LESSON 8: PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

Partnership is a collaborative experience among members working towards certain objectives. It

also serves as a learning experience that develops members of the community to become better
individuals, enabling them to achieve their goals.

It is important to consider the appropriate process when establishing partnership with local
communities or organizations to develop better relationship among communities.

Leadership Purpose Culture and Learning and Communication Performance

Values Development Management

Build Common Acceptance of Promote Provide Demonstrate

consensus and vision and differences atmosphere for feedback accountability
resolve purpose learning and
responsibility
for one's
actions

It is also necessary to be familiar with several key components in relation to partnership. These are
leadership, purpose, culture and values, learning and development, communication, and performance
management.

Gather Information

Gathering valuable about the community will allow the individual or group to formulate the
necessary plans to address its needs. Information may be gathered through

 Media references
 Libraries
 Interviews
 Surveys

FORMING PARTNERSHIPS

It will be helpful that as the individual or group looks for a target community to be supported,
other local groups or organizations are invited to partner with them in supporting the needs of the target
community.

1. Defining the Need for Partnership

Identifying Self Interest- determine the potential benefits of the partnership in your organization. Ask
oneself and the partner the following questions:

For short-term interest: What does your organization need to get in the next 12 months to stay engaged
in the partnership?
For long-term interest: What does your organization need to get in the next 18 to 36 months to stay
engaged in the partnership?

2. Starting the Process

After determining a potential local community or organization where a partnership can be

established, a letter can be prepared to formally invite local communities or organizations as partners.

Sample format of Partnership Letter:

Date

Head of the Organization

Name of the Organization

Dear (insert Organization contact name)

(Content of the letter: overview of your suggested project/program)

(Insert your organization’s name) is asking (insert partner's Organization name) to partner with
us to support our program or project__________________________________________________.

(Insert a paragraph describing the project/program)

(You may insert one of the following paragraphs suggesting appropriate partnership ideas or
feel free to insert your own ideas)

You may also support us by____________________________________________________

Please joining as a local partner and help us expand our program. I will be contacting you soon to
discuss your interest in participating and partnering with our organization to implement
programs/activities. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at your most convenient time.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

____________________________

3. The Steps that Result in Partnership

By Stays that Result in with a potential local group, coordination will be conducted from time to
time, leading to cooperation, collaboration, and the formation of partnership.
 Cooperation Collaboration Partnership
Coordination
Organizations define Working together on Roles and
Exchange of
their roles and a specific project responsibilities of
Information and
contribution each organization are
materials
well-defined and
developed.

The following are the key steps in implementing partnership:

1. Determine and coordinate with the stakeholders.

2. Begin to build personal relationships and trust.

3. Plan the goals and objectives that the community would like to accomplish.

4. Select and establish a partnership that is mutually beneficial.

5. Create procedures and decision-making structure.

Some examples of projects that are launched in partnership with different organizations are
medical missions that seek support from pharmaceutical companies in the provision of medicines.
Another example are gift-giving activities where schools and other organizations are tapped to provide
additional gifts to be given to the indigents. In relief operations, meanwhile, grocery stores, bookstores,
bakeries, and the like can be invited to donate goods while companies may be asked to provide monetary
donations for the purchase of additional goods. During the time of pandemic, partnerships are formed
through online communication with various groups and organizations.

Based on the concepts discussed about partnership with local communities and organizations, the
following are some points to guide an individual or a group to locate a chosen community to support, and
build partnerships with other local communities and organizations that can help in supporting the needs of
the chosen community.

TARGET/CHOSEN COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT

What concern are you interested to address?

What are goals to address the said concern?

After gathering information on different communities, what is your selected community for the said
concern to be addressed?
How do you plan to coordinate with the said community?

SEARCH FOR PARTNER LOCAL COMMUNITIES OR ORGANIZATIONS

What are the local communities or organizations that you have researched which you think can
provide support to chosen community?

What are the specific assets of these local communities or organizations that made you consider
them in your list?

Did you already draft a letter to be given to these groups? How do you plan to give the letter and
coordinate with them?

What kind of resources do you seek from these organizations to support the project/activity of your
chosen community?

How do you plan to collaborate with these local communities’ organizations?

What plans do you have in mind to maintain the partnership in your cited local communities and
organizations?
 LESSON 9: PREPARATION OF COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN

An action plan ensures that an organization's vision is made concrete. It describes how the
members of the community utilize strategies to achieve their objectives. List of action steps that will be
implemented in the community are prepared leading to the attainment of a project's vision.

Purposes of Preparing an Action Plan

 To demonstrate that a community is organized and committed to accomplish the tasks planned
 To ensure that details are carefully examined
 To make people realize what is feasible and not in the
 To time, energy, and resources due to efficient planning
 To responsibility among members

Preparing an Action Plan

 Select an appropriate and attainable goal.

 Clearly define your objectives.

Brainstorming with team members can also help create a stronger plan of action. Some
members of the community who can be invited for brainstorming are the following:

 Influential people such as church, school, or political leaders

 People who are directly involved in the problem (such as victims of abuse and
their parents
 Potential volunteers
 Members of ethnic and cultural groups in the community
 People who display interest in the problem or issue

Once the invited members of the team are already present, the following points can be
discussed:

 Vision
 Objectives
 Mission
 Strategies
 Targets and agents of change (e.g., youth, parents and guardians, clergy)
 Proposed changes for each sector of the community (e.g., schools, community,
service organizations, health organizations, government)

Examine the action step agreed upon by the group, and identify if the following points are

 What actions will be implemented?

 Who will implement these actions?
 When and how long will the actions take place?
 What resources (i.e., money, staff) are necessary to implement the action steps
 Determine who is responsible for each action step and identify people who will assist in
the process.

Prepare a clear schedule to accomplish the action steps. List the resources that are needed
to complete the action steps.

Review the action plan prepared and note for possible updates or modifications.
Identify if the action plan prepared is:

 Complete: All action steps that are necessary are included in the list.
 Clear: The people who are responsible for executing the actions steps are clearly
indicated, and other important details are included.
 Current: It is in accordance with the present situation of the community.

Communicate with the key people involved in planning the progress of the action plan

Celebrate one's accomplishments. This will motivate the people involved in the planning
to become more excited and interested in effectively and efficiently doing the steps in the
action plan.

LESSON 10: EXPERIENCES IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,

SOLIDARITY, AND CITIZENSHIP BUILDING
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Community engagement is defined as the process of working together with the members of a
group based on geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the
whole being of those people.

Reflect on how the community engagement was planned and how it transpired during the field practicum.
Shade the space on the left if the action plan was performed in the long run, and briefly explain how it
was conducted.

Action Brief Explanation

Preparation for the Engagement

Purposes and goals were made clear to the persons

involved.

Information about the community's profile was

gathered.

Occurrence of the Engagement

Relationship was established.

A collective determination was established among

the members.

Success of the Engagement

Partnership with the community was established.

The diversity of the members of the community

was respected.

The assets of the community were identified and

mobilized.

There was flexibility in meeting the changing of

needs of the community.

Long-term commitment was envisioned between

the engaging community and its partners.

SOLIDARITY
 Solidarity pertains to the willingness of the members of the community to practice participation,
manifesting efforts towards a common objective.

Check the solidarity-related values indicated below that were apparent during the field practicum.
Cite specific examples.

1. The social nature of the members of the community was accepted.

Example/s:

2. Human rights were respected.

Example/s:

3. Duties and obligations were recognized and accepted.

Example/s:

4. Freedom and justice were present.

Example/s:

5. The vulnerable and the marginalized were considered.

Example/s:

6. Efforts to bring equality among members were evident.

Example/s:

7. Care was manifested among the members of the community.

Example/s:

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
 Citizen participation refers to the dynamic, voluntary involvement of of community members to
address issues and concerns affecting their and to improve social policies, laws, and programs.

Explain how the following concepts on participation were observed during the field

The volunteerism of the participants

Focus on the needs of the members of the community

Efforts of community members for change and improvement

Awareness of the issues and problems confronted by the community

Observance of the laws, rules, and regulations that affect the community