Writing a community action plan

What are needed in writing an action plan

1. A clear vision
2. A set of values
3. The strategic framework
4. An overall goal

Appendix D11.2.2
Elements of an Action Plan
1. Statement of what must be achieved – the goal or output
2. Activities that have to be followed to reach the objective or goal
3. Target date for completion or schedule for when each activity must begin/end
4. Identification of the organization/individual who will be responsible for each activity
5. Clarification of the inputs/resources needed to complete the task
6. Identification of indicators which will allow for measurement of progress towards the goals

Parts of a Community Action Plan

I. Cover Page
II. Executive Summary
III. Table of Contents
IV. Community Profile
V. Introduction to the Plan
a. How the plan was developed
b. Who was involved in the development of the plan
c. Who will manage the implementation of the plan
d. Other information that is important to the plan
VI. Action Plan
VII. Appendices and Supporting Documentation

PERFORMANCE TASK
TOPIC: Partnership Building with Local Groups

Objective: The learners will be able to identify different groups with the community (i.e.,
community based, government based, and faith based). Day 1
Activity 1:
Part 1
1. Group yourselves into four (count 1-4);
2. Share/Identify local groups within your community as to community based, government based, and
faith based.
3. What beneficial do these groups contribute to the community?
a. Part 2 (2 mins. per group)
4. Present your work

Discussion:
1. What is the purpose of forming partnerships?
• To bring about more effective and efficient delivery of programs and eliminate any unnecessary
duplication of effort.
• To pool resources.
• To increase communication among groups and break down stereotypes.
• To build networks and friendships.
• To revitalize wilting energies of members of groups who are trying to do too much alone.
• To plan and launch community-wide initiatives on a variety of issues.
 • To develop and use political clout to gain services or other benefits for the community
• To create long-term, permanent social change.
• To obtain or provide services.

2. What are the types of partnership?

• Community-based
• Government-based
• Faith-based
3. What are the different methods and approaches in building partnership in the community?
• Coordination
• Cooperation
• Collaboration
• Partnership
http://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/Inc/Common/_download_pub.cfm?id=14333&lid=3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_community

Identify specific group/s existing in your community and how can they enhance for the betterment
of the situation
Make a simple research on the methods and approaches used in building a partnership in the
community.
Activity
1. Stay in your group

Role: Youth advocate promoting unity among religious group, organizations and denominations.
Audience: Religious leaders of different denominations throughout the world.
Situation: There will be an International Conference of the different religious denominations organized
by the United Nations. The objective of this conference is to discuss Ecumenism, promote unity amidst
religious diversity and to end conflict brought about by different beliefs. As youth advocates your group
was invited to present the positive and negative effects of religion and to promote unity despite of having
religious diversity. You are tasked to do it using a compilation or narrative report or a picture slide
presentation consists of articles, photos and editorial coming from credible sources.
Product/ Performance: Narrative Report or Picture slide Presentation.
Standard:
Content 50%
Presentation 40%
Relevance 10%
-------
--
100
%
CHECKRICS
NARRATIVE REPORT/ PICTURE SLIDE PRESENTATION
CONTENT 50%
The content was able to show detailed, reliable unbiased information about the positive
and negative effects of religion in an organized way. Through the presentation they were able to
promote unity amidst religious diversity.
Presentation 40%
They were able to provide all the requirements in the checklist.
Relevance 10%
All information provided are vital for the presentation and it promotes the value of unity.

Sample
Community Profile Form
Put a check on the blank of your response or write the corresponding information needed.
Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________
Complete Address: ____________________________________________________________

Religion: __________________

Sex: _____ Male ______ Female

Age: _____ 15-16 ______ 17-18 _______ 19 and

above

Type of family
____ Nuclear ______ Extended ____ Single Parent

Number of Siblings: ______________________

Family Income per month: ______ Php 2000 ______ Php 5000 ______ Php 8000
_____ Php 10000 _______ Php 15000 ______Php 16000 and above
Name some business establishments in your community:____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Do you have schools in your community? ____ Yes _____None

If yes, ____ Day Care Centers _____Elementary ____ High School ___College

Are health services available in your community? ____ Yes _____ No

If yes, ____ Health Center ___ Clinic____ Public Hospital ___ Private Hospital

Methodologies and Approaches of Community actions and involvements across Disciplines

-Community Profile
Establishing a purpose for the lesson
The class was grouped according to: number of siblings, occupation of father/mother,
membership in an organization, barangay where we live, family income, means of transportation and
religion.

Appendix D12.2.2
Methodologies and Approaches of Community actions and involvements across Disciplines
- Needs Assessment
Things that help me learn
Put a small box inside the line for your response regarding the things that help you learn.

I understand my learning
I take I ask
questions
responsibility when I don’t
for my
understand.
choices
I offer help start. I treat other people
before I am with respect.
I help others in my
asked.
1. Why do we need to perform an assessment?
I finish what I I do my best all the
goals. time.

Community needs assessment is a process that describes the state of local people, enables
the identification of the actions needed and how to address these.
A plan which delivers the most effective care to those in greatest need; applies the principles
of equity and social justice in practice;

2. What does a community assessment measure?

Community needs assessment measures the strengths and resources available in the
community to meet the needs of the children, youth and families.
3. When should you do needs assessment?
Needs assessment should be done before doing a community-action plan.
4. What does needs assessment contain?
A community assessment contains compilation of demographic data from census records, results of
surveys conducted/ by others and informal feedback from community partners.

Assessing Community Needs and

Resources
This toolkit provides guidance for conducting assessments of community needs and resources.
1. Describe the makeup and history of the community to provide a context within which to
collect data on its current concerns.
a. Comment on the types of information that best describes the community (e.g.,
demographic, historical, political, civic participation, key leaders, past concerns,
geographic, assets)
b. Describe the sources of information used (e.g., public records, local people, internet, maps,
phone book, library, newspaper)
c. Comment on whether there are sufficient resources (e.g., time, personnel, resources)
available to collect this information
d. Assess the quality of the information
e. Describe the strengths and problems you heard about

2. Describe what matters to people in the community, including a description of:

a. Issues that people in the community care about (e.g., safety, education, housing, health)
b. How important these issues are to the community (e.g., perceived importance,
consequences for the community)
c. Methods the group will (did) use to listen to the community (e.g., listening sessions, public
forums, interviews, concerns surveys, focus groups)

3. Describe what matters to key stakeholders, including:

a. Who else cares about the issue (the stakeholders) and what do they care about?
b. What stakeholders want to know about the situation (e.g., who is affected, how many, what
factors contribute to the problem)
c. Prioritized populations and subgroups that stakeholders intend to benefit from the effort
d. Methods you will (did) use to gather information (e.g., surveys, interviews)
4. (For each candidate problem/goal) Describe the evidence indicating whether the problem/goal
should be a priority issue, including:
a. The community-level indicators (e.g., rate of infant deaths or vehicle crashes) related to the
issue
b. How frequently the problem (or related behavior) occurs (e.g., number of youth reporting
alcohol use in the past 30 days)
c. How many people are affected by the problem and the severity of its effects
d. How feasible it is to address the issue
e. Possible impact and/or consequences of addressing the problem/goal

5. Describe the barriers and resources for addressing the identified issue(s), including:
a. Barriers or resistance to solving the problem or achieving the goal (e.g., denial or
discounting of the problem) and how they can be minimized (e.g., reframing the issue)
b. What resources and assets are available and how the group can tap into those resources
to address the issue
c. Community context or situation that might make it easier or more difficult to address this
issue

6. (Based on the assessment) Select and state the priority issue (or issues) to be addressed by
the group.
What are the things needed in each step?
The things needed in each step are community profile, survey for needs assessment and
priority issue presentation.
What would you do in each step?
In each step the following should be done: describe the make-up history of the community,
describe what matters to people/stakeholders, describe the barriers and resources and select
priority issue.
Why do we need to do a community needs assessment? How can a needs assessment help the
community?
 A community needs assessment is needed to describe the condition of the community;
identify the major risk factors and their causes; and enable the identification of the actions needed
to address these.

Rubric: Community Needs Assessment Form

Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary
Clarity
The direction and items
are written in clear
manner.
Current action and
organizations
Thoroughly identifies
current action and
organizations taking
action at a variety of
levels.
Content
Thoroughly assesses
the community.
Identifies strengths and
resources as well as
the problems

Community Profile and Needs Assessment

How is community profile different from community needs assessment?
Community profile essentially answers the question, “Where is the community now?” and provides
baseline information on the present situation of the community like population and other unique
characteristics of the community. The information can then be used for planning purposes while
community needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs or gaps
between current conditions or wants.

Participatory Action Planning

I. Rationale and Definition
Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm that emphasizes involving the entire community
in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning
processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development. Participatory
planning aims to harmonize views among all of its participants as well as prevent conflict between
opposing parties. In addition, marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in the planning
process. (Lefevre, Pierre; Kolsteren, Patrick; De Wael, Marie-Paule; Byekwaso, Francis; Beghin, Ivan
(December 2000). "Comprehensive Participatory Planning and Evaluation" (PDF). Antwerp, Belgium:
IFAD. Retrieved 2017-05-11)
II. The Need for Participatory Action Planning 1. Public distrust of planning based on past
practices
Participatory planning is needed when there is public distrust of previous planning practice
and/or where new development may lead to significant conflicts. Research around the globe
present several examples where failures of traditional planning approaches and public distrust of
planning led to innovations and new forms of participatory planning. In South Africa planning had
 been part of the apartheid system and so the need to reinvent a new form of planning was
overwhelming. In the Ephrata case study, a planning consultant was brought in as a mediator
after litigants had obtained a court order against the city's plan that had been adopted after a
traditional process of 'public participation'. Therefore, public relations consultants have been
hired to 'do public outreach, run community meetings, provide public notices and informational
items to get the public involved'. This sounds less ambitious than many examples encountered in
our research, but the point remains that there is a perceived need to make a step-change from
past practices.
2. Governments' desire to improve the co-ordination
Planning needs to change from a narrow, self-enclosed system of regulation to become a means
of delivering development that achieves broader objectives, social justice and other sustainable
development action initiatives. Planning needs to be about integration not about separation -
integration between public and private investment in an area, between different scales of
government and between different agencies. Thus there is a need to rethink the traditional
approach to consultation with stakeholders and other public agencies. It means moving from 'We
have a plan; what do you think about it?' to active integration of the aspirations and intentions of
other players into the preparation of the plan and its structures for implementation. This will
require engagement and negotiation to anticipate and reconcile differences, but it offers the
prospect of eventual shared commitment to the plan and to its implementation. Where conflicting
aspirations between planning and other institutions and agencies with sectoral responsibilities
threaten to block agreement, independent persons such as academics can play a valuable role
as 'informal' mediators in efforts to find consensus.
3. Respect to Grassroots Community
Planning practice needs to engage with the reality of diversity in today's society. This means
being aware of different cultures and ensuring that issues of diversity are addressed throughout
the planning process. Traditional public participation has often failed to do this. Participatory
planning is built around diversity, conflicting interests and the need to listen to the voices of
marginalised groups.
A recognition amongst governments and non-governmental organisations that sustainable
development requires consensus building and engagement with citizens.Grassroots involvement
and local participatory democracy are much more a part of a political culture while in other
country it is a non-political culture, a sense of resistance. Thus, there is a good deal of regional
variability in attitudes toward planning, government, and local activism. Planning is accepted
widely and there is an emphasis on grassroots participation and inclusivity.
(http://www.chs.ubc.ca/archives/files/Participatory%20planning%20for%20sustainable
%20develo pment.pdf (pp36-42) Retrieved 2017-05-11) III. Levels of Participatory Action
Planning
WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING?
There are a number of ways to consider participatory planning. As demonstrated in the
discussion above of advantages and disadvantages, this kind of process always presents, even at
best, a trade-off between efficiency and inclusiveness. Time pressure, the needs of the community,
the skills and experience of those participating, and the nature of the intervention, among other
factors, all help to dictate the actual shape of the planning process.
So what are the possibilities? Just how participatory do you want to be? David Wilcox, in his excellent
"Guide to Effective Participation," sets out the following as a model of the different possible levels of
participation:
1. Information - The least you can do is tell people what is planned.
2. Consultation - You offer a number of options and listen to the feedback you get.
3. Deciding together - You encourage others to provide some additional ideas and options, and join
in deciding the best way forward.
4. Acting together - Not only do different interests decide together what is best, but they form a
partnership to carry it out.
5. Supporting independent community initiatives - You help others do what they want - perhaps
within a framework of grants, advice and support provided by the resource holder.
 Each of these levels may be appropriate in different circumstances, or with different groups,
although only at "deciding together" and above do they really begin to be fully participatory in the
sense that the term is used in this section. (http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-
contents/analyze/whereto-start/participatory-approaches/main)

Participatory Action Plan Table

When Potential Communication Monitoring

Implementers
Activities to be Resources Barriers or Plan for and
and Partners Evaluation
done Resistance Implementation
What
What are Who or what organization or What
What
Who will be the possible who are the indicators
What date the
responsible for available resistance to people should be have been
needs to action
the task and be informed identified to
be done? will be needed encountered? about/involved
completion? measure
done? resources? How? with these progress?
tasks?

The Resource Mobilization Cycle

A. Plan- including an assessment and design element;
B. Act- implementation;
C. Reflect- RM lessons learned.

Figure 1

A. The Planning Phase

Firstly, a situation analysis of the external resource environment is required in order to discover
what RM opportunities may exist and how best to approach potential resource partners.
Secondly, the resource requirements of the programme or project should be examined and a
plan developed on how to engage the likely resource partners. The planning phase should
ideally establish an RM strategy and action plan (for the immediate term), describing how
particular resource partners will be targeted and for which resources. A communication plan,
describing the various tools for communication with specified resource partners would form an
element of this. A communication plan therefore supports the RM strategy. The resource targets
 formulated in the RM strategy or Action Plan are tied to those as specified and prioritized in the
programme or project document.

Appendix D13.1.1
B. The Action or Implementation Phase
This phase is broken into a five- step process.

C. The Reflect Phase

Here, the RM effort (strategy and action plan) is monitored and evaluated, specifically
reporting on successes and failures, and working through lessons learned, in order to tailor and
refocus RM initiatives to maximize success. (Second Day)
Identify the following if it is under Planning, Action or Reflect Phase.
1. Including an assessment and design element. (Planning)
2. The RM effort (strategy and action plan)is monitored and . (Reflect)
3. This phase is best broken down into a five-step process. (Action)
4. The resource requirements of the programme or project should be examined and a plan
developed on how to engage the likely resource partners. (Planning)
5. Manage and Report (Action)
6. Communicate Results (Action)
7. Situation analysis of the external resource environment (Action)
8. A communication plan therefore supports the RM Strategy. (Planning)
9. Identify external sources of funding (Action)
10. Engage means involves seizing every opportunity to communicate the programme for which
resources are sought. (Action)