COPAR Flashcards
A social development approach that aims to transform the apathetic, individualistic and
voiceless poor into dynamic, participatory and politically responsive community.
Community Organizing Participatory Action Research
A collective, participatory, transformative, liberative, sustained and systematic process of building people’s 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.
Community Organizing Participatory Action Research
Community Organizing Participatory Action
Research (COPAR)
is a continuous and a sustained process of:
1. Educating the people - to understand and develop
their critical consciousness
2. Working with people - to work collectively and
effectively on their immediate and long term
problems
3. Mobilizing with people - develop their capability
and readiness to respond, take action on their
immediate needs towards solving the long term
problem
Importance of COPAR
COPAR is an important tool for community
development and people empowerment as
this helps the community workers to generate
community participation in development
activities.
COPAR prepares people/clients to eventually
take over the management of a development
programs in the future.
COPAR maximizes community participation
and involvement; community resources are
mobilized for community services.
Principles of COPAR
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.
COPAR should be based on the interest of
the poorest sector of the community.
COPAR should lead to a self-reliant
community and society.
COPAR as a PROCESS
A progressive cycle of action-reflection
action which begins with small, local and
concrete issues identified by the people and the
evaluation and the reflection of and on the action
taken by them.
Consciousness through experimental learning is
central to the COPAR process because it places
emphasis on learning that emerges from concrete
action and which enriches succeeding action.
COPAR as a PROCESS
• COPAR is participatory and mass-based
because it is primarily directed towards and
biased in favor of the poor, the powerless and
oppressed.
• COPAR is group-centered and not leader-
oriented. Leaders are identified, emerge and
are tested through action rather than
appointed or selected by some external force
or entity.
Phases of COPAR
Pre Entry Phase
Entry Phase
Organizational Phase
Sustainance and Strengthening Phase
A. Is the initial phase of the organizing process where the community/organizer looks for
communities to serve/help.
B. It is considered the simplest phase in terms of actual outputs, activities and strategies and time spent for it.
Pre entry phase
Site Selection of Pre entry Phase
Initial networking with local government.
Conduct preliminary special investigation.
Make long/short list of potential communities.
Do ocular survey of listed communities
Identifying Potential Municipalities
Make long/short list of potential municipalities
Make long/short list of potential municipalities
Do the same process as in selecting municipality.
Consult key informants and residents.
Coordinate with local government and NGOs for future activities.
Choosing Final Barangay
Conduct informal interviews with community
residents and key informants.
Determine the need of the program in the
community.
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 government 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.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Conduct preliminary social investigation
Initial consultation with government units,
NGOs - General secondary data
Make a list of potential communities
Ocular survey of shortlisted communities
Interview Barangay officials, leaders, key
informants - Identify project site
Coordinate with LGU, NGOs for assistance
sometimes called the social preparation
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 community.
Entry phase
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: Immerse yourself
establishing rapport with the people in
continuing effort to imbibe community
life.
Understand deeply the culture,
economy, leaders, history, rhythms and
life style in the community.
Methods of integration
Participation in direct production activities of the
people
Conduct of 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.
Avoid gambling and drinking
Activities in the Entry Phase
Core Group Formation - Leader spotting through sociogram.
Key Person - approached by most people
Opinion Leader - approached by key persons
Isolates - never or hardly consulted
ACTIVITIES
Disseminate information on the
program and PHC (house to house,
informal gatherings, washing
streams)
Present baseline survey results for
the community
• Entails the formation of more formal
structures and the inclusion of more formal
procedures of planning, implementation, and
evaluating community-wide activities.
• It is at this phase where the organized leaders
or groups are being given trainings (formal,
informal, OJT) to develop their skills and in
managing their own concerns/programs.
Organizational Phase
Key Activities
Community Health Organization (CHO)
preparation of legal requirements
election of officers
Formation of by-laws by the CHO
Research Team Committee
Planning Committee
Occurs when the community organization has already been established and the community
members are already actively participating in community-wide undertakings.
Sustainance and Strengthening Phase
