The Importance of Community Participation

One would be hard-pressed to find an article that does not emphasize the importance of community participation for the success of Community Health Education Promoter. However, there is much less clarity about the exact meaning and purpose of “Community Participation”.  It carries with it a number of different underlying distinguished between community participation as the mobilization of community resources (people, money, materials) to carry out health programs versus community participation as increasing “people’s control over the social, economic and environmental factors determining their health. It is nevertheless widely acknowledged that a considerable gulf exists between the ideal of programs driven and owned by communities and program realities. It is further agreed that while there are few success stories of lasting community participation, the sustainability and impact of programs require the ownership and active participation of communities as a non-negotiable pre-condition. This appears to be easier to achieve in small-scale programs initiated within and by communities, often with assistance from an NGO or a church group. There is also experience that active participation of communities in health and social action, including Community Health Education Promoter, is more likely to occur and be sustained in conditions of popular mobilization, such as in the aftermath of a liberation struggle or after the replacement of military or repressive regimes by popular governments.

In most of these, cases substantial and time-consuming investments were made in: (1) Securing participation of communities and (2) Involving them in all aspects of the program, including the identification of priorities and project planning. In other words, community mobilization precedes and accompanies the establishment of Community Health Education Promoter programs. One of the most important conditions for sustainability is the capacity of the community members for organizing themselves. And it is perhaps one of the most important achievements of program that the local people had been mobilized in such a way that they were able to carry on solving their own problems and securing the health services that they wanted.

Right from the beginning, the project staff encouraged representative groups to identify and prioritize their needs, to contribute money for the construction and maintenance of water points and other facilities, and to select their own health workers. It is crucial for the continuation of the project’s work that, in both, committees have been formed to coordinate the efforts of the volunteers, to secure support of the Health Authorities, donors and NGOs engaged in health care and health education, to promote the training of Community Health Education Promoter.

National or state-wide programs are usually initiated from the center. While in these cases, too, community participation is explicitly part of the agenda, for a number of reasons it is much more difficult to achieve. The key reason is that “community participation has been conceived in a paradigm which views community participation as a magic bullet to solve problems rooted both in health and political power. For this reason, it is necessary to use a different paradigm which views community participation as an iterative learning process allowing for a more eclectic approach to be taken. Viewing community participation in this way will enable more realistic expectations to be made”. The community capacity building increases community participation, which in turn leads to increased support for Community Health Education Promoter.

Evidence also seems to suggest that problems arise when Community Health Education Promoters are expected to take responsibility for mobilizing communities, rather than working with the support of already active communities. If Community Health Education Promoter is high level of knowledge, higher levels of community organization were associated with community impact. Surprisingly, neither the demographic characteristics of the Community Health Education Promoter nor his/her level of competence affected the impact of the program on the community. Where community participation is institutionalized, it is usually through village health committees (VHCs), known often by different names, which are charged with managing and guiding the work of Community Health Education Promoters. But VHCs also play an ambiguous role within Community Health Education Promoters initiatives. The position of VHCs within village hierarchies is not always clear and is often contested, leading to tensions between VHC members and other community leaders or becoming the site of political contestation.

The character, role and organization of community participation in health care in general and in the running of Community Health Education Promoters in particular form an immensely complex and contested area with a vast literature of its own. This section barely scratches the surface of this rich debate.

Case Management Profile

As you know, case management is very importance for the social worker to track all data of any case of villager as strategy to take actions to support them to better life in the community. So in this activity I will share you some tips related with Case Management Profile of beneficiaries in your community. However to create the case management profile, I want you to think about (1) why we need to develop this profile, what benefit from this profile? (2) As you are a Social Worker (SW) how to response to help community members to better standard of living? It is great if you would like to share us about your experience working with the communities we will keep your input as our lesson learnt for further action.

As we are educator, Social Worker should consider about the importance of education for everyone in the community working together to keep the community members with high education and help them to find the way to response the problem in their community to increase their community’s resources. For example:

1. A better trained workforce can deliver higher quality goods to all of us,
2.  learn how to think critically,
3. Gain knowledge about social, soft skills, economic, political forces affecting their lives
4. Increase self-esteem, self-confidence,
5. Increased income generating skills (good job offering, honor from society, good reputation…)
6. Increase self-management
7. Gain control over their lives

So to keep community beneficiaries in track and be easy to motivate and follow up in your community, we should to establish the profile of each beneficiary as mentioned in below table and this form is kept confidential document. This form is required to check and note special observation or information of each beneficiary. The purpose Case Management Profile is to keep beneficiary’s personal bio-data for further intervention including how to supporting them in the village and which quick response to be address to them on time.

Case Management Profile
1. Name of Client:	Sex:	Date of birth:
2. Current address: Village:                            commune:                        district:
3. Education Background:	Name of school (Last enrolment):
4. Name of mother:            Current occupation:    Contact phone:	Name of father: Current occupation: Contact phone:
5. Name of guardian:                                Sex:	Current occupation:
6. How Many member in the family (Male/Female)
7. What activity do you mostly prefer to do?
7. What do you do at free time?
What is your goal in the future? What will you do?
8. What are your hobbies?
9. What is your interesting in your community?
10. What are your daily activities at home?
11. General note (To be completed by Social Worker)

Listening Skill

In Listening Skills there are four elements to be a good listener:

-          Non-verbal listening

-          Restating the basic message of each group member

-          Clarifying statements you don’t understand

-          Verifying that you have heard correctly

Obstacles to Listening are:

-          Giving advice or lectures

-          Giving solutions

-          Telling the group they are right or wrong

-          Judging and criticizing

-          Give reassurance or praise when you don’t mean it.

-          Distracting or joking

-          Worrying about what you are going to say or ask instead of listening.

-          Talking too much

Goals that can be achieved with Listening Skills

-          The group members will feel less isolated because people are listening to what they are saying.

-          The group members will begin to feel their ideas and thoughts are important (self-esteem).

-          The group members will learn to communicate better as their statements are repeated, clarified, and checked for accuracy.

-          Relationships will improve as the group understands each other better.

-          The member will increase their confidence as other listen to them respectfully and carefully.

-          Good listening builds trust so members will feel safer to talk about important personal problems.

-          Group members will understand their own thoughts, feelings and ideas better as they hear them restated problems.

-          Group member will use the facilitator as a model for how to listen to others.

-          Group members will feel the support of the group and their anxiety and depression may lessen.

Generally, to be a good listener we should be good at listening skill such as restating the basic message of each group member, do clarifying statements you don’t understand, and finally we do verifying that you have heard correctly.

How to be effective Communication in Community

Communication is very important for everyone, especially for managers now that if there is no any communication or communication is poor, it will not possibly make their cooperation better. Managers take much time on communication to exchange their information, develop their regulations and acquire ideas given by their subordinates. Good communication leads to a better facilitation and management.  "We all use language to communicate, to express ourselves, to get our ideas across, and to connect with the person to whom we are speaking. When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow relatively effortlessly. When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of communicating can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand”

Communication is made through variety channel to get information/messages across. Means of message delivery such as face-to-face conversation, on-the-phone conversation, memorandums, letters, report delivery through a computer or other networks, posting, meeting, publication, etc. For another communication to be publicly conducted: information dissemination, press conference and advertisements on TV, radio and newspaper. “The attitudes you bring to communication will have a huge impact on the way you compose yourself and interact with others. 

Communication is the transferring of information and understanding from one to another person through any means. It is a series of interrelated process in the society not only for the face-to-face communication between one and another or between a group of people and other groups, but also for the social activities as a whole. 

Major Steps of Communication: Communication is comprised of key elements such as information senders, news, means, recipients and feed backs.

ü  Senders: is a person who sends information/message.

ü  Message:is a message/information sent to someone whom we set.

ü  Channel:  means of message delivery/there are many kinds of information such as face-to-face conversation, on-the-phone conversation, memorandums, letters, report delivery through a computer or other networks, posting, meeting, publication, etc. For another communication to be publicly conducted: information dissemination, press conference and advertisements on TV, radio and newspaper.

ü  Receiver: is a target person who receives message/news.

ü  Feedback: the type of giving feedback through a talk and other means from a receiver to a deliverer is the most vital for a better communication. This feedback hereby lets the information sender understand that the recipient really get it and is clearly aware of his/her idea.

Type of Communication

1. Communication Related to Major Factors: (1) Verbal Hello,(2) Voice (3) Eye contact.

2. Listening to someone speaking, we can catch: (1) Verbal: 7%, (2) Voice:     38%, (3) Eye contact:            55%, and Total: 100%

3. Non-Verbal Communication: Facial appearance and kinesthetic movement simultaneous with our speaking may lead to a worse communication.  A nonverbal communication like a body language is also a major part leading to a better communication. An expert conformed that the result of our face-to-face communication is only 7% gained from words, while 93% gained from voice, facial expression, attitude and character.

4. Body Language: A body language is divided into three kinds: face, gesture and attitude. A speech deliverer can speak by combination of gesturing such as gaze, dignified attitude and gesture of approval drawing audience’s attention. But some managers, including parents, teachers and school principals neglect or are unaware of how to give feedback without using these instead. This kind of a person cannot be a good communicator.

5. Body Language Reading : Example: message and attitude without using the following words: Come here, Go away, Sleep, Very good, Very bad, Shut up, Money, I am confident, I am shocked, and I am your boss

6. Other Signs: Traffic Signs, Sign of Mine Accident , and Prohibition Sign (hospitals: No Smoking)

7. Whispering Communication: All organizations and institutions, either small or large, always have two communication systems, including formal and informal. The means of a formal communication has been already mentioned above, but another communication system- whispering- is called an informal communication. An expert speculated that the information forwarded through a whispering communication remains only 75% real. For fear of catching any mistake, staffs always whisper to express their own feeling. But a whispering can deliver the news fastest; furthermore, this can also let a manager obviously aware of staff’s feeling relevant to the policy and management.

How to become a good communicator?: There are three categories of communication deemed to be crucial in today’s context- listening, writing and explaining or speaking.

1. Effective Listening: Almost all the workshop venues on a verbal communication are focused on a topic “effective talking”, whereas listening is a skill in communication, how do they think?
2. There are two steps of listening in communication. First, a news recipient need listen to demonstrate and find out the meaning of the received message. Second, someone who delivered the message becomes a listener, trying to illustrate and find out the feedback given back by the recipient.
3. The effective listening means listening to the language and seeing the speaker gesturing. To effectively listen, you should:

·           Show that you feel like looking at the speaker, looking like a normal feeling, nodding over time, not hug your hands.

·           Ask a question (ask for illustration from the speaker to be clearly aware, but do not ask like interrogating a criminal)

·           Focus only on the topic (listen to the speaker talk about what have be said, bearing in mind, waiting for someone to complete their sentences/phrases, circumventing prior judgment, being patient.)

·           Test your understanding (to know that you are really unaware of any point, repeating that point and asking what you say is alright)

·           Evaluate message (identifying the speaker’s purpose through assessment of his/her words and separating them between the fact and his/her idea)

·           Keep calm (calming down, not being in bad temper, being open-minded), proving that you are really listening to him/her. You can do this by re-asking:

·           Example: You want to say that…..? You say that……..? The problem you raised is really……..?

·           Repeat such as (in my mind, your plan is………; therefore, you decide that…….. because………

·           Encourage the speaker to continue (I understand… it’s absolutely interesting)

·           Reflection: Show that you understand the speaker’s feeling (I feel that… I am shocked, hearing that…)

·           Summary: for continued discussion on other new issues, listen to me summarizing that I catch it properly.

4. Effective Writing: A good writing is part of step to use words in communication process requiring more carefulness to avoid words-related issues.

·           Using straightforward words

·           Using brief words

·           Using brief sentences/paragraphs

·           Disusing words like composition

·           Writing briefly, straightforwardly and understandably

·           Disusing unnecessary information

·           Disusing complicated slangs or idioms

·           Dividing writing into steps or paragraphs

·           Writing based on the format you have used.

5. Good Speaking or Explanation

·           Raise any topic or issue you wish to speak about

·           Get it recognized that topic or issue is indeed important

·           Then start talking about it

·           Let audiences get involved in the discussion, asking them any question

·           Listen to others expressing their ideas

·           Let others raise their own issue for discussion

·           But if others do not answer, please ask them that “how do you think about this problem”? or “have you seen any problem”?

·           Agree on what to be applied next, those who will apply and time to be completed in the implementation.

·           Agree on the time to meet later.

Barriers to Communication process:

·           When a listener hears only what he thinks he will have known, but in fact there should be something different.

·           When a listener still has other choices such as hunger, household issues etc.

·           When a listener is not interested

·           Speaking or message is complicated

·           When a speaker and listener has different opinions

·           When a listener judges, while a speaker listens.

·           When a listener doesn’t want to hear anything contrary to his/her interest.

·           A speaker and listener misunderstands the same word

·           A listener doesn’t think of gesture and idioms of a speaker

·           When a listener and speaker cannot control his/her feeling

·           When there is a noise from the outside

·           When there are too many problems in the same time

·           When a message sender and receiver have different attitude

·           Have different cultures

·           Do not have enough time

·           Have problems between men and women

·           Suffer political pressure

·           Do not have clear encouragement

·           Different ranks and roles

·           Fail to directly communicate

·           Do not have enabling environment

·           Different purposes and expectations

·           Lack communication means or insufficient feedback, etc.

In sum up the attitudes you bring to communication will have a huge impact on the way you compose yourself and interact with others.

What We Should Do and What We Shouldn't Do

In this topic I would like to share you “What We Should Do and What We Shouldn't Do” in the below table. As you are a Social Worker I would recommend you to read the information in this table and then tick what you think it is appropriated answer for you.

What We Should Do ¨ Gesture dynamically and intimately ¨ Bring students for a walk ¨ Smiling face ¨ Attract students’ attention (button wrong on your shirt) ¨ Pay attention to listening ¨ Sit alongside ¨ Buy snack for students ¨ Eat snack with students ¨ Express your empathy ¨ Adaptable to the situation with students ¨ Observe students’ face appearance ¨ ​How to make students interested ( ask them what time it is) ¨ Tell them your name and position (show them your ID card) ¨ Use pictures to talk about family ¨ Speak very fast ¨ Strong face appearance ¨ Escape your attention to listening ¨ Speak loudly ¨ Speak ungraciously (bullying words) ¨ Change topic immediately ¨ Speak very fast and much more than students ¨​ Look too much at students ¨ Too careful ¨ Create a funny environment ¨ Promise to meet next time ¨ Speak slowly, gracefully and clearly ¨ Sit alongside ¨ Adaptable to the situation ¨ Silent when students do not say anything ¨ Polite ¨ Smiling face ¨ Trigger issues for students to speak bravely ¨ Build good communication ¨ Pay much more attention to listening ¨ What you are not clear should be asked again ¨ Use pictures/draw pictures of life ¨ Show your empathy (tap on the right shoulder) ¨ Use easy-to-know questions

What We Shouldn’t Do ¨ Impoliteness ¨ Speak so fast ¨ Escape your attention to listening ¨ Presumption ¨ Gesture unsuitably ¨​ Strong face appearance ¨ Use loud words ¨ Attract students from one to another place ¨ Use leading questions ¨ More talkative than students ¨ Use technical words ¨ Wear black glasses ¨ Prior promise ¨ Use paper and pen ¨​ Force students to speak ¨ Without any mutual introduction ¨ Gesture unsuitably ¨ Use close ended questions (based on the kind of information) ¨ Put something into your pocket and let students guess ¨ Introduce yourself ¨ Intimate gesture ¨ Ask students permission first ¨ Change your face appearance ¨ Sit and stroke your chin

Ourselves Understanding

Who I am? As we are Social Worker we should to learn ourselves, what skill do we got so far, what knowledge are need for working with community, and what behavior as we are Social Worker? Therefore below table is to explain you about what we should learn ourselves:

No	Ourselves Development	How
1	knowledge	Where does our knowledge Come from?    Analyses our own experience           Observe, listen, think and UNDERSTAND Training /books/watching other people’s work. Theory practice
2	Skills	How we implement our knowledge. -          What we do -          How we listen, observe, speak, show client we understand, offer information, ask the client question to help them clarify, priorities and make decisions about problems.
3	Attitude	-          The foundation of our capacity to help people. -          May be the most important aspect. eg. if we don’t respect client we can’t do anything useful to help them
4	Confidence	-          Need lots of practice in order to see some good results (like learning to ride a bike that way we gain confidence.)
5	Motivation	-          Want salary, OK -          Want status, OK -          But if not motivated by curiosity, interest, care, or sense of justice for clients – we can’t help them