Community engagement

Community engagement is most important for participation in community organization.

1. Community Engagement Dr. Purshottam Guest Faculty Department of Social Work, KUK

2. Community Engagement Community E ngagement seeks to better engage the community to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes, processes, relationships, discourse, decision-making, or implementation . Participation implies a process by which people are enabled to become actively and genuinely involved in defining the issues of concern to them, in making decisions about factors that affect their lives, in formulating and implementing policies, in planning, developing and delivering services and in taking action to achieve change.

3. Conti.. Community Engagement is… “the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people. It is a powerful vehicle for bringing about environmental and behavioral changes that will improve the health of the community and its members . It often involves partnerships and coalitions that help mobilize resources and influence systems, change relationships among partners, and serve as catalysts for changing policies, programs, and practices ”.

4. Continued The linking of the term 'community' to 'engagement' serves to broaden the scope, shifting the focus from the individual to the collective , keeping the consideration made of the diversity that exists within any community . It also promotes the inclusiveness in community.

5. Purpose Increasing democracy Encourages community to address their problems Combating exclusion Empowering People Mobilizing resources and energy. Achieving better decisions and more effective services . Ensuring the ownership and sustainability of programs

6. Approaches Reaching community is important Inform, get feedback, active involvement Generate interest and ideas TV, Radios, newspaper advertisement Community meeting (face to face interaction) Focus group Survey Web based engagement (online public participation)

7. Conti… Social mobilization Increase Formal or informal involvement Insights on socio-cultural and political contexts of affected communities to build locally acceptable interventions. Some examples include: – Understanding myths, beliefs – Managing rumors, misinformation

8. Conti… INFORM(awareness) CONSULT(feedback) INVOLVE (participation) COLLABORATE(partnership) SHARED LEADERSHIP (decision making)

9. Thank you