CAPIR

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• Core Modules
  • 1. CAPIR Introduction
  • 2. Community Entry
  • 3. Values
  • 4. Rights and Responsibilities
  • 5. Community Snapshot
  • 6. Community Mobilisation
  • 7. Accountability
  • 8. Fields of Action
• Library Modules
  • 1. Participation
  • 2. Negotiation
  • 3. Group Skills
  • 4. Decision Making
  • 5. Strategic Questioning
  • 6. Health Development
  • 7. Leadership
  • 8. Cultural Safety
  • 9. Internet Skills
  • 10. Funding Applications
• Process Drivers
  • 1. CAPIR Introduction
  • 2. Community Entry
  • 3. Values
  • 4. Rights and Responsibilities
  • 5. Community Snapshot
  • 6. Community Mobilisation
  • 7. Accountability
  • 8. Fields of Action
• CAPIR Tools
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  • Readings
• Definitions
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Core Module 6 - Community Mobilisation

About community mobilisation

The problem with many planning processes is that no change or action takes place as a result. If action does take place, the community is often not involved. The action is done to the community - not by the community. This is not what we want to happen if real change is to be sustained. The library module Decision Making gives more information about this.

The community must be involved not only in the identification of problems, but also in the actions which solve them. Communities and other interested parties can agree to work together to plan for the future.

Community mobilisation will only happen after a careful developmental process that involves participation of community people in making decisions, establishing common ground (values), and describing and agreeing on everyone's rights and responsibilities in the process.

Visioning workshops are used in the CAPIR process to support community action. These workshops:

• increase the knowledge of and acceptance of different ways of participating within the group
• change the power base by asking the question 'Who isn't here?'. The group then becomes a facilitation group rather than the power holder
• place decision making in the hands of those most affected by the decisions. Decisions can't be made for people who aren't represented, eg. young people or other cultural groups
• build a vision from the positives while not ignoring the negatives
• if appropriate, can develop the connection between well-being and therefore health, and the things that affect our lives, eg. employment, stress and education.

Decisions about if, when, how and who concerning a visioning workshop should be made by the group or the facilitator engaged in the planning process.

Community champions may play a very active role in setting up these workshops. They may generate interest and are often aware of local issues that may affect timing and suitability of workshops. Workshops can take up to four hours, allowing for refreshments etc.

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Helpful tips

Think carefully about:

• the skills and acceptability of the person chosen to run the workshop
• informing the community
• working within their timeframes
• providing access to opportunities to develop skills at the same time if appropriate. This can be used as a draw card
• appropriateness of the venue, ie can everyone get in and out with ease (wheelchair / pram ramps, parking, proximity of public transport etc)
• cultural issues
• refreshments
• babysitting.

Process driver

The Process Driver will help you to work through the stages of the workshop.

At the end of the workshop you should have:

• the beginnings of a vision for your community and an idea of community priorities
• an idea of the values within which the community operates
• a number of small action groups made up of people particularly interested in working on various issues within the plan
• some plans for the action groups to work on
• a way of keeping each other informed on the progress of the different action groups.

The issues around which the action groups form at the end of the workshop, can be considered to be Fields of Action for that community. These Fields of Action may be changed as the group gathers the views of the wider community. Individual action plans and ways of tracing change for these issues can be recorded in the Fields of Action module.

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Related modules

• Cultural Safety
• Decision Making
• Group Skills
• Negotiation
• Participation
• Values

Links

• Community Toolbox
• Social Determinants of Health

Related readings

McArdle, J. 1998. 'Resource Manual in Community Development'. Vista Publications

Susan Goff. 1999. 'Draft Facilitator's Participatory Action Research Resource', pp. 129-148.

Tools

Link to useful tools on this module.

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