NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM (NSTP) 2

Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) 2

Literacy Training Service (LTS) 2
2nd Semester; AY 2024-2025

MODULE 1
The Community & Community Needs Assessments

Lesson 1: The Community

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. Explain the concepts of a community.

2. Realize the importance of understanding the dynamics of a community.
3. Cite and describe examples of geographical and functional communities.
4. Relate the concepts of understanding community to the objectives of NSTP.

Key Concepts

1. Definition of a Community:

Etymology: The word "community" originates from the Old French

word comuneté (now Communauté), which itself comes from the Latin
word communitas, meaning "community" or "public spirit." The Latin
root communis means "common," emphasizing the shared nature of communities.

2. Definition: A community is a group of people who share commonalities such as norms,

values, customs, religion, or identity. These shared traits create a sense of belonging
and unity among members. Communities can exist in physical spaces (like
neighborhoods or towns) or virtual spaces (like online forums or social media groups).

3. Dimensions of a Community:

o People: The members who form the core of the community.

o Place: The physical or virtual space where the community exists.
o Function: The purpose or activities that bind the community together.

4. Categories of Communities:

o Geographical Community: Defined by physical boundaries (e.g., barangays,

towns).
o Functional Community: Defined by shared interests or goals (e.g., professional
associations, online groups).

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 5. Elements of a Community:

o Demographics, history, culture, economy, and structure.

6. Elements of a Community Structures

o Paths: These are the routes that people use to move through the community, such
as streets, walkways, or transit lines. Paths are crucial for navigation and
connectivity.

o Edges: These are the boundaries or dividing lines between different areas, such
as rivers, walls, or railway tracks. Edges can act as barriers or connectors between
regions.

o Districts: These are larger sections of the community that have a distinct identity,
such as a business district or a residential area. Districts help people organize their
mental map of the community.

o Nodes: These are strategic points within the community, such as intersections,
plazas, or public squares. Nodes are often focal points for social interaction and
activity.

o Landmarks: These are prominent physical features that serve as reference points,
such as buildings, monuments, or natural features. Landmarks help people orient
themselves within the community.

Lesson 2: Community Needs Assessment

Objectives:

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept and importance of community needs assessment.

2. Identify the steps involved in conducting a community needs assessment.
3. Apply tools and techniques to assess the needs of a specific community.
4. Reflect on the role of NSTP students in addressing community needs.

Key Concepts

1. Definition:
o A systematic process of identifying and analyzing the needs, resources, and
priorities of a community.

2. Importance:

o Provides a foundation for planning and implementing community projects.

o Ensures resources are used effectively and empowers communities.

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 3. Steps in Conducting a Community Needs Assessment:

o Define the purpose and scope.

o Gather data (primary and secondary).
o Analyze data to identify patterns and prioritize needs.
o Report findings to stakeholders.
o Plan and implement solutions.

4. Tools and Techniques:

o Surveys, interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), community mapping, and

observation.

Why Do We Need to Conduct a Community Needs Assessment?

1. Identifies Real Needs:

A CNA ensures that projects address the actual needs of the community, rather than
assumed or superficial issues.
2. Promotes Community Involvement:
By involving community members in the assessment process, it fosters ownership and
collaboration, increasing the likelihood of project success.
3. Optimizes Resource Allocation:
A CNA helps prioritize needs, ensuring that limited resources are used effectively and
efficiently.
4. Builds Trust and Relationships:
Engaging with the community builds trust and strengthens relationships, which are
essential for sustainable development.
5. Provides a Baseline for Evaluation:
The data collected during a CNA serves as a baseline for monitoring and evaluating the
impact of interventions.

The Process of Community Immersion

Phase 1: Pre-Immersion

Information Gathering
The community which will serve as the venue for immersion is being identified and will help
students prepare themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Students must have waivers from their parents or guardians stating that they have been informed
and have agreed that their children or wards will undergo the CWTS community immersion
program.

LEE ET AL. (2006) PRESCRIBED CERTAIN PRE-IMMERSION GUIDELINES:

a. Basic information about the people living in the community should be gathered such as
people’s ways of living, practices, beliefs and lifestyle.

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 b. Students should not think of themselves as better than other people in the community.
c. When entering the community, students should dress simply and act normally.
d. Students should not assume the role of "saviour" or someone who will solve all of the
community problems
e. Students should remember that development must be for the people and from the people

The criteria to be used in selecting the venue are the following:

a. Inclusion of the community in the deprived, depressed, and underprivileged (DU) category
b. Willingness of the local interest groups and community leaders to cooperate with the
project implementers
c. Available resources, including manpower
d. Presence of development agencies and other institutions providing assistance to the area
e. Stability of the peace and order situation
f. Accessibility

Phase 2: Entering the Community

Manalili (1990) presents the different ways of gaining entry into a community:

a. Ostentatious entry
Most organizers from government offices are familiar with this style. The community worker,
through a padrino, is formally introduced to the people through a village assembly during which
the worker's image is boosted and project output is promised.

b. Banking on the people's weakness

Outsiders sometimes gain entry into a community by getting the community's attention. They
focus on a particular weakness or problem in a community and exploit the members' dependence
on them for its solution. Some organizers believe that they have to get the community to their side
at once. Thus, they come up with even the cheapest gimmicks just to attract the people's attention.

c. Simple entry
This style can be explained through an example. Suppose the project organizers accidentally
meets a person while in a jeep, and that this person is from a community where the organizers
can conduct an immersion project. In such a case, they can simply ask that person if he/she would
be willing to host the for the duration of the project.

d. Academic entry
Communities are often called social laboratories because they become a field laboratory where
the theories learned in the classroom are put to a test. Academic institutions field students into a
community to address its concerns. Students should be wary, however, because this entry raises
the community's expectations of quick fixes and band-aid solutions

e. Formal entry
Some organizers believe that the best way of gaining entry into a community is through a formal
protocol or procedure. This is done by paying a courtesy call to the community leaders first. The
barangay captain and other barrio officials usually anticipate such a visit.

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f. People-centered entry
In this style, it is not the organizer but the local researchers from the community who first gain
entry into the area. They undertake a preliminary social analysis of the community and also
establish strong links with reliable community members who will serve as the contact persons.
These contact persons will facilitate the organizer's entry.

Phase 3: Integration with the People

Integration is a continuous process wherein the students come into direct contact and become
involved with the affairs of the community. In this phase, the immersion gets more personal
(Manalili, 1990). The student should realize that the community has a number of concerns.
Integration is done in any of the following ways:

a. Border style
If his/her resources allow it, the student may choose to stay and live in the immersion area for a
certain period of time. He/She may reside in the community to attain a deeper understanding of
its people and way of life.

b. Elitist style
Some students tend to stay close to key informants and political players during their time in the
community. Their social circle becomes limited, and their interaction is confined to conversing with
a few people.

c. People-centered style

Lee, et al. (2006) present some basic tips on integration:

1. Students should integrate with the people by living with them, eating their food, doing their
chores, and patiently learning their way of life.
2. Students should gradually broaden their social group affiliation so they can continue to
expand their knowledge about the status of the community.
3. Students should start working in the community and begin to realize the hardships and
problems that the community members are facing. Realizing that their problems are also
the students' problems, students can learn how to empathize with the people to help solve
their problems.