Social Mobilization

Skills

2/9/2022
 INTRODUCTION

The process through which ministries, donors, implementing partners and

communities work together strategically to raise awareness of and create and
increase demand for a common goal. For the Urban Reproductive Health
Initiative countries, social mobilization was used to increase knowledge,
facilitate behavior change and generate demand for family planning services,
usually by using strategic communication channels including:

• Interpersonal communication (in the training of community health workers)

• Mass communication (in the form of songs, radio plays, and similar media

• Community-level advocacy (by engaging communities and their leaders in

town hall meetings)

It is crucial for government, implementing partners and other key

stakeholders to engage communities throughout the entire social mobilization
designing, planning, implementation and evaluation process. By working with
communities from the beginning, community leaders and members can help
highlight important social and cultural issues that could help promote or inhibit
the community’s knowledge of the health issue and their use of related services.
It can also lead to greater sustainability of behaviors because communities are
empowered to address their own needs and have a sense of ownership in the
plan.

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DEFINITION

Social mobilization is the task of mobilizing all societal and personal influences
on an individual and family to prompt individual and family action with respect
to specific healthy behaviors.

A Process of motivating communities to organize in cohesive group for

an active participation towards their own development.

An integrative process where stakeholders are stimulated to become

active participants in social change using diverse strategies to meet shared
goals.

NATURE

Social mobilization is the process of activating a large group of people in a

given community to participate in an event, activity or process of social nature
which is intended to bring about a change in people's attitudes, knowledge or
actions.
Social mobilization is essential for gaining the support of masses for an activity
which requires acceptance, approval and adoption by the majority.

BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

1.Enhances the capacity of individual, group and community, to Identify and

fulfill their needs

2.Increases community participation in the programme

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3.Helps to improve programme design

4.Helps to improve quality and results of the programme

5.Is a cost effective way to achieve sustainable result

6.Increases community ownership

7.Enables communities to determine their own development

8.Helps to builds trust within communities so they can work

Together effectively

9.Increases capacity of communities to work with government

And other sectors(health services, research etc.)

10.Helps to apply political pressure and create positive change

NEEDS OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

Social mobilization is an essential pillar of health promotion. It is a powerful

tool to address inequities through community engagement and grassroots led
actions. Stronger alignment between government and civil society efforts for
social justice and health promotion would enhance action on inequalities.

APPROACHES

The process is concerned with mobilizing human and financial resources

through five main approaches:

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1. Political Mobilization

2. Community Mobilization

3. Government Mobilization

4. Corporate Mobilization

5. Beneficiary Mobilization

POLITICAL MOBILIZATION

Aims at winning political and policy commitment for a major goal and the
necessary resource allocations to realize that goal.

Primary method – lobbying 

Lobbying

• An attempt to influence the decisions of the politicians

• May lead to “power struggles”

• Favoring one lobby group may alienate another (opposing) lobby group

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION

Aims at informing and gaining the commitment of community leaders as well as

local government agencies, Nongovernmental organizations(NGOs), women’s
groups and cooperatives.

Tips On Community Mobilization

1. Know your community well, and understand their problems and their needs.

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2. Be aware of existing health beliefs and practices that exist in the community.

3. Always listen to community members carefully.

4. Do not rapidly introduce new interventions that are different from existing
practices and beliefs. Take gradual steps to introduce such practices.

5. Try to analyze community dynamics and adjust to each situation.

6. Involve the entire community in the program right from the beginning.

7. Give respect and importance to negative experiences of the community, if

any, and try to minimize the negative feelings verbally and in your actions.

GOVERNMENT MOBILIZATION

Aims at informing and enlisting the cooperation and help of service providers
and other government organizations that can provide direct or indirect support.

Local Health Board ;

• RA 7160, Sec 102

• Headed by the Local Chief Executive

• Other members

– Municipal/ City/ Provincial Health officer

– Municipal/ City/ Provincial Chairman on health

– Representative from the private sector

– DOH representative

CORPORATE MOBILIZATION

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Aims at securing the support of national or international companies in
promoting appropriate goals, either through the contribution of resources or the
carrying of appropriate messages as a part of their advertising or product
labelling.

 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Refers to operating a business in a manner that accounts for the social and
environmental impact created by the business.

– commitment to developing policies that integrate responsible practices into

daily business operations

– reporting on progress made toward implementing these practices.

BENEFICIARY MOBILIZATION

Aims at informing and motivating the program beneficiaries through training

programs, the establishment of community groups and communication

Example: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

TYPES OF SOCIAL MOBILIZATION

Controlled

Controlled mobilization starts outside the people who are part of the
process.The planning and initiative are done elsewhere and people are only
passive participantsinitially. They may be convinced enough to become more
active forces later and may even take hold of the movement and carry it
forward .One example is the immunization awareness about the benefits of
immunization and adopting the practice .Another example is family
planning .The sterilization camps were highly effective in mobilizing the entire

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nation into accepting the tubectomy/non-scalpel vasectomy as the best suited
form of birth control.