Community Participation in Health

Question 1

Community participation

Answer 1

• Community participation is considered a
voluntary contribution by the people in one
or other of the public programmes
supposed to contribute to national
development. However, the people are not
expected to take part in shaping the
programme or criticising its contents
(Economic Commission for Latin America
1973
• With regard to rural development,
participation includes people’s involvement in
decision-making processes, the
implementation of programmes, their sharing
in the benefits of development programmes
and their development and efforts to evaluate
such programmes (Cohen & Uphoff 1977);
• Participation is concerned with organised
efforts to increase control over resources and
regulative institutions in given social situations
on the part of groups and movements of
those hitherto excluded from such control
(Pearse & Steifel 1979);
• Community participation is an active process
by which beneficiary or client groups influence
the direction and execution of a development
project with a view of enhancing their wellbeing in terms of income, personal growth,
self reliance or other values they cherish (Paul
1987).

Question 2

Involvement or community participation

Answer 2

• Interchangeable use.
• 3 levels described
– Compliance- comes from medical approach eg
immunisation
– Contribution-contribution of manpower or money
– Collaboration– preferred – from planning to
evaluation

Question 3

Evaluation of community participation

Answer 3

• Measurement against frameworks using 
specific indicators
• Community Participation group of the UK for 
all Networks ( 1991)
• Rifkins wheel

Question 4

Rifkins wheel

Answer 4

Rifkins wheel
• Measures five factors 
• Needs assessment
• Leadership
• Organisation
• Resource Mobilisation
• Management