deal with their anticipated problems and
needs.
b. Use of Integrative Mechanisms to Strengthen Organization – it employs the
integration of other groups’ efforts and support to strengthen the cause
another group or agency is espousing.
c. Social Protests to Support Social Movements – commonly used as a
strategy in influencing change or modification of policies and services
deemed irrelevant, inadequate or disadvantageous to the greater sector
of society. It is also used to pressure the removal of officials perceived as
incompetent, immoral and corrupt or simply indifferent to the plight and
welfare of some sectors of society.

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 7. Lobbying – interest groups attend committee meetings of the legislative bodies
and the legislative sessions itself to show support of or protests against the passage
of certain bills or some of its offending provisions. It consists of presenting a position
paper to the deliberating committee where their stand is detailed in a concise
and incisive manner.
8. Use of Field Trips – the CO worker employs this strategy for fast-track learning
designed for indigenous leaders’ training for community development and
leadership roles.
9. Use of Volunteers – it had been found as an effective strategy for lack of
manpower and resources.

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EMERGING PROCESS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT

As defined by Miclat, people empowerment is the process of releasing the

potentials of people through appropriate programs, services and strategies; removing
blocks that deter their growth and development and accessing them for the
enhancement of their highest capabilities that they would be freed from the fetters of
poverty, ignorance, oppression, social injustice and fear to stand up for their rights and
pursuits for happiness as a member of a free and just society.

Sources of Power

The following are the source of power:

1. Freedom
2. Knowledge and wisdom
3. Mental and moral efficacy
4. Capability for leadership roles
5. Ability to act or produce an effect
6. Prestige and wealth
7. Possession of authority and control over others
8. Physical might as controlling a group of armed persons

How can the people be empowered for their own benefit and their country?

People should be given opportunities to acquire the other positive sources of

power as freedom, knowledge and wisdom, mental and moral efficacy, capabilities for
leadership roles and abilities to achieve their goals and dreams. They should be assisted
to realize their highest potentials as active and contributing members of society.

The process of people empowerment is long and tedious especially for people
living in third world countries who have long been endured in a life of oppression and
resignation. These make them vulnerable to injustice and exploitation. But once
empowered, they would be a potent force for the country’s development and progress
as they achieve for themselves a better life and higher socio-economic goals. These are
the suggested processes for people empowerment:

1. Identify the blocks that hinder people’s growth and development;

2. Removal of the blocks to growth and development;
3. Releasing the potentials of people; and
4. Accessing the people for the enhancement of their potentials to its highest and
productive level

If the people’s potentials have to be enhanced to its highest and productive level,
they should be given the opportunities to be more learned and productive. Such
opportunities are the following:

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 1. A wide latitude to make decisions on matters that would affect their interests
and welfare;
2. Access to attain capability building;
3. Access to greater economic resources;
4. Access to technological knowledge and modern equipment to boost
production;
5. Access to higher institutions of learning with quality education and values
inculcation; and
6. Spiritual enhancement seminars.

KAPIT-BISIG LABAN SA KAHIRAPAN-COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED DELIVERY OF

SOCIAL SERVICES (KALAHI-CIDSS)

KALAHI-CIDSS, otherwise known as the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-

Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, is one of the poverty
alleviation programs of the Philippine Government being implemented by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It uses the community-driven
development (CDD) approach, a globally recognized strategy for achieving service
delivery, poverty reduction, and good governance outcomes.

Started in 2003, its scale-up was approved on 18 January 2013 by the National
Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board, which was headed by President
Benigno Aquino III. The development objective of Kalahi-CIDSS is to have
barangays/communities of targeted municipalities become empowered to achieve
improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local planning,
budgeting, and implementation.

HISTORY OF KALAHI-CIDSS

Originally named as “Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KKB)”, Kalahi-

CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social
Services) uses the community-driven development (CDD) approach in delivering social
services and implementing local solutions to alleviate poverty.

Kalahi-CIDSS consolidated the lessons and strategies applied by two national

programs that have manifested a high degree of effectiveness in poverty alleviation: the
Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS) Program of the DSWD
of the Government of the Philippines, and the Kecamatan Development Program (KDP)
of the Government of Indonesia.

In July 2002, Kalahi-CIDSS pilot-tested the 16-step process of the Community

Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC), the platform for engaging and capacitating
communities through a process of community planning and action. The site of the pilot
testing was Dolores, Quezon, a fifth-class municipality, with PhP1.8 M allocated for the

56 | C O , 2 0 2 1
community projects. Six of its barangays participated in the pilot: Cabatang,
Manggahan, Putol, Pinagdanlayan, Bulakin 1, and Dagatan. The field team was
comprised of five members: Irene Malong as Area Coordinator, Jay Arribay, Ernesto
Gimas, and Ray Camiling, as community facilitators, and Ma. Consuelo Acosta as
documenter. The pilot test, which ran for six months, provided the experience and model
that guided the first batch of municipalities that adopted the CDD approach.

Kalahi-CIDSS was officially approved in 2003 with funding support from the World
Bank. Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman served as its first National Project Director, with
Undersecretary Clifford Burkley as the Deputy National Project Director, and Dir.
Alexander Glova as the first National Project Manager.

The parent project ended in 2010, covering 200 municipalities. In the same year,
the government granted it a bridge financing for another three years (2010-2014) in order
to prepare for a scale up of CDD operations.

Under the Kalahi-CIDSS-Additional Financing, which has funding support from

World Bank, 182 municipalities were covered. At the same time, the Millennium
Challenge Corporation (MCC), through the Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines
(MCA-P), provided a grant that covered the implementation of 164 municipalities
nationwide, 102 of which were new municipalities to implement CDD (the remaining 62
were previously covered by the parent project).

In response to a strong demand from partner LGUs and communities and the
support of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC), the DSWD
proposed to scale up CDD into a national program to be called National Community
Driven Development Program (NCDDP).

WHAT IS COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT?

Both NCDDP and its parent project Kalahi-CIDSS use CDD (Community-Driven
Development) as the over-all community development approach and strategy.

The CDD approach ensures that development priorities are addressed in a

participatory, collective, inclusive, and in demand-driven way. This is done through
localized decision-making during social preparation activities, and in the identification,
development, prioritization, establishment, and operationalization of community
projects.

NCDDP will support implementation of the national government current thrust to

accelerate achievement of the MDG goals and to halve poverty by 2015. NCDDP shall
be able to use the following advantages of the CDD approach in poverty reduction:

Ability of the CDD approach to deliver social, economic and good governance
outcomes, proven by the experience and external impact evaluation results of
the KALAHI-CIDSS project of DSWD;

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 Positive economic costs and benefits analysis of CDD-supported KALAHI-CIDSS
community projects, showing high overall and sub-project-level economic rates
of return;
The acknowledgement in the Philippine Development Plan 2011-16 of CDD as an
effective approach in social development programs delivery;
Endorsement of LGU local chief executives of the CDD approach based on their
experience in the KALAHI-CIDSS project; and
Ability of the CDD process to coordinate and expedite channeling of local and
national government resources into poor municipalities, considering size of
poverty and population.

The NCDDP will support Kalahi-CIDSS CDD operation and expansion, as well as
integration of CDD with the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster's
(HDPRC) Bottom-Up Planning and Budgeting (BUB) process in selected municipalities.

Specifically, NCDDP will implement the following:

Institutionalize performance-based CDD support for municipalities that have

finished at least 4 cycles of old and existing Kalahi-CIDSS municipalities which have
participated in four or more Kalahi-CIDSS funding cycles;
Continue CDD operation in existing KALAHI-CIDSS municipalities and expand into
new targeted poor municipalities;
Integrate Kalahi-CIDSS CDD and LPRAP-BUP process in common municipalities of
the NCDDP and HDPRC, for more systematized community participation in local
poverty reduction action;
Institutionalize capacity building and learning on CDD for community volunteers,
partner national government agencies, LGUs, CSOs and other partners;
Support integration of the role of provincial LGUs in Bottom-Up Planning and
Budgeting and CDD, particularly in provinces with high concentrations of NCDDP
municipalities; and
Continue support for the government’s DSWD convergence of CCT-CDD-
Livelihood Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program by providing needed health
and education social infrastructure facilities in target CCT areas, thereby enabling
the Program’s beneficiaries to comply with the requirements of the conditional
cash transfer program.

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR CDD?

Increasing available resources for development. The annual investment presents

a huge opportunity for addressing the poverty concern of a municipality. The
grant also requires only a minimum of 30% in equity in cash or in-kind contribution.
Responsive community projects. The program supports projects that address the
needs of the LGU’s constituents.

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 Improved governance. The CDD technology has been demonstrated to work and
has benefited, with concrete evidence of success, in many municipalities resulting
in better governance and improved public satisfaction.
Development of volunteers who become the engines of change in the
communities. Volunteers from the barangays are trained on organizational and
technical skills to participate in project activities and to implement a range of local
services for their communities.
Opportunities to scale up. By leveraging the resources provided through the
program, several municipalities will be able to access more grants for
development or to have their volunteers manage other LGU-funded projects.

DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE OF NCDDP

To have barangays/communities of targeted municipalities become empowered

to achieve improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local
planning, budgeting, and implementation.

NCDDP aims to:

Empower communities by treating them not as passive recipients of assistance

and services but as partners in development;
Improve local governance by improving people’s engagement with and access
to their LGUs, thereby making it more democratic and participatory;
Reduce poverty by implementing barangay-level projects that respond to the
communities’ felt needs and problems.

NCDDP is expected to achieve the following benefits for communities:

Better access to basic services;

Improve core local poverty indicators in project municipalities;
Increase percentages of households that report an increase in knowledge, skills,
and confidence to participate collectively in local governance activities in
project municipalities;
Improve the attendance of members from marginalized groups in barangay
assemblies

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF LET-CIDSS

NCDDP is guided by the principles of LET-CIDSS:

Localized decision-making. Communities decide on which projects will be

implemented.
Empowering. People are capacitated so they will become better prepared in
managing community issues and problems, as well as in the planning, mobilization,
implementation, and resource management of their projects.

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 Transparent. A multi-level monitoring system is followed, wherein NGOs, media,
and other groups are encouraged to do independent monitoring of Kalahi-CIDSS.
Community prioritization. The participating barangays are tasked with submitting
a proposal about their chosen projects in the MIBF. The community will then
evaluate these proposals and identify which of these will be prioritized for funding.
Inclusive and multi-stakeholder. Everyone in the barangay is involved in every step
of the process of project implementation, from the creation of the proposal to the
implementation and management of the project.
Demand-driven. Communities are encouraged to prioritize their own needs,
participate in the design of their own projects, and make decisions on how
resources are used.
Simple. All procedures and components of the project are kept simple to enable
all stakeholders to easily and understand and become fully involved in the Project.
Sustainable. All barangay projects will have viable long-term plans for operations
and maintenance and sustainability.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

KC-NCDDP has three program components:

Component 1: Community Grants. This component supports two types of

assistance: 1) Planning Grants that which funds the conduct of community level
social and technical preparation and training around the CEAC, and 2)
Investment Grants to fund proposals of community infrastructure sub-projects and
activities based on an open menu of eligible projects.
Component 2: Capacity–Building and Implementation Support (CBIS). This
component shall provide funding for the cost of the services of local facilitators
and technical officers who will assist communities on social and technical
preparation. The facilitators and technical officers (i.e. Area Coordinating Team,
as well as the LGU and Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) implementers)
will receive capacity building training on participatory development, CDD and
related competencies.
Component 3: Program Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. This will
cover costs at the regional and national levels, for supporting, supervising and
monitoring CDD operation. Also covered in this component is the cost of
evaluating and verifying local outcomes from CDD implementation.

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITY CYCLE (CEAC)

The Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC) is the platform used by

Kalahi-CIDSS for engaging communities in a facilitated process of community analysis,
planning, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It provides communities in
putting CDD principles to practice.

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 Through the five-stage process of the CEAC, communities learn about their
development needs and identify solutions in the form of projects in order to enhance
their access to quality basic social services and to accelerate their development through
participation in inclusive local planning, budgeting and implementation.

IMPACTS OF KALAHI-CIDSS

The impact evaluation of Kalahi-CIDSS found out the following:

Inclusiveness and minimized elite capture. It was successful in directing resources

to the poorest municipalities. Within these municipalities, participation in the
process was not dominated by local elites, and monitoring show that indigenous
people, women and the poorest barangays are benefitting.
Impact on household well-being was positive, as indicated by increased
consumption. Per capita consumption increased by 5% in Kalahi-CIDSS-assisted
municipalities.
Improved basic service delivery. Kalahi-CIDSS has shown to make basic service
facilities more accessible to and utilized by community members.
Increased social capital outcomes as indicated by growing group membership
and trust levels. Community members’ attendance and participation in barangay
assembly meetings have increased in Kalahi-CIDSS municipalities.
Increased participation in barangay assemblies. Community members’
attendance and participation in barangay assemblies have increased in Kalahi-
CIDSS areas.

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 These findings show the gains that could be gleaned by using the community-
driven development (CDD) approach.

References:

Marasigan, R., Hamili, M., & Miclat, A. (1992). Working with Communities: The Community
Organization Method. National Association for Social work Education Inc.

Miclat, A. (1993). The Fundamentals of Community Organization and People

Empowerment. Mary Jo Educational Supply.

Palispis, E. & Sampa, E. (2015). Introduction to Sociology and Anthropology. 3rd Ed., Rex
Book Store.

https://ncddp.dswd.gov.ph/

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