Community Organizing Participatory Action Research (COPAR) As a Tool for Development Definition: 1.

COPAR is a collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building peoples organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources of the people for the resolution of their issues and concerns towards effective change in their existing oppressive and exploitative conditions (1994 National Rural CO Conference). 2. A process by which a community identifies its needs and objectives, develops confidence to take action in respect to them and in doing so, extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community. 3. A continuous and sustained process of educating the people to understand and develop their critical awareness of their existing conditions, working with the people collectively and efficiently on their immediate needs toward solving their long-term problems IMPORTANCE OF COPAR COPAR is an important tool for community development and people empowerment as this helps the community worker to generate community participation in development activities. COPAR prepares people to eventually take over the management of a development program(s) in the future. COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement; community resources are mobilized for health development services. PRINCIPLES OF COPAR 1. People, especially the most oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to change and are able to bring about change. 2. COPAR should be based on the interests of the poorest sectors of society. 3. COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community. PROCESSES/METHODS USED IN COPAR A PROGRESSIVE CYCLE OF ACTION-REFLECTION-ACTION which begin with small, local and concrete issues identified by the people and the evaluation and reflection of and on the action taken by them.

CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING through experiential learning is central to the COPAR process because it places emphasis on learning that emerges from concrete action and which encircles succeeding action. COPAR is PARTICIPATORY AND MASS-BASED because it is primarily directed towards and based in favor of the poor, the powerless and the oppressed. COPAR is GROUP-CENTERED and not leader-centered. Leaders are identified, emerge and are tested through action rather than appointed or selected by some external force or entity. CRITICAL STEPS (ACTIVITIES) IN COPAR 1. INTEGRATION health worker becomes one with the people a. immerse himself/herself in the community b. understand deeply the culture, economy, leaders, history, rhythms and lifestyle in the community. Methods of integration include: participation in direct production activities of the people conduct house-to-house visits participation in activities like birthdays, fiestas, wakes, etc.. conversing with the people where they usually gather such as in stores, water wells, washing streams, or in churchyards helping out in household chores like cooking, washing dishes, etc. 2. SOCIAL INVESTIGATION community study, a systematic process of collecting, collating, analyzing data to draw a clear picture of the community. Health Worker must remember the following during social investigation: Use of survey questionnaires is discouraged Community leaders can be trained to initially assist the community workers in doing social investigation Secondary data should be thoroughly examined because much of the information might already be available Social investigation is facilitated if the health worker is properly integrated and has acquired the trust of the people Confirmation and validation of community should be done regularly. 3. TENTATIVE PROGRAM PLANNING- CO to choose one issue to work in order to begin organizing the people.

4. GROUNDWORK going around and motivating the people on a one on one basis to do something on the issue that has been chosen. 5. THE MEETING people collectively ratify what they have already decided individual. The meeting gives the people the collective power and confidence. Problems and issues are discussed. 6. ROLE PLAY acting out and meeting that will take place between the leaders of the people and the government representatives. It is a way of training the people to anticipate what will happen and prepare them for such eventuality. 7. MOBILIZATION OR ACTION - actual experience of the people in confronting the powerful and the actual exercise of people power. 8. EVALUATION the people reviewing the steps 1-7 so as to determine whether they were successfully or not in their objectives. 9. REFLECTION dealing with deeper, ongoing concerns to look at the positive values CO is trying to build in the organization. It gives the people time to reflect on the reality of life compared to the ideal. 10. ORGANIZATION results of many successive and many similar action of the people, set-up with elected officers and supporting members. PHASES OF THE COPAR PROCESS A. PREPARATORY PHASE. The activities in the preparatory phase include area selection, community profiling, entry in the community and integration with the people. 1. Area selection To guide the nurse in choosing and prioritizing areas for community health development, the following questions must be answered: Is the community in need of assistance? Does the community members feel the need to work together to overcome a specific health problems? Are there concerned groups and organizations that the nurse can possibly work with? What will be the counterpart of the community in terms community support commitment and human resources/ 2. Community profiling

 community profiles provides an overview of demographic characteristics, community and health-related services and facilities It will serve as initial database of the community and provide the basis for planning and programming of organizing activities. It can also help determine the appropriate approach and method of organizing specific to the population group or sectors that will be organized. 3. Entry in the community and integration with the people Guidelines in conducting integration work: Recognize the role and position of local authorities Adapt a lifestyle in keeping with that of the community Choose a modest dwelling which the people, especially the economically disadvantaged will not hesitate to enter. Avoid raising expectations of the people. Be clear with your objectives and limitations Participate directly in production process Make house calls and seek out people where they usually gather Participate in some social activities B. ORGANIZATIONAL PHASE. The organizational phase consists of activities leading to the formation of a peoples organization. 1. Social preparation the nurse deepens and strengthens her ties with people 2. Spotting and developing potential leaders providing them opportunities that will demonstrate their potential as leaders can test their commitment to the communitys well-being. The nurse must consciously provide learning experiences that will prepare them as future leaders of the community. 3. Core group formation consist of identified potential leaders who will be tasked with lying down the foundation of the strong peoples organization. The core group serves as a training ground for developing the potential leaders in: Democratic and collective leadership Planning and assuming tasks for the formation of a community-wide organization Handling and resolving group conflicts Critical thinking and decision making process 4. Setting up the community organization this will facilitate wider participation of and collective action on community problem C. ECUCATION AND TRAINING PHASE. The purpose of this is to strengthen the organization and develop its capability to attend to the communitys basic health care needs.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Conducting community diagnosis Training of Community Health Workers Health Services and mobilization Leadership-Formation activities

D. INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION PHASE the nurse facilities and coordinate with institutions, agencies and other key people to articulate the communitys need for support and assistance. E. PHASE OUT the phase when the health care workers leave the community to stand alone. This phase should be stated during the entry phase so that the people will be ready for this phase.

Definitions of COPAR COPAR stands for Community Organizing Participatory Action Research A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community. A collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building peoples organizations by mobilizing and enhancing the capabilities and resources of the people for the resolution of their issues and concerns towards effecting change in their existing oppressive and exploitative conditions (1994 National Rural Conference). A process by which a community identifies its needs and objectives, develops confidence to take action in respect to them and in doing so, extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community (Ross 1967). A continuous and sustained process of educating the people to understand and develop their critical awareness of their existing condition, working with the people collectively and efficiently on their immediate and long-term problems, and mobilizing the people to develop their capability and readiness to respond and take action on their immediate needs towards solving their long-term problems (CO: A manual of experience, PCPD). Process: The sequence of steps whereby members of a community come together to critically assess to evaluate community conditions and work together to improve those conditions. Structure: Refers to a particular group of community members that work together for a common health and health related goals. Emphasis of COPAR 1. Community working to solve its own problem. 2. Direction is established internally and externally. 3. Development and implementation of a specific project less important than the development of the capacity of the community to establish the project. 4. Consciousness raising involves perceiving health and medical care within the total structure of society.

Importance of COPAR 1. COPAR is an important tool for community development and people empowerment as this helps the community workers to generate community participation in development activities. 2. COPAR prepares people/clients to eventually take over the management of a dvelopment.programs in the future. 3. COPAR maximizes community participation and involvement; community resources are mobilized for community services. Principles of COPAR 1. People especially the most oppressed, exploited and deprived sectors are open to change, have the capacity to change and are able to bring about change. 2. COPAR should be based on the interest of the poorest sector of the community. 3. COPAR should lead to a self-reliant community and society. Critical Steps in COPAR 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Integration Social Investigation Tentative program planning Groundwork Meeting Role Play Mobilization or action Evaluation Reflection Organization 4 Phases of COPAR 1.Pre-Entry Phase Is the intial phase of the organizing process where the community organizer looks for communities to serve and help. Acitivities include: Preparation of the Institution Train faculty and students in COPAR. Formulate plans for institutionalizing COPAR. Revise/enrich curriculum and immersion program. Coordinate participants of other departments.

Site Selection Initial networking with local government. Conduct preliminary special investigation. Make long/short list of potential communities. Do ocular survey of listed communities. Criteria for Initial Site Selection Must have a population of 100-200 families. Economically depressed.No strong resistance from the community. No serious peace and order problem. No similar group or organization holding the same program.

Identifying Potential Municipalities Make long/short list of potential municipalities Identifying Potential Community Do the same process as in selecting municipality. Consult key informants and residents. Coordinate with local government and NGOs for future activities. Choosing Final Community Conduct informal interviews with community residents and key informants. Determine the need of the program in the community. Take note of political development. Develop community profiles for secondary data. Develop survey tools. Pay courtesy call to community leaders. Choose foster families based on guidelines Identifying Host Family House is strategically located in the community. Should not belong to the rich segment. Respected by both formal and informal leaders. Neighbors are not hesitant to enter the house. No member of the host family should be moving out in the community.

Entry Phase sometimes called the social preparation phase. Is crucial in determining which strategies for organizing would suit the chosen community. Success of the activities depend on how much the community organizers has integrated with the commuity. Guidelines for Entry Recognize the role of local authorities by paying them visits to inform their presence and activities. Her appearance, speech, behavior and lifestyle should be in keeping with those of the community residents without disregard of their being role model. Avoid raising the consciousness of the community residents; adopt a low-key profile. Activities in the Entry Phase Integration. Establishing rapport with the people in continuing effort to imbibe community life. - o living with the community - o seek out to converse with people where they usually congregate - o lend a hand in household chores - o avoid gambling and drinking Deepening social investigation/community study - o verification and enrichment of data collected from initial survey - o conduct baseline survey by students, results relayed through community assembly Core Group Formation Leader spotting through sociogram. - Key Persons. Approached by most people - Opinion Leader. Approached by key persons - Isolates. Never or hardly consulted Organization-building Phase Entails the formation of more formal structure and the inclusion of more formal procedure of planning, implementing, and evaluating community-wise activities. It is at this phase where the organized leaders or groups are being given training (formal, informal, OJT) to develop their style in managing their own concerns/programs.

Key Activities Community Health Organization (CHO) - o preparation of legal requirements - o guidelines in the organization of the CHO by the core group - o election of officers Research Team Committee Planning Committee Health Committee Organization Others Formation of by-laws by the CHO

Sustenance and Strengthening Phase Occurs when the community organization has already been established and the community members are already actively participating in community-wide undertakings. At this point, the different committees setup in the organization-building phase are already expected to be functioning by way of planning, implementing and evaluating their own programs, with the overall guidance from the community-wide organization. Key Activities Training of CHO for monitoring and implementing of community health program. Identification of secondary leaders. Linkaging and networking. Conduct of mobilization on health and development concerns. Implementation of livelihood projects Read more at Nurseslabs.com COPAR: Community Organizing Participatory Action Research http://nurseslabs.com/copar-community-organizingparticipatory-action-research/

4.SUSTENANCE AND STRENGTHENING phase

it occurs when the community organization has already established and the community members are already actively participating in community wide undertakings. at this point the different committees set up in the organization building phase are already expected to be functioning by the way of planning, implementing with guidance from the community wide organization

Sustenance and strengthening phase It is the end portion of COPAR but the most important phase. It is during this phase by which the community and its people are being developed to be self- reliant. Part of our role in the provision of nursing care is to encourage the clients ability to be independent and to resume his functions with less assistance. This was emphasized, too by Virginia Henderson in her theory. Thus, it could be delved with that caring also does not only involve the physical caring touch that we offer to the sick ones in the four corners of an institution but also providing care outside it making much more impact to the needy and the oppressed individuals.