Project Organizing Helen Hill MA MFT

Communication Activities Increase Awareness Increase Knowledge Change Attitudes Reinforce Attitudes Maintain Interest Provide Cues for Action Demonstrate Simple Skills

Guidelines for Preparing Written Materials 1. Needs and target population identification 2. Plan the project 3. Audience research 4. Material development Style Organization Content Format 5. Graphics and illustrations 6. Pretesting 7. Printing 8. Distribution and training

Moral and Ethical Concerns 1. Respect the goals and values of those in the target population 2. Be aware of the degrees of autonomy related to health behavior Facilitation Persuasion Manipulation Coercion 3. Follow the necessary steps to provide informed consent to those in the target population Explanation of nature and purposes of procedures Explanation of discomfort or risks Explanation of expected benefits Disclosure of alternative procedures Offer to answer questions Indication that the person is free to discontinue participation 4. Be just and fair 5. Protect the confidentiality and privacy of those in the target population 6. Do not cause harm (nonmaleficence). Do not omit something you should include (omission), and do not do something you should not (commission).

Designing an Intervention 1. What is the goal of the program? 2. What health change is expected? 3. What behaviors must be learned or acquired to deal with the problem and how must the environment be changed? 4. What predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors must be considered? 5. What tasks must be completed? 6. Upon what theories and/or models will the intervention be based? What are the key constructs? 7. Will the intervention be macro, micro, or both? 8. What intervention activities will be used? 9. How will the program results be measured?

Community Organizing Citizen Participation: The bottom-up, grass-roots mobilization of citizens for the purpose of undertaking activities to improve the condition of something in the community Community Development: A process designed to create conditions of economic and social progress for the whole community with its active participation and the fullest possible reliance on the community’s initiative (United Nations, 1955, p6) Community Organization: “The method of intervention whereby individuals, groups, and organizations engage in planned action to influence social problems. It is concerned with the enrichment, development, and/or change of social institutions.” (Brager et al., 1987, p55)

Community Organizing Community Participation: “A process of involving people in the institutions or decisions that affect their lives” (Checkoway, 1989, p18) Empowered Community: “One in which individuals and organizations apply their skills and resources in collective efforts to meet their respective needs” (Israel et al., 1994) Grass-roots Participation: “Bottom-up efforts of people taking collective actions on their own behalf, and they involve the use of a sophisticated blend of confrontation and cooperation in order to achieve their ends” (Perlman, 1978, p65) Macro Practice: The methods of professional change that deal with issues beyond the individual, family, and small group level

Steps of a Community Organization 1. Recognizing the problem 2. Gaining entry into the community 3. Organizing the people 4. Identifying the specific problem 5. Determining the priorities and setting goals 6. Arriving at a solution and selecting intervention activities 7. Implementing the plan 8. Evaluating the outcomes of the plan of action 9. Maintaining the outcomes in the community 10. Looping back

Building Effective Coalitions 1. Be sensitive to turf issues 2. Make sure the coalition is genuine 3. Clarify the exact purpose of the coalition 4. Limit the number of agencies involved in the coalition 5. Allow enough time for decisions to be made 6. Communicate with other coalitions from other geographic areas dealing with the same problem 7. Make sure the visibility and recognition of the agencies involved in the coalition are increased as a result of their participation 8. Secure a financial commitment from agencies involved in the coalition 9. Have infrequent but worthwhile meetings 10. Make sure someone is accountable for the work of the coalition 11. Be sure to distribute the workload of the coalition among participating agencies

Identifying Opportunities

Health Communication