Mobilizing the Community

Unit 5

A Guide to Strengthen the

Capacity of Promotoras

Objectives

• Define and describe your community.

• Understand how to gain and maintain commitments within and beyond the community.

• Communicate with the community through multiple channels.

• Understand how to form partnership and support for the coalition.

What does it mean to mobilize

the community?

Mobilizing the

community means

engaging all

sectors of the

defined community

in a community-

wide plan.

This involves

identifying existing

community groups,

engaging formal and

informal leaders and

involving service

organizations active

in the community.

Community Mobilization Steps

Community Mobilization Steps

1. Define the community.

2. Complete a Community Profile.

3. Inform other groups and the community

about your coalition.

4. Obtain the commitment of the

community.

5. Organize the community group/coalition

(Structure, roles, etc).

6. Organize an advisory committee.

7. Create a participant

responsibility agreement and a

funds management agreement.

8. Conduct community meetings.

9. Prepare for collecting data.

Community Mobilization Steps

Step 1 Define the Community

The community mobilization process starts by defining a community.

It can be done geographically, politically, or demographically.

A community can be a town, city county, or district. Or, it can be a housing project, school district, or school.

This step (exercise) will help define whom you serve and what the coalition can do.

Step 2 Community Profile

It is getting to know your community well.

The information is gathered overtime from

several sources (census, county, etc), and

with help of the coalition.

This step will help you identify different

groups to include in your coalition.

It will also help you approach your

community and solve communication

problems.

Step 3 Inform Others About…

As you inform others about your coalition

consider who needs to know about your efforts

and who else should be invited into the

group:

Be consistent with your message to others.

Community Mobilization takes time and

energy.

Continue with your efforts until you feel

that there is interest and there are

resources for your community

group/coalition.

Step 4 Obtain the Commitment…

As community group/coalition you would need to establish collaboration and motivate other groups to work together.

Develop collaborative relationships with: Public and Private Sector. Regional, State, and National Organizations.

Academics institutions, etc They can help you with: Capacity Building, Problem Solving, Data Analysis, etc.

Activity

• In your manual you will find:

Step One: Define Your Community;

Handout # 5-2

Step Two: Conduct a Community Profile

(Demographical Characteristics);

Handout # 5-3

Step Three: Informing other groups

about your coalition; Handout # 5-4

Step Four: Obtaining the Commitment of

the Community (Inventory of

Collaborating Groups), Handout # 5-5

Activity…cont

a. Your group will decide on a community health issue/problem you want to work to practice the first 4 steps.

b. You will read, work, prepare and report the steps to the large group.

c. Decide who, if one or several persons will report to the large group;

d. Report by giving the name of each step, the objective, what did you do, and the work that you did as a small group.

e. You will have 30 minutes to prepare, and 5 minutes to report back to the large group.

Strategies for Effective

Organizing

Community Meeting Exercise

a. The group/coalition needs to establish functional

structures (committees) that will include the

operating procedures to guide the group during the

decision making process and other tasks.

b. Functional or Operating Procedures are things like

format of a meeting and communication mechanisms.

These procedures help monitor the process,

strengthen the group process, and to create a shared

vision and a sense of ownership.

c. This is your first meeting as a group. Go to handout #

5-6 Role-Play Meeting in your manual. It explains

how to conduct a meeting. Review the handout now

Community Meeting Exercise …cont

d. All of you are invited to attend the meeting but for the

purpose if this activity we will need the following

volunteers to role-play: A meeting facilitator - (1 person – already selected

by trainer) Community Group Members - (10 persons) Executive/Steering Committee - (4 persons from

the Community Group) A Local Coordinator - (1 person)

Community Meeting Exercise …cont

e. The “meeting facilitator” will begin the meeting

following the instructions given to him/her

f. The facilitator will provide you with the meeting agenda

and the roles and responsibilities sheets:

Executive/Steering Committee, Local Coordinator, and

Community Group. Read and get familiar with the

roles and responsibilities, and discuss them with the

other member of the group.

Community Meeting Exercise …cont

g. Pretend that this is your first time participating in a

meeting and it is OK to make mistakes.

h. Follow the “meeting facilitator” instructions to proceed

with the meeting. Look at the time assigned for each

agenda item and remember that the meeting will last

35 minutes. You can have a person in charge of

timing.

Community Meeting Exercise …cont

Congratulations!