Organization: Human Rights & Justice Group International
Registration deadline: 11 Mar 2017
Starting date: 15 Mar 2017
Ending date: 14 Apr 2017
Course Description/Background
This certificate course is designed to introduce individuals to community development as a concept as well as basic skills in mobilising communities for development and influencing social change. This online training is therefore, to build the capacity of individuals involved in community mobilisation as well as those seeking innovative approaches in community development activities. This course content will increase the confidence of development workers, Government officials and private practitioner as it provides a step by step approach in their quest to mobilise communities toward sustainable development.
The main purpose of this course is to provide a resource for community leaders, volunteers, and practitioners who desire to make their communities a better place. It describes the steps in the community development process, and the guiding principles that explain why each step in the process is important.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- To understand the concept of community development
- To identify and apply various tools and skills in engaging communities for development.
- To introduce community organising as a process in community development.
- To introduce advocacy as a key tool for community entry
- To assist practitioners to source resource for community development
- To develop practitioners skills on participatory monitoring and evaluation of community initiatives.
Course Benefit:
The overall purpose of the training programme is to enhance the capacity and skills of individuals and development practitioners to engaged communities as well as monitor and evaluate community development programmes.
Course Outline/Modules:
This course is divided into 11 modules. Each module will have a learning objective and study activities.
PRE – Training
- Introductory Course in the Online Training System
- Course navigation and guide
- Explanation of course resources
Module 1: The Concepts, Process, and Strategies for Community Development
- Introduction
- Understanding Communities, Development, and Mobilization
- The concept of community development
- Key elements of community development
- Community development process
- Engagement in community development process
- Steps in community engagement
- Strategies for community development
- Steps to community development
- Assignment
Module 2: Participatory Tools for Community Development
- Introduction
- Historical overview of participatory approach
- Understanding participatory methodology
- Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)
- Steps of PLA Processing
- PLA Tools
- Assignment
Module 3: Volunteering in Community Development
- Introduction
- Who is a Community Volunteer?
- Why defining volunteering is important
- The significance of volunteering to community development
- The value of a strategic framework for community development
- The main approaches to community volunteering
- The role of Community Volunteer in Community Development
- Volunteer rights and responsibilities
- Assignment
Module 4: Basic Inter Personal Communication Skills in Community Development
- Introduction
- Elements of effective communication
- Basic communication skills
- Presentation skills
- The key elements of a presentation
- Tips to improve your presentation skills
- Facilitation skills
- Role play
- Assignment
Module 5: Community Mobilization Events
- Introduction
- Understanding community mobilization
- The need for a community mobilization approach
- Tasks involved in mobilizing communities
- Strategies for community mobilization
- Community dialogue
- Rally and road shows
- Market storms
- Community Drama
- Assignment
Module 6: Communication Strategies for Community Development
- Introduction
- Understanding the various theories for communication materials
- Types of communication strategies
- The different forms of communication materials
- Use of BCC tools/materials
- Visual aids
- Assignment
Module 7: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) of Community Development Programme
- Introduction
- Why monitoring and evaluation of community development programme
- Understanding participatory monitoring and evaluation
- The Importance of PM&E in Community Development
- How to conduct participatory monitoring and evaluation
- Steps in the development and implementation of a PM&E process
- Community-level indicators in community Development
- How to use community-level indicators
- Assignment
Module 8: Community Organising and Development
- Introduction
- Understanding the concept of community organising
- The principles of community organising
- Questions to consider in community organising
- The basic rules of community organising
- Defining an action strategy for community organising
- Assignment
Module 9: Advocacy skills for Community Development
- Introduction to advocacy
- Defining advocacy
- Type of advocacy activities in community development
- Levels of advocacy
- How to incorporate advocacy into community mobilization for development
- How to encourage advocacy
- Benefits of advocacy
- Assignment
Module 10: Community Action Planning
- Introduction
- Understand community action planning
- General principles of community action plans
- Steps in formulating a community action plan
- Considerations for completing a community action plan
- Applicability of a community action plan
- Assignment
Module 11: Resource Mobilisation for Community Development
- Introduction
- Steps to successful resource mobilisation
- Sources of funds for community development
- Need for resource mobilisation
- The importance of diversifying funding sources
- Assignment
Final Examination and Wrap-up
- Final Examination
- Participants Evaluation of Course/Feedback
- Conclusion
Target Audience:
- Individual wishing to develop skills on community development
- Development practitioners
- Non-Governmental Organisation implementing community projects
- Governmental officials supporting community development projects
- Community members, researchers and consultants.
- United Nations agency staffs.
Technical Requirements
This course is delivered fully online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and to attempt any graded course assessments and the final exam.
To access the full course including assessments and the final exam, you will need to download an application form and enrolled in the course. For example, some of the accessibility and progress tracking features are only available to enrolled participants.
Course Delivery
Interaction with students will be via the Global Human Rights Leadership Training Institute training platform and all course notes and guidelines for study will be delivered and accessible to students in electronic format. (http://www.justicegroup.us/GHRLTI)
All the course modules are available to the students at the inception of the course. At the end of each module, an assignment is completed by the students and marked by the course experts. Assignments are in the form of written assignments.
Award of the Certificates
Statistics from previous courses showed that submission of assignments and receiving online tutoring help participants to integrate gender in their various activities. Certificates can be awarded only to those students who:
- Completed all assignments and Final Exam
- Obtain a combined final mark of 50% or more for the assignments and Final Exam
Successful students will receive the GHRLTI Certification on Community Development Training.
Location: Online [web-based]
Time Commitment
While learning styles can vary considerably and any particular student will take more or less time to learn or read, we estimate that the "average" student will take 76 hours to complete this course. It's a good idea to also schedule your study time in advance and try as best as you can to stick to that schedule.
How to register:
Please complete and email the attached application form to: applications@justicegroup.org OR global4learning@gmail.com
The deadline for application is 11 March 2017. While full tuition payment is due on 13 March 2017. However, applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered. You can also download application form at http://www.justicegroup.us/community-development. Inquiries about the course may be sent to: applications@justicegroup.org OR global4learning@gmail.com.