FRONTIER INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL & MANAGEMENT STUDIES-GARISSA

FULLY REGISTERED WITH THE MINISTRY OF

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
REG. CERT NO. MOHEST/PC/1383/011

‘Next Level in Your Career’

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Course purpose

a) To promote an understanding of community development

b) Encouraging appreciation and proficiency application of community development

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of this course unit, the leaner should be able to:

a) Upgrade the student’s understanding of community development

b) Enable the learner to attain a solid community development foundation

Learning and Teaching Methodologies:

 Lectures
 Tutorials, Case Studies
 Group Discussions and
 Presentations

ASSESSMENT :
CATS 30%
FINAL EXAM 70%
TOTAL 100%

WEEK TOPIC SUB-TOPIC REFERENCE

1 Introduction to  Definition of terms Introduction to

community  Characteristics of a community community
development  Community development principles development by Jerry W.

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and practical actions Robinson,

2 Community  Process of community Introduction to
development development community
process development by Jerry W.
Robinson,

3 Community  Importance of community capacity Introduction to

capacity building building community
 How to promote community development by Jerry W.
capacity building Robinson,

4 Community  Role of change agent/community Introduction to

development development worker community
worker  Factors affecting performance of development by Jerry W.
change agents Robinson, Jr
 Ways to improve performance of
the change agent
 Characteristics of a successful
agent of change
5 CAT1

6 Community  Indicators of empowerment Introduction to

empowerment  Benefits of investing in community community
empowerment development by Jerry W.
Robinson,
7 Community  Requirements Introduction to
mobilization  Elements of community strength community
 Measuring strength development by Jerry W.
 Key principles of community Robinson, Jr
organization
8 CAT2

9 Leadership  Characteristics of leadership Introduction to

 Roles a leader needs to play community
 Qualities of a leader development by Jerry W.
 Leadership styles Robinson, Jr
 Importance of leadership
 Leadership ethics
10 Emerging issues

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CAT (30 marks)

Submission date : by 11th October 2024
a) Outline the ways in which you can empower your community socially, economically and
politically (20 marks)
b) Explain the role of transitional team in community development (10 marks)
TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Community. This is a group of people living in a particular area, country etc sharing common values,
and beliefs practices among other community ties elements

Capacity building. This refers to the process of empowering and strengthening people to a place
where they can deal with their problems themselves. It involves helping people to identify their
strengths and weaknesses in regard to developing and improving their lives.

Mobilization. This is the process of sensitizing and creating awareness within the community, to
encourage voluntary participation in projects aimed at improving their living standards

Participation. This refers to the voluntary involvement of community members in community

programmes. This is where community members take an active role in community projects that are
geared towards improving their lives.

Involvement. This means that he community’s views and decisions are sought for and incorporated
during programme planning, implementation and evaluation.

Sustainability. This is the continuity of the projects initiated by a social worker by the community
until it yields the intended results

Sensitization. This is the process by which a community is enlightened and educated on their needs,
resources, strengths and weaknesses.

Empowerment. It is a multi-faceted concept. It is an aspect of community capacity building, where

the community members are given the basic knowledge and skills to enable them take their rightful
place in improving their current status. It could involve training, education and awareness creation,
through civic education.

A community is usually defined in terms of geographical locality, shared interests and needs or in
terms of deprivation and disadvantages.
Edward and Jones (1976) say that a community is a grouping of people who reside in a specific
locality and who exercise some degree of local autonomy in organizing their social life in such a way
that they can, from that locality satisfy the full ranges of their daily needs

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Thus, the term community covers in range the context (local community, East Africa Community or
the International Community).
Communities can also be defined by common heritage, language and beliefs or shared interests.
These are sometimes called communities of interest.

Characteristics of a community
 It is defined in geographic terms or the actual location (city, town or village). This is the
actual place where the community is situated. The boundaries should be defined precisely,
understood and accepted by others
 community members include adults, youth and children
 Community members share the same culture, beliefs, aspirations and life challenges
 community resources are utilized for the benefits of all members
 Note/ these characteristics can be seen from two broad perspectives:

-As the process of helping the community or a group to attain new desirable socio-=economic,
political cultural and environmental status by participating in identifying and analyzing their needs
and problems, priotizing them, setting goals and objectives and making crucial decisions regarding
their future.
-also it is a newly attained status by a group, community or individuals which give them more
freedom, participation, recognition and improved overall services.

DEVELOPMENT
This is the process through which change is introduced in a community. It often carries with it an
assumption of growth and expansion although it simply means change.

Community development
This is the process of helping communities strengthen themselves and develop towards the
realization of community’s full potential.
Community development workers are facilitators who work in partnership with local people and
organizations to meet identified needs. Literacy is a key component of sustainable development.
Community development is also termed as community building since it is an applied term to the
practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists , involved citizens and professionals to
improve various aspects of local communities.
Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people by providing these
groups with the skills they need to effect change in their own communities.
- These skills are often concentrated around building political power through the formation of large
social groups working for a common agenda.

Community Development Foundation (UK)

"Community development is a structured intervention that gives communities greater control over
the conditions that affect their lives. This does not solve all the problems faced by a local
community, but it does build up confidence to tackle such problems as effectively as any local action
can. Community development works at the level of local groups and organisations rather than with
individuals or families. The range of local groups and organisations representing communities at
local level constitutes thecommunity sector.
"Community development is a skilled process and part of its approach is the belief that communities
cannot be helped unless they themselves agree to this process. Community development has to
look both ways: not only at how the community is working at the grass roots, but also at how
responsive key institutions are to the needs of local communities".

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This is adopted as a move towards our understanding of Community Development.

Community Development is crucially concerned with the issues of powerlessness and disadvantage:
as such it should involve all members of society, and offers a practice that is part of a process of
social change.

Community Development is about the active involvement of people in the issues which affect their
lives. it is a process based on the sharing of power, skills, knowledge and experience.

Community Development takes place both in neighborhoods and within communities of interest, as
people identify what is relevant to them.

The Community Development process is collective, but the experience of the process enhances the
integrity, skills, knowledge and experience, as well as equality of power, for each individual who is
involved.

Community Development seeks to enable individuals and communities to grow and change
according to their own needs and priorities, and at their own pace, provided this does not oppress
other groups and communities, or damage the environment.

Where Community Development takes place, there are certain principles central to it. The first
priority of the Community Development process is the empowering and enabling of those who are
traditionally deprived of power and control over their common affairs. It claims as important the
ability of people to act together to influence the social, economic, political and environmental issues
which affect them. Community Development aims to encourage sharing, and to create structures
which give genuine participation and involvement.

Community Development is about developing the power, skills, knowledge and experience of people
as individuals and in groups, thus enabling them to undertake initiatives of their own to combat
social, economic, political and environmental problems, and enabling them to fully participate in a
truly democratic process.

Community Development must take the a lead in confronting the attitudes of individuals and the
practices of institutions and society as a whole which discriminates unfairly against black people,
women, people with disabilities and different abilities, religious groups, elderly people, lesbians and
gay men, and other groups who are disadvantaged by society. It also must take a lead in countering
the destruction of the natural environment on which we all depend. Community Development is well
placed to involve people equally on these issues which affect all of us.

Community Development should seek to develop structures which enable the active involvement of
people from disadvantaged groups, and in particular people from Black and Minority Ethnic groups.

Community Development Principles and Practical Actions

Values
Community development workers support individuals, groups and organizations in this process on
the basis of certain values and practical principles.
The values at the core of community development are:
 social justice
 self-determination
 working and learning together
 sustainable communities
 participation
 reflective practice
The practice principles that underpin these values are:

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Social justice
 respecting and valuing diversity and difference
 challenging oppressive and discriminatory actions and attitudes
 addressing power imbalances between individuals, within groups and society
 committing to pursue civil and human rights for all
 seeking and promoting policy and practices that are just and enhance equality whilst
challenging those that are not
Self-determination
 valuing the concerns or issues that communities identify as their starting points
 raising people’s awareness of the range of choices open to them, providing
opportunities for discussion of implications of options
 promoting the view that communities do not have the right to oppress other
communities
 working with conflict within communities
Working and learning together
 demonstrating that collective working is effective
 supporting and developing individuals to contribute effectively to communities
 developing a culture of informed and accountable decision making
 ensuring all perspectives within the community are considered
 sharing good practice in order to learn from each other
Sustainable communities
 promoting the empowerment of individuals and communities
 supporting communities to develop their skills to take action
 promoting the development of autonomous and accountable structures
 learning from experiences as a basis for change
 promoting effective collective and collaborative working
 using resources with respect for the environment
Participation
 promoting the participation of individuals and communities, particularly those
traditionally marginalized / excluded
 recognising and challenging barriers to full and effective participation
 supporting communities to gain skills to engage in participation
 developing structures that enable communities to participate effectively
 sharing good practice in order to learn from each other

Reflective practice
 promoting and supporting individual and collective learning through reflection on
practice
 changing practice in response to outcomes of reflection
 recognising the constraints and contexts within which community development takes
place
 recognising the importance of keeping others informed and updated about the wider
context.
Revision questions
1. A) Write short notes on the following terms: 10mks
I. Community
II. Capacity building
III. Participation
IV. Involvement
V. Development
B) Highlight any five importance of community development 10mks

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TOPIC 2
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
1. Learn about the community
Whether you want to be an active member of the community, an effective service provider or a
community leader, you will have to be familiar with its issues, resources, needs, power structure and
decision-making processes. Your initial orientation could include reading your local newspaper
regularly, attending community events, reading reports and familiarizing with available services as
well as community projects and activities. Close observation of the community as you interact with it
will also provide significant insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the community.
2. Listen to community members
You won't be able to learn everything you need to know by reading and observation. You will need to
talk to others about their interests and perceptions to put it into context. You can contact
community members through formal channels, such as joining a local organization, or informally by
chatting with people that visit the library or that you encounter in other situations, such as shopping
at local stores or attending school activities. By listening to the community you may identify an area
in which there seems to be a common interest in making a change.
Health organization staffs need to maintain regular contact with the community to collect enough
information to make sound recommendations and decisions on health services and priorities and to
identify important community issues.
3. Bring people together to develop a shared vision
Once you have identified that there are some common interests among community members and
you have identified a few individuals who seem willing to work on a community development
initiative, the next step is to hold a community gathering. In some circumstances it may be
appropriate to invite representatives of specific organizations or sector to attend, but more often it
would be a public event for a neighbourhood or, for other types of communities, for all the identified
members. The purpose of this gathering would be to develop a shared "community vision"; i.e.,
through imagining their ideal community and discussing their ideas together they will determine
arrive at a common vision and some broad strategic directions that all are committed to working
towards. You may also use this gathering to ask for support for the initiative, elicit community input
or invite members to join a steering committee or help in other ways.
4. Assess community assets and resources, needs and issues
To be able to work effectively in a community development context, you will need to gather some
information about your community. It is extremely helpful to undertake a comprehensive
community assessment which will collect both qualitative and quantitative data on a wide range
of community features. Unfortunately, often time and budget restraints will necessitate choosing
between methods and limiting the assessment to particular areas of interest. Deciding what and
how much information to collect may be aided by a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats) analysis of the community, which may point to particular areas being higher priorities
for action.
There are many methods of community assessment used in community development practice. A few
of the more common methods are listed below; additional information is contained in the resources
section.
Compiling a community demographic profile is an excellent start. It is helpful to update the profile
periodically so you will be able to track changes that occur within your community and respond
accordingly. A demographic profile includes statistical information about age, gender, language,
visible minority status, education, and family income
Other community statistics may also be of interest to you, such as crime rates, morbidity and
mortality rates, or availability of affordable housing. Some of these are available from Statistics
Canada, but local data may be obtained from local agencies; e.g. the local police service will have
crime statistics.
However, simply collecting information is not sufficient; it must be analyzed in order for it to be
meaningful. For example, you might be interested in the relative proportion of seniors to youth in

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your community, or the proportion of the population for whom English is a second language. You
may want to compare the most recent data available with previous years; perhaps to identify the
rate of growth of the population, changes in ethnic-cultural patterns or age distribution.
Statistical information isn't the only type of information that is important to collect. Finding out how
residents perceive their community is also essential to effective community development practice.
Community surveys, community asset mapping, environmental scans, focus groups and key
informant interviews are other methods of obtaining community data. The City of Calgary has an
excellent publication on community assessments. It contains background information on the need
for community assessments, describes various methods and provides easy-to-follow worksheets for
planning and implementing a community assessment process.

5. Help community members to recognize and articulate areas of concern and their causes.
In any community development process, it is the community that is in the driver's seat. Community
members will define the issues and the process for resolving them, which might be quite different
than what would be proposed by an external "expert". However, it is the community members that
are most familiar with the situation and, in many cases, have knowledge and wisdom that an
external "expert" lacks. By providing tools, resources, meeting space and facilitation, community
developers empower the community to start to take ownership of the issues and the development
of solutions.
.
6. Establish a 'vehicle for change'
In most circumstances it will be necessary to create a "vehicle for change" for an organizational
change, which in most cases will start as a steering committee. Depending on the circumstances,
this nature of the group could range from a few unaffiliated individuals or a coalition of organizations
and institutions. In time, the steering committee may evolve into or be adopted by a community
organization. There is a wide range of activities that the steering committee will need to undertake
to ensure that it will be able to plan, organize, implement and evaluate the initiative effectively,
including developing a charter or terms of reference, establishing governance policies, obtaining
sufficient resources to carry out the work and identifying potential partners who can contribute to its
success.
7. Develop an action plan
Assuming that the community as a whole has set the strategic directions for the initiative, the
steering committee will now develop the action plan. Depending on the size of the group and the
complexity of the initiative, there may be other steps between setting the strategic directions and
the action plan. You may want to create a comprehensive strategic plan containing long, mid and
short-term objectives, and mid-level plans for communications, resource development or human
resources. In addition, if there are a number of activities or events to plan, you will need a separate
action plan for each one. The point you need to arrive at is a well thought out plan that is easily
comprehended by community members, clearly links activities with objectives and indicates
responsibilities, time frames and resources required.
8. Implement action plan
This is the heart of the initiative, in which financial and human resources, including volunteers and
community members, are mobilized to take action. This may take many different forms. Perhaps
the community has decided to establish a coalition against homelessness and is working to ensure
all organizations that come into contact with homeless persons are able to provide referrals to
appropriate sources of assistance. The actions might consist of:
 working with community workers to identify needs and appropriate services;
 developing informational brochures;
 eliciting support from targeted organizations;
 distributing the brochures to the organizations; and
 Meeting with organizational representatives to provide further information.

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In addition to implementing the various action steps, it is important to ensure that the factors that
are required for the success of any community initiative are in place, such as:
 shared vision and purpose
 concrete, attainable goals and objectives
 sufficient funds, staff, materials and time
 skilled, participatory leadership
 clear roles and policy guidelines
 mutual respect
 open communications, including both formal and informal methods
 recognition that there are "process" people and there are "action" people; ensure there is a
variety of ways of participating in or contributing to the initiative
 time and resources management; don't take on more than you can handle at one time; set
priorities
 conflict management; don't let problems slide - address them in an open, honest and timely
manner
 good record-keeping; e.g. financial reports, meeting minutes, successes
 celebration of successes
 fun; don't forget to celebrate your successes - even small ones!
9. Evaluate results of actions
Traditionally, community development workers have relied more on their own experience, evidence
from others to guide their practice rather than formal evaluation procedures. Often it is difficult to
find reasonable and appropriate measures in terms of the cost and time involved, especially when
the desired outcomes, as is often the case with prevention and capacity-building initiatives, may not
be seen for several years. However, there are many reasons why it is important to evaluate your
work. Most importantly, you may need to demonstrate that you have not caused any harm to others
through your actions. Other reasons to evaluate may be to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
initiative so that it will be continued, to satisfy funder requirements and to provide information that
will be useful to others or to subsequent initiatives. Evaluation plans may be formal or informal and
tailored to the needs and resources of the group. IN community development, a participatory
evaluation method is usually conducted in addition to or sometimes in place of more traditional
method. Participatory evaluation involves program participants and/or community members in the
evaluation design, data collection, and the analysis and interpretation of results.
10. Reflect and regroup
Allow time for the group to catch its breath before embarking on the next initiative. Thank everyone
that contributed and make sure there is good follow up communication with media, partner and
funders. Celebrate your successes and reflect on any disappointments that might have occurred.
Discuss how well the organizational processes and structures worked and identify areas that need
some attention before the next rush of activity occurs. Also, it is important to provide a space for
participants to reflect on their personal development as a result of being part of the group. When the
group is ready to tackle a new initiative, they might want to revisit the community assessment
information and the strategic directions and decide whether either of those steps need to be
repeated.
Revision question
1. As a social worker, discuss on how you can bring about community change in a
society.20mks
TOPIC 3
COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING
Community capacity building is one of three strands of community learning and development in
Scotland. It describes a particular way of working with and supporting communities - to build skills
and experience, increase opportunities, and enhance involvement in the decisions that affect them.

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This can involve developing confidence, skills, structures and knowledge, to increase the
opportunities communities have to make a real difference to the services, activities and changes
that take place in their area.
Importance of community capacity building
There are three main reasons why community capacity building matters:
 First, and most importantly, it is the way in which communities can work to improve their
quality of life by taking up issues and opportunities that matter to them.
 Secondly, it is an important part of shifting from a passive, blaming culture to one of activity,
integration and shared endeavour.
 Thirdly, government policy encourages community engagement across a wide range of policy
areas, but this needs to be underpinned by taking steps to ensure that communities have the
capacity to engage.
It matters to communities
People in communities, and in particular people in excluded or disadvantaged communities, often
experience challenges that they wish to overcome, or may recognise that there are gaps in provision
that they want something done about. Some examples are:
 a group of young people who realize there is no safe space in a neighbourhood for them to
meet
 a tenants association that is opposed to proposals to change their terms of tenancy drawn up
 a group of migrant labourers being exploited and needing to understand their rights and how
to best communicate their grievances.

It matters to society
Most of us want to live in a society that is safe, caring, inclusive, respectful, and in which we feel
valued. Many people want to work towards such a society, by learning from each other, by making
connections to others, through volunteering or by seeking change.
Community capacity building is one of the three national priorities for CLD. The WALT guidance links
the community capacity building function to the wider purpose of CLD within community planning
'as a key tool in delivering our commitment to social justice'.
Community capacity building is a necessary feature of participatory governance and strong civil
society, but it is generally acknowledged that work in the area needs to be more focused, and that
more resources should be directed towards it.
Capacity building can make a huge difference to the lives of some of the most marginalized
individuals and groups in Scottish society. Those working in this field are often reaching those that
are left behind or forgotten about by other services. People are supported to find their voices and
have them heard. This work has a long and proud history. It needs to be celebrated, developed,
resourced and supported.
How to promote community capacity building
Community capacity building is an important activity, but people aren't always clear exactly what it
is, or what difference it makes. Of course, those working in community capacity building are often
immersed in it and fully understand its value, but sometimes others within the same organisation
can focus on their own area of expertise, and may forget how community capacity building can link
with their work.
In small organisations, it can be easier to make linkages between staff, and make sure that people
understand the role that community capacity building can have. However, in bigger organisations it
can be more difficult to raise awareness of the value of investing in community capacity building,
and the difference it can make.
Promoting community capacity building isn't important just so that people understand what you do.
It is vital so that decision makers see the real value of capacity building, build it into their own work,
and commit to investing time and resources in it.

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Identifying who you need to influence

There are different reasons that you might want to raise awareness of community capacity building
in your own organisation:
 you might know that communities want to get involved in decisions about how a particular
service or policy area is developed - and need this team to respond to and get involved in
activity to build community capacity to influence decisions
 you might want to know what the current scope is for communities to influence decision
making, and what the potential for changing this is - so that capacity building is both realistic
and matched with culture change in the organisation; or
 you might want to make sure that work with communities is undertaken in a way that makes
the most of opportunities to build capacity - for example adapting community consultation or
evaluation timescales to build in time for capacity building.
The first stage is to identify who you need to influence to achieve the aims of the communities you
are working with. You may find you are able to speak directly to them, but often you will need to
think about routes of influence - so who you can influence to influence others. This is particularly
common in larger, more bureaucratic organizations.
Revision Questions
1. State the importance of community capacity building
2. Explain how to promote community capacity building

TOPIC 4
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER
A community development worker works collectively with a particular community or communities to
bring about social changes and improve quality of life. They work with individuals, families or whole
communities to empower them to:
I. identify their needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities
II. plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action
III. develop activities and services to improve their lives
Community development workers often act as a link between communities and local government
and statutory bodies
Roles of change agents/community development worker
I. identifying community issues, needs and problems
II. developing new community-based programmes and resources
III. evaluating and monitoring existing programmes
IV. enlisting the cooperation of government bodies, community organizations and sponsors
V. helping to raise public awareness on issues relevant to the community
VI. providing leadership and coordination of programmes
VII. acting as facilitator to promote self-help in the community
VIII. preparing reports and policies
IX. networking to build contracts and fundraising
X. developing and agreeing to strategies
XI. mediating in matters of conflict
XII. recruiting and training paid as well as voluntary staff
XIII. planning, attending and coordinating meetings and events
Factors affecting the performance of change agents
I. unexpected factors in the external conditions
II. Lack of commitment among community members to implement the changes/project. The
local people may fail to show commitment in a certain project especially if they do not see
the future benefits of the project they are undertaking
III. Resistance of the people involved which may result to total failure of the project. The
resistance can be due to several factors eg if the change contradicts the culture, customs and
believes of the people, lack of involvement of the people in decision making etc

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IV. The relevance of the project. People will be ready to commit their resources and time only in
the projects which are relevant ie project which are aimed at solving the current problems
and make them better
V. Time frame of the project. If the project will take a long time to yield benefits to the
participants, then the people may get tired and withdraw their support from the project. This
will affect the performance of the change agents and the project as a whole
VI. Political interference can result to total failure of the project
VII. Lack of adequate resources. The resources should be adequate to ensure the smooth
implementation of the project. Lack of enough funds will result to projects being left
incomplete.
Ways to improve the performance of the change agent
1. Encouraging the local communities to own the project being undertaken and to fully
participate in all the activities of project implementation
2. Encouraging the people to show commitment in project implementation by providing the
necessary support in terms of project implementation
3. The change agents should involve the concerned community in selecting the project. This will
reduce resistance among the people because it is them who choose the project
4. The change agent should encourage and support those projects that address the current
problems of the people ie the project being implemented should be relevant
5. The project being undertaken should not contradict the culture , believes and customs of the
people
6. The project should not take a very long period before yielding benefits to the people. This will
encourage them to continue supporting the project
7. People should be educated on the benefits of the project, what they are expected to do
during the implementation process and any other relevant information given to them to
staring the project. This will increase the chance of success
8. Ensure adequate resources are available to allow the smooth implementation of the project
9. Ensure there is no involvement of political figures in the process of project implementation.
Characteristics of a successful agent of change
a) Should have good leadership skills
b) Ability to motivate people the participate in activities solving their own problems
c) Ability to influence people and mobilize them to groups with the aim of undertaking a project
that will solve their problems.
d) Ability to effectively communicate with the people
e) Should understand the dynamics of the people
f) Flexible
g) Ability to negotiate with key players for resources, changes in the procedures and to resolve
conflicts
h) Ability to accommodate diverse views and opinions of all the stakeholders
i) Ability to network with many people who may be relevant in promoting the success of the
project
j) Interpersonal skills across the range including selection, listening, collecting appropriate
information, identifying the concern of others and managing meetings.
Revision questions
1. State factors affecting the performance of change agents
2. Explain the role of change agents
TOPIC 5
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Community empowerment refers to this process of enabling communities to increase control over
their lives. "Communities" are groups of people that may or may not be spatially connected, but who
share common interests, concerns or identities. These communities could be local, national or
international, with specific or broad interests. 'Empowerment' refers to the process by which people
gain control over the factors and decisions that shape their lives. It is the process by which they

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increase their assets and attributes and build capacities to gain access, partners, networks and/or a
voice, in order to gain control. "Enabling" implies that people cannot "be empowered" by others;
they can only empower themselves by acquiring more of power's different forms (Laverack, 2008). It
assumes that people are their own assets, and the role of the external agent is to catalyse, facilitate
or "accompany" the community in acquiring power.
Community empowerment, therefore, is more than the involvement, participation or engagement of
communities. It implies community ownership and action that explicitly aims at social and political
change. Community empowerment is a process of re-negotiating power in order to gain more
control. It recognizes that if some people are going to be empowered, then others will be sharing
their existing power and giving some of it up (Baum, 2008). Power is a central concept in community
empowerment and health promotion invariably operates within the arena of a power struggle.
Community empowerment necessarily addresses the social, cultural, political and economic
determinants that underpin health, and seeks to build partnerships with other sectors in finding
solutions.
Making a Difference in Our Community
According to the World Health Organization, Community Empowerment "addresses the social,
cultural, political, and economic determinants that underpin health and seeks to build partnerships
with others to find solutions."
In summary, empowerment is about having or taking more control over all aspects of your life
Indicators of empowerment
a) Confidence and understanding. Examples of people taking on newss responsibility eg chairing
meetings, organizing events and initiating new activities: or keeping clear records and good
accounts or the level of contact with local officials concerning issues that are of
concern/interest to the local community
b) Skills in Analysis and communication. Development and refinement of group aims and
objectives, meeting with officials and talks to local schools, letter writing and contributions to
local group newsletters, preparation of group strategies and action plans.
c) Trust, caring and tolerance. Evidence of the delegation of responsibility within the group,
initiative by groups to involve/contact disadvantaged or vulnerable people in the community,
initiative that encourage open debate and represent minority interest, providing additional
facilities for members of the community egorganizing regular breast cancer screening or
visits by specialists in healthcare, youth work, planning , law or communitydevelopment.
d) Communication & co-operation. Attendance at meetings, local group newsletter, telephone
trees established for alerting members to important events/developments
e) Access to information. Acquisition of materials on group development, running small
businesses, legislation etc, perhaps held in the local library or resource centre, development
of a database of

Benefits of investing in community empowerment

Recently, central government has placed enormous importance on putting community involvement
at the heart of everything councils and their partners do. This is because there are real benefits to
be gained from engaging and empowering communities.
 Delivering better, more efficient services
 Better democracy and accountability
 Sustained improvements from regeneration programmes
 Strong, resilient and cohesive communities
 Improved partnership working
 Involving communities can help make partnerships more accountable
 Motivated staff

Delivering better, more efficient services

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Services can be more effective and efficient if they are based on what citizens and communities
want. Where resources are targeted in a focused way, responding to the greatest areas of need,
they can be used more effectively. For instance, community input can transform a blanket approach
to cleaning an estate by targeting the biggest problems first, leading to a cleaner estate, satisfied
tenants and reduced costs.
Conversely, not involving communities can lead to poor services and be very costly. Services
designed without community input risk wasting public money because they will be unused or
underused if they are not what people need. A couple of examples might be:
 recycling measures that are not consulted on and have to be changed a year later
because they don't work
 a planning appeal that delays building a new school and therefore increases costs by
millions, because residents' concerns weren't properly addressed at the outset.
Involving local people in designing and developing services brings greater creativity and innovation.
For instance, engaging pupils in redesigning their school meals service ensures less waste. It also
helps students understand the importance of healthy eating, which helps the council to meet health
targets.
Successful community involvement works across the board for all community groups and so
improves access to services for marginalised and vulnerable people.

Better democracy and accountability

Representative democracy and participative democracy, if working in tandem, can strengthen the
democratic process. Councillors have various tools to find out what local people want and champion
those issues. By getting people involved, councillors increase their accountability to and credibility
with, local communities.
Involving local people creates an increased awareness and understanding of how local democracy
works. Informed and active citizens are more likely to consider standing for office as councillors or in
other governance roles such as school governors.
In particular, creating opportunities for young people to become involved in decision making is a
powerful investment that can lead to civic involvement throughout their lives.
Community involvement in decision making leads to increased trust in public institutions and
improved satisfaction with public services.
Research shows that satisfaction goes up when:
 there is an increased feeling of neighborliness and sense of community
 people feel safe and secure
 They feel they can influence decisions.
For instance, within the 20 neighbourhood management pathfinders, residents felt more satisfied
with their local areas, and satisfaction with local services increased.
Conversely, many people feel they have little or no influence over the public bodies that affect their
lives. Only about one-third of the population vote in local elections, and 41 per cent of those who do
not vote claim it is because they do not think it will make a difference. Community involvement can
address this disaffection.

Sustained improvements from regeneration programmes

Evidence suggests that top-down, professionally-led approaches to socio-economic issues such as

urban renewal often fail to meet the expectations or needs of local people. Conversely, community
involvement means that community members feel a sense of pride and ownership in something they
have helped create.

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Strong, resilient and cohesive communities

Community involvement creates stronger interactions between people, changing individuals'

perceptions and improving their sense of belonging to the local area. When residents work together
to solve local problems it avoids conflicts further down the line and promotes transparency in
decision making about resource allocation. Overlooking involvement can result in conflicts over
scarce resources, such as housing and jobs.
Community involvement encourages communities to take ownership and action over local issues.
Forty-seven per cent of actions in community-led plans are taken on by the community themselves
without any external support.
Community involvement encourages strong communities with strong local networks that are more
resilient during times of crisis, such as the economic downturn. For instance, neighbourhood
structures set up to involve and empower residents can provide a vital means during a flooding
crisis for all to come together to support vulnerable residents.

Improved partnership working

A citizen or user viewpoint can drive collaborative working, and be a spur to joining up services more
effectively. Many of the local priorities in a Sustainable Community strategy or local area agreement
(LAA) will only be resolved if communities get engaged and contribute their knowledge and
resources. Community involvement can address the issues that all partners are concerned with but
none are solely responsible for, such as migration, sustainability, social cohesion, and inequality.

Involving communities can help make partnerships more accountable

By working together to engage communities and sharing their knowledge, the local strategic
partnership (LSP) can reduce duplication and waste.

Motivated staff

Engaging with communities connects local government staff with service users. Providing the
opportunity to jointly design and deliver services gives local government staff a better
understanding of the importance of the service to communities. It can also give satisfaction from a
public service well done.
REVISION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the challenges faced by community development workers 10 mks
2. Account for the historical development of community development 10 mks
3. Discuss the benefits of community participation in development
10mks
4. Describe the factors driving sustainable communities 10 mks
TOPIC 6
COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION
Community mobilization is an attempt to bring both human and non-human resources
together to undertake developmental activities in order to achieve sustainable
development.
Process
Community mobilization is a process through which action is stimulated by a community itself, or by
others, that is planned, carried out, and evaluated by a community’s individuals, groups, and
organizations on a participatory and sustained basis to improve the health, hygiene and education
levels so as to enhance the overall standard of living in the community. A group of people have

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transcended their differences to meet on equal terms in order to facilitate a participatory decision-
making process. In other words it can be viewed as a process which begins a dialogue among
members of the community to determine who, what, and how issues are decided, and also to
provide an avenue for everyone to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
Requirements
Community mobilization needs many analytical and supportive resources which are internal (inside
community) and external (outside Community) as well. Several of the resources are as following:
 Leadership
 Organizational capacity
 Communications channels
 Assessments
 Problem solving
 Resource mobilization
 Administrative and operational management
Implications
Community mobilization is a frequently used term in developmental sector. Recently, community
mobilization has been proved to be a valuable and effective concept which has various implications
in dealing with basic problems like health and hygiene, population, pollution and gender bias.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITY STRENGTH

Community empowerment goes well beyond political or legal permission to participate in the
national political system. It includes capacity to do things that community members want to do.
Empowerment includes capacity building and strengthening in various dimensions. Here are sixteen
elements of a community that change as the community gets stronger.
1. Altruism
The proportion of, and degree to which, individuals are ready to sacrifice benefits to themselves for
the benefit of the community as a whole (reflected in degrees of generosity, individual humility,
communal pride, mutual supportiveness, loyalty, concern, camaraderie, sister/brotherhood).
As a community develops more altruism, it develops more capacity. (Where individuals, families or
factions are allowed to be greedy and selfish at the expense of the community, this weakens the
community).
2. Common Values:
The degree to which members of the community share values, especially the idea that they belong
to a common entity that supersedes the interest of members within it.
The more that community members share, or at least understand and tolerate, each other’s values
and attitudes, the stronger their community will be. (Racism, prejudice and bigotry weaken a
community or organization).
3. Communal Services:
Human settlements facilities and services (such as roads, markets, potable water, access to
education, health services), their upkeep (dependable maintenance and repair), sustainability, and
the degree to which all community members have access to them.
The more those members have access to needed communal facilities, the greater their
empowerment. (In measuring capacity of organizations, this includes office equipment, tools,
supplies, access to toilets and other personal staff facilities, working facilities, physical plant).
4. Communications:
Within a community, and between itself and outside, communication includes roads, electronic
methods (eg telephone, radio, TV, InterNet), printed media (newspapers, magazines, books),
networks, mutually understandable languages, literacy and the willingness and ability to
communicate (which implies tact, diplomacy, willingness to listen as well as to talk) in general.

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As a community gets better communication, it gets stronger. (For an organization, this is the
communication equipment, methods and practices available to staff). Poor communication means a
weak organization or community.
5. Confidence:
While expressed in individuals, how much confidence is shared among the community as a whole?
eg an understanding that the community can achieve whatever it wishes to do.
Positive attitudes, willingness, self-motivation, enthusiasm, optimism, self-reliant rather than
dependency attitudes, willingness to fight for its rights, avoidance of apathy and fatalism, a vision of
what is possible. Increased strength includes increased confidence.
6. Context (Political and Administrative):
A community will be stronger, more able to get stronger and sustain its strength more, the more it
exists in an environment that supports that strengthening. This environment includes (1) political
(including the values and attitudes of the national leaders, laws and legislation) and (2)
administrative (attitudes of civil servants and technicians, as well as Governmental regulations and
procedures) elements. The legal environment.
When politicians, leaders, technocrats and civil servants, as well as their laws and regulations, take
a provision approach, the community is weak, while if they take an enabling approach to the
community acting on a self-help basis, the community will be stronger. Communities can be stronger
when they exist within a more enabling context.
7. Information:
More than just having or receiving unprocessed information, the strength of the community depends
upon the ability to process and analyse that information, the level of awareness, knowledge and
wisdom found among key individuals and within the group as a whole.
When information is more effective and more useful, not just more in volume, the community will
have more strength. (Note that this is related to, but differs from, the communication element listed
above).
8. Intervention:
What is the extent and effectiveness of animation (mobilizing, management training, awareness
raising, and stimulation) aimed at strengthening the community? Do outside or internal sources of
charity increase the level of dependency and weaken the community, or do they challenge the
community to act and therefore become stronger?
Is the intervention sustainable or does it depends upon decisions by outside donors who have
different goals and agendas than the community itself? When a community has more sources of
stimulation to develop, it has more strength.
9. Leadership:
Leaders have power, influence, and the ability to move the community. The more effective its
leadership, the more stronger is a community. While this is not the place to argue ideologically
between democratic or participatory leadership, in contrast to totalitarian, authoritarian and
dictatorial styles, the most effective and sustainable leadership (for strengthening the community,
not just strengthening the leaders) is one that operates so as to follow the decisions and desires of
the community as a whole, to take an enabling and facilitating role.
Leaders must possess skills, willingness, and some charisma. The more effective the leadership, the
more capacity has the community or organization. (Lack of good leadership weakens it).
10. Networking:
It is not just "what you know," but also "who you know" that can be a source of strength. (As is often
joked, not only "know-how," but also "know-who" gets jobs). What is the extent to which community
members, especially leaders, know persons (and their agencies or organizations) who can provide
useful resources that will strengthen the community as a whole?
The useful linkages, potential and realized, that exists within the community and with others outside
it. The more effective the network, the stronger the community or organization. (Isolation produces
weakness).

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11. Organization:
The degree to which different members of the community see themselves as each having a role in
supporting the whole (in contrast to being a mere collection of separate individuals), including (in
the sociological sense) organizational integrity, structure, procedures, decision making processes,
effectiveness, division of labour and complementarity of roles and functions.
The more organized, or more effectively organized, is a community or organization, the more
capacity or strength it has.
12. Political Power:
The degree to which the community can participate in national and district decision making. Just as
individuals have varying power within a community, so communities have varying power and
influence within the district and nation.
The more political power and influence that a community or organization can exercise, the higher
level of capacity it has.
13. Skills:
The ability, manifested in individuals, that will contribute to the organization of the community and
the ability of it to get things done that it wants to get done, technical skills, management skills,
organizational skills, mobilization skills.
The more skills (group or individual) that a community or organization can obtain and use, the more
empowered is that community or organization.
14. Trust:
The degree to which members of the community trust each other, especially their leaders and
community servants, which in turn is a reflection of the degree of integrity (honesty, dependability,
openness, transparency, trustworthiness) within the community.
More trust and dependability within a community reflects its increased capacity. (Dishonesty,
corruption, embezzlement and diversion of community resources all contribute to community or
organizational weakness).
15. Unity:
A shared sense of belonging to a known entity (ie the group composing the community), although
every community has divisions or schisms (religious, class, status, income, age, gender, ethnicity,
clans), the degree to which community members are willing to tolerate the differences and
variations among each other and are willing to cooperate and work together, a sense of a common
purpose or vision, shared values.
When a community or organization is more unified, it is stronger. (Unity does not mean that
everyone is the same, but that everyone tolerates each other’s' differences, and works for the
common good).
16. Wealth:
The degree to which the community as a whole (in contrast to individuals within it) has control over
actual and potential resources , and the production and distribution of scarce and useful goods and
services, monetary and non-monetarys (including donated labour, land, equipment, supplies,
knowledge, skills).
The wealthier a community, the stronger it is. (When greedy individuals, families or factions accrue
wealth at the expense of the community or the organization as a whole, that weakens the
community or organization).
Conclusion:
The more any community or organization has of each of the above elements, the stronger it is, the
more capacity it has, and the more empowered it is.
A community is a social entity (See Community); it does not become stronger simply by adding a
few more facilities. Community strengthening or capacity building involves social change ─
development ─ and that, in turn, involves all sixteen of the above elements of strength.
Measuring These Elements:

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Participatory methods to measure changes in these elements, thus changes in the strength of the
target community, are in the training module:
Measuring Strength.
Community Involvement

Many revitalization projects are the beginning of an entire community renewal. The long-term
benefits of these projects can include the creation of more jobs, improvement in community
relations, community empowerment, heightened economic status, environmental restoration and
enhancement of the quality of life in the neighborhood through environmental assessment and/or
cleanup.

Community Involvement Challenges include:

• Performing a community assessment in a town without a master plan or preference for
redevelopment options
• Reaching consensus from diverse backgrounds and needs
• Accommodating interests when feasible and within the goals of the project
• Conducting community involvement or participation among the local residents, who have
competing priorities/language barriers
• Building trust among various stakeholders
• Effectively conveying to local residents other stakeholders’ involvement and support of the
revitalization process
• Educating residents about the goals of the project/process
• Communicating technical information in an easy to understand manner
• Identifying stakeholders that can represent a diverse constituency, and represent these
constituencies at public meetings and planning sessions.

Community Assessment

Community assessment answers the basic questions: Who is the community? Where do they live
and
work? Who will most directly be impacted by the revitalization project? What are the unique
attributes of the community? What is the community’s vision for revitalization?
A community assessment is a study that requires data and can:
• Define the community by gaining useful information on the current economic status, crime and
census reports, educational systems, and existing stigmas
• Identify stakeholders and local governmental leaders
• Establish realistic expectations for the community input
• Identify community goals and aspects for the future of the community
• Educate residents on the process of project development
• Identify specific aspects of the project that can accommodate some of the community goals
• Identify infrastructure and transportation issues
• Identify community needs (e.g., open space, affordable housing, etc.)
• Start the communication process by fostering a dialogue, seeking community interest and support,
and sharing information, remediation, and redevelopment issues
• Determine if the reuse or demolition of the site will benefit the community
• Develop a revitalization plan that involve the community, make community improvements and
respects the community’s culture
• Establish a local commitment to the project, ensuring maintenance, local involvement, and long-
termimprovements
• Contribute to a sustainable end product.

Community Involvement Techniques

Community involvement is an important factor in all aspects of the revitalization process.

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The following are reasons why community involvement is important:

• Identify overlooked local knowledge - Community members may have useful information about
the site’s history, past land uses and associated contaminants
• Streamline efforts – Community members may have special issues or concerns that, if
incorporated into a project at the outset, may help to reduce the likelihood of challenges to risk
assessment results, and potential remediation or revitalization plans
• Gain acceptance – Community members who contribute to the revitalization planning process will
better understand the process and will be more likely to support a project they had input in, thus
creating a sustainable project.
Community involvement provides a forum for residents to become informed about civic affairs and
actively involved in making decisions that ultimately impact their community.

Meaningful community involvement is beneficial in several ways

• Improves information flow
• Improves community understanding of local government
• Allows for community advocacy
• Fosters collaboration
• Minimizes conflicts
• May promote environmental justice
Members of the community should be seen as equal partners in the dialogue that takes place during
revitalization projects. Community members need to understand the details of a project to evaluate
its importance, costs, and benefits. Failure to adequately inform and involve the public can cause
significant delays as a result of public reluctance or outright opposition to the project.

The communication process should include site-specific technical information about the project
before it is implemented and should continue throughout the duration of the project. To make
progress, a high level of patience and willingness to listen with an open mind are important to all
stakeholders and participants in the process.

Communication and outreach to stakeholders is critical to sharing the revitalization project’s

technical aspects and priorities, and to gaining community buy-in or acceptance of a project. Well-
informed residents and stakeholders who understand the project's goals are more likely to support it
than those who are kept in the dark or given only small amounts of information out of context.

Key Principles of Community Organization

Whenever we have any specific projects and start working to stand benefit to community beneficiary
so we have to organize some processes with the community level by adherence to the principles so
that we will achieve the outreach project operation.

Good Communication
Building on good relationship between one person to another and from one group to another is
needed. So there are lots of resources which they have and will be brought to, and maintain those
resources within motivation and initiatives by working as good team player.

Building a Trust
It is a necessary process for every single of group or any movement. As Jack Gibb recognized that
there are 4 needs in the groups must be resolved according to the priority:
-Produce an ambiance of unity
-Information sharing about target people, their experiences and problem they want to deal with
facilitators
-Determine the target areas
-Activity preparation

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Keeping a Balance between our Different Levels of Need

Any group who wishes to change the positive society always has responsibility needed, and keep the
four different levels of need inside their works.
1-The individual person
2-Small group
3-Institution
4-The wider society

If without attention to the above four different-level combination, it is impossible to build a strong
action. In other words, should any of level among the four which was not taken care of therefore the
whole action shall be weakened and being devastated.

Dialogue
In a concerted effort to build the society within justice and equality is very complicated. No one
knows exactly whether whatever has to be done. There is nobody has enough answer on the
approach. The individual has different understanding based on their rich experiences. They can learn
from each other, especially the facilitators play a key role to trigger conversation out of community
facts learning.

Reflection and Action

Specific learning and change come whenever there is disagreement of society’s experiences toward
aspect of the people’s current living. Facilitators may provide any situations in which they can reflect
meticulously of what they are doing. To identify the information, training and action plan. The
facilitators always regularly monitor and thoroughly analyze to those activities so that the group
feels appreciate for their success and reasons.

REVISION QUESTIONS
1. Examine the four key resource categories used in community development process 10mks
B)Define community mobilization and explain its’ various stages. 10mks
2. A) Illustrating your answer with relevant examples, critically examine the role
of catalysts in the community development process. 10mks
B) As a community development specialist, discuss how you would address the common
problems that frustrate the community development process. 10mks
TOPIC 7
LEADERSHIP
What is Leadership?
Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work
of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the ability of a
manager to induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Leadership is the potential to influence behaviour of others. It is also defined as the capacity to
influence a group towards the realization of a goal. Leaders are required to develop future visions,
and to motivate the organizational members to want to achieve the visions.
According to Keith Davis, “Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives
enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards
goals.”
Characteristics of Leadership
1. It is a inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers
towards attainment of goals.
2. It denotes a few qualities to be present in a person which includes intelligence, maturity and
personality.
3. It is a group process. It involves two or more people interacting with each other.
4. A leader is involved in shaping and moulding the behaviour of the group towards
accomplishment of organizational goals.

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5. Leadership is situation bound. There is no best style of leadership. It all depends upon
tackling with the situations.
Roles a Leader Needs to Play
3. Communicator: The most effective leaders use all levels of communication to reach out to
staff, customers/clients and other stakeholders. They proactively encourage the exchange of
information within the organization. All communication whether verbal, written or online
communicates consistency and clearly defines what the organization stands for. Successful
leaders develop the art of selecting personal communication styles that are open, honest,
fair and appropriate to the different situations and audiences. These leaders have also
developed the skill of actively listening to others, including those with opposing views. They
carefully and thoughtfully make course corrections as the need arises.

2. Thinker: Strategic thinking requires that an effective leader do the following:

 understand how the different functions of the organization work together and how it can best
respond to external and internal changes;
 learn the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and the opportunities and threats
facing it;
 understand how the strategic objectives are influenced by current and future business and
economic forecasts;
 recognize that the operational objectives and targets must be in line with and support the
strategic objectives of the organization; and
 be aware of and respond to the behavior of current and potential competitors.
3. Decision-maker: Developing a consistent approach to the analysis of information is imperative
to effective decision-making. In making important decisions and prior to implementation, the leader
must consider the impact of such choices on all stakeholders. Drawing on one’s business knowledge
and experience as well as the knowledge of the collective team will help the organization to identify
current and potential problems. It will also provide the platform on which to study a range of
solutions before selecting the final one, thus making sure that the selected decisions fit within
organization’s mission and goals.
4. Team-builder: Effective team-building rests upon ensuring that individuals and teams are kept
informed of plans, developments and issues that will affect them and the way they do their job.
Team-building helps its members to understand and meaningfully contribute to the organization’s
strategic goals. It also requires an appreciation for contributions made at all organizational levels.
Team members must also be confident that individual and team efforts will be fairly reviewed and
recognized as appropriate. An effective team-builder empowers team members to excel and
provides appropriate support and timely feedback that will support employee initiative.
5. Image-builder: A consistent demonstration of fairness, integrity and professionalism builds the
kind of image that supports professional achievement and employee support. These characteristics
must also work in tandem with being open-minded and responsive to, and supportive of, the needs
of individuals as well as the team. When an organization strives to institute an effective
organizational culture and demands high standards across the board, an extraordinary level of
performance results. Adopting an ethical approach to business and personal dealings set the stage
for trust, credibility and influence among peers as well as team members.

Qualities of a Leader
A leader has got multidimensional traits in him which makes him appealing and effective in
behavior. The following are the requisites to be present in a good leader:
1. Physical appearance- A leader must have a pleasing appearance. Physique and health are
very important for a good leader.
2. Vision and foresight- A leader cannot maintain influence unless he exhibits that he is
forward looking. He has to visualize situations and thereby has to frame logical programmes.

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3. Intelligence- A leader should be intelligent enough to examine problems and difficult

situations. He should be analytical who weighs pros and cons and then summarizes the
situation. Therefore, a positive bent of mind and mature outlook is very important.
4. Communicative skills- A leader must be able to communicate the policies and procedures
clearly, precisely and effectively. This can be helpful in persuasion and stimulation.
5. Objective- A leader has to be having a fair outlook which is free from bias and which does
not reflects his willingness towards a particular individual. He should develop his own opinion
and should base his judgement on facts and logic.
6. Knowledge of work- A leader should be very precisely knowing the nature of work of his
subordinates because it is then he can win the trust and confidence of his subordinates.
7. Sense of responsibility- Responsibility and accountability towards an individual’s work is
very important to bring a sense of influence. A leader must have a sense of responsibility
towards organizational goals because only then he can get maximum of capabilities exploited
in a real sense. For this, he has to motivate himself and arouse and urge to give best of his
abilities. Only then he can motivate the subordinates to the best.
8. Self-confidence and will-power- Confidence in himself is important to earn the confidence
of the subordinates. He should be trustworthy and should handle the situations with full will
power. (You can read more about Self-Confidence at :Self Confidence - Tips to be Confident
and Eliminate Your Apprehensions).
9. Humanist-This trait to be present in a leader is essential because he deals with human
beings and is in personal contact with them. He has to handle the personal problems of his
subordinates with great care and attention. Therefore, treating the human beings on
humanitarian grounds is essential for building a congenial environment.
10. Empathy- It is an old adage “Stepping into the shoes of others”. This is very important
because fair judgment and objectivity comes only then. A leader should understand the
problems and complaints of employees and should also have a complete view of the needs
and aspirations of the employees. This helps in improving human relations and personal
contacts with the employees.
From the above qualities present in a leader, one can understand the scope of leadership and it’s
importance for scope of business. A leader cannot have all traits at one time. But a few of them
helps in achieving effective results.

LEADERSHIP STYLES - IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP STYLES

All leaders do not possess same attitude or same perspective. As discussed earlier, few leaders
adopt the carrot approach and a few adopt the stick approach. Thus, all of the leaders do not get the
things done in the same manner. Their style varies. The leadership style varies with the kind of
people the leader interacts and deals with. A perfect/standard leadership style is one which assists a
leader in getting the best out of the people who follow him.
Some of the important leadership styles are as follows:
Autocratic leadership style: In this style of leadership, a leader has complete command
and hold over their employees/team. The team cannot put forward their views even if they
are best for the team’s or organizational interests. They cannot criticize or question the
leader’s way of getting things done. The leader himself gets the things done. The advantage
of this style is that it leads to speedy decision-making and greater productivity under
leader’s supervision. Drawbacks of this leadership style are that it leads to greater employee
absenteeism and turnover. This leadership style works only when the leader is the best in
performing or when the job is monotonous, unskilled and routine in nature or where the
project is short-term and risky.
The Laissez Faire Leadership Style: Here, the leader totally trusts their employees/team
to perform the job themselves. He just concentrates on the intellectual/rational aspect of his
work and does not focus on the management aspect of his work. The team/employees are
welcomed to share their views and provide suggestions which are best for organizational

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interests. This leadership style works only when the employees are skilled, loyal, experienced
and intellectual.
Democrative/Participative leadership style: The leaders invite and encourage the team
members to play an important role in decision-making process, though the ultimate decision-
making power rests with the leader. The leader guides the employees on what to perform and
how to perform, while the employees communicate to the leader their experience and the
suggestions if any. The advantages of this leadership style are that it leads to satisfied,
motivated and more skilled employees. It leads to an optimistic work environment and also
encourages creativity. This leadership style has the only drawback that it is time-consuming.
Bureaucratic leadership: Here the leaders strictly adhere to the organizational rules and
policies. Also, they make sure that the employees/team also strictly follows the rules and
procedures. Promotions take place on the basis of employees’ ability to adhere to
organizational rules. This leadership style gradually develops over time. This leadership style is
more suitable when safe work conditions and quality are required. But this leadership style
discourages creativity and does not make employees self-contented.

Importance of Leadership
Leadership is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to
achieve organizational goals. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a concern.
1. Initiates action- Leader is a person who starts the work by communicating the policies and
plans to the subordinates from where the work actually starts.
2. Motivation- A leader proves to be playing an incentive role in the concern’s working. He
motivates the employees with economic and non-economic rewards and thereby gets the
work from the subordinates.
3. Providing guidance- A leader has to not only supervise but also play a guiding role for the
subordinates. Guidance here means instructing the subordinates the way they have to
perform their work effectively and efficiently.
4. Creating confidence- Confidence is an important factor which can be achieved through
expressing the work efforts to the subordinates, explaining them clearly their role and giving
them guidelines to achieve the goals effectively. It is also important to hear the employees
with regards to their complaints and problems.
5. Building morale- Morale denotes willing co-operation of the employees towards their work
and getting them into confidence and winning their trust. A leader can be a morale booster
by achieving full co-operation so that they perform with best of their abilities as they work to
achieve goals.
6. Builds work environment- Management is getting things done from people. An efficient
work environment helps in sound and stable growth. Therefore, human relations should be
kept into mind by a leader. He should have personal contacts with employees and should
listen to their problems and solve them. He should treat employees on humanitarian terms.
7. Co-ordination- Co-ordination can be achieved through reconciling personal interests with
organizational goals. This synchronization can be achieved through proper and effective co-
ordination which should be primary motive of a leader.

LEADERSHIP ETHICS - TRAITS OF AN ETHICAL LEADER

Ethics refer to the desirable and appropriate values and morals according to an individual or the
society at large. Ethics deal with the purity of individuals and their intentions. Ethics serve as
guidelines for analyzing “what is good or bad” in a specific scenario. Correlating ethics with
leadership, we find that ethics is all about the leader’s identity and the leader’s role.

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Ethical theories on leadership talk about two main things: (a) The actions and behaviour of
leaders; and (b) the personality and character of leaders. It is essential to note that “Ethics are
an essential to leadership”. A leader drives and influences the subordinates / followers to
achieve a common goal, be it in case of team work, organizational quest, or any project. It is an
ethical job of the leader to treat his subordinates with respect as each of them has unique
personality. The ethical environment in an organization is built and developed by a leader as they
have an influential role in the organization and due to the fact that leaders have an influence in
developing the organizational values.
An effective and ethical leader has the following traits / characteristics:
Dignity and respectfulness: He respects others. An ethical leader should not use his
followers as a medium to achieve his personal goals. He should respect their feelings, decision
and values. Respecting the followers implies listening effectively to them, being compassionate
to them, as well as being liberal in hearing opposing viewpoints. In short, it implies treating the
followers in a manner that authenticate their values and beliefs.
Serving others: He serves others. An ethical leader should place his follower’s interests
ahead of his interests. He should be humane. He must act in a manner that is always fruitful for
his followers.
Justice: He is fair and just. An ethical leader must treat all his followers equally. There should
be no personal bias. Wherever some followers are treated differently, the ground for
differential treatment should be fair, clear, and built on morality.
Community building: He develops community. An ethical leader considers his own purpose
as well as his followers’ purpose, while making efforts to achieve the goals suitable to both of
them. He is considerate to the community interests. He does not overlook the followers’
intentions. He works harder for the community goals.
Honesty: He is loyal and honest. Honesty is essential to be an ethical and effective leader.
Honest leaders can be always relied upon and depended upon. They always earn respect of
their followers. An honest leader presents the fact and circumstances truly and completely, no
matter how critical and harmful the fact may be. He does not misrepresent any fact.
It is essential to note that leadership is all about values, and it is impossible to be a leader if you lack
the awareness and concern for your own personal values. Leadership has a moral and ethical
aspect. These ethics define leadership. Leaders can use the above mentioned traits as yardsticks for
influencing their own behaviour.
REVISION QUESTIONS
Case study

1. Community development and capacity building are processes that increase the ability of people,
as individuals and groups, to prepare for and respond to opportunities and challenges in their
communities. Community development should belong to the community and be from the
community but the community agent should be inclusive. It should not be imposed from
outside but the outsiders should act as facilitators of the process
I. From the above case, define the term community development 3mks
II. Highlight five reasons as to why community development should be for the
community and not the outside 10mks
III. Discuss the role of a community agent in community developme10mks
IV. Discuss various development project in your own community and indicate the
implication to the community 12mks
V. Why are community projects important to the community? 5mks

2. A) Community organization is the process of solving problems. Highlight the challenges that a
social worker may face during the administration of this task
20mks

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3. A) Describe five ways in which empowerment benefits the community or society

10mks
B) State and explain five obstacles faced in the promotion of community participation and
empowerment 10mks
4. A) Briefly explain the roles of a community development worker to the clients or society
10mks
B) Explain any five principles relating to community organization 10mks
EMERGING ISSUES
1. A RACIAL EQUITY LENS TO EVERYTHING WE DO
After this year’s presidential election, it is abundantly clear that we have not achieved
a post-racial society, and race-neutral or color-blind approaches are enabling racial
inequities. In order to address these disparities, we must apply a racial equity and
inclusion lens to everything we do. This involves working to understand how
structural and institutional racism in public and private institutions, policies, and
practices contribute to inequitable results.
2. A PUSH TO DISAGGREGATE DATA BY RACE
Disaggregating data to understand disparities enables institutions and communities
to make informed decisions, so that we are not just raising the bar, but also closing
the gaps. It’s crucial then, to collect good data, disaggregated by race. While this
insight might seem self-evident, the road to taking an explicit focus on disaggregating
data by race is not always easy. Data is often not available.
People might be scared to make this data public as it has often been used as a way
to punish rather than to continuously improve. The scale of inequities, once revealed
in plain numbers, can feel overwhelming. But, we must hold ourselves accountable
to doing it despite the difficulties. It is the difference between aspirations and impact
3. MORE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL DRIVE INCOME & WEALTH
Those concerned with community development will fund and invest in activities that
more directly contribute towards increasing individual income and wealth for people
of color. Historically community development has invested in physical infrastructure,
but we must find ways to also invest in human capital. For the first time, we now
have ways that people and institutions can invest in helping people to be prepared to
earn more income. The emerging Pay for Success field utilizes private capital to
invest in public, private and nonprofit actors to achieve specific results for low-
income people, with active experimentation taking place in areas such as workforce
development, education, and juvenile justice.

4. IMPACT INVESTING COMES OF AGE

Right now, a new generation of funds is being created to capture a new generation
of investor. These investors are looking to make investments into companies,
organizations and funds with the intention of generating social and environmental
impact alongside a financial return. Despite the fact that the hype around this idea
has far exceeded the amount of dollars actually invested in the past decade, impact
investing finally is coming of age. The driver of this change is simple: the recipients
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of the largest inter-generational transfer of wealth in American history are demanding

it. We need to find ways to work with them.
5. BROADER PARTNERSHIPS, MORE ENGAGED COMMUNITIES
Today, more than ever, we have the opportunity to meaningfully engage the
individuals and communities we serve in our work. That means helping to
understand how to engage community partners along a continuum of goals — from
informing residents or elected officials about a position to co-creating solutions. We
need to use the transformational power of technology, ubiquitous smart phones,
social networks and the like to make these efforts a success.

SUBMISSION DATE:
Assignment 1
a) Describe five indicators of empowerment (5mks)
b) Discuss the traits of an effective and ethical leader (5mks)
c) Explain four styles of leadership (5mks)

Assignment 2
a) Describe the process of community development (5mks)
b) Justify the importance of leadership (5mks)
c) Describe the features of a successful agent of change (5mks)

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