Principles of Community Organisation By Siddiqui, Dunham, and Ross | Social Work Practice |

(caps)Community Organisation is a one of the very important method in Social Work practice that focuses on empowering communities to address their own social, economic, and environmental issues. It emphasizes collective action and participatory processes, aiming to bring about sustainable social change by organizing individuals and groups to work together toward shared goals.

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The Community Organisation method involves working with communities to identify their needs, mobilize resources, and develop strategies to solve problems. It is rooted in the principles of social justice, equity, and inclusiveness, seeking to enhance the well-being of marginalized or disadvantaged populations by fostering community cohesion, self-reliance, and advocacy.

Definitions 

Murray G. Ross (1967) defines community organisation as a "process by which a community identifies its needs or objectives, gives priority to them, develops confidence and will to work at them, finds resources (internal and external) to deal with them, and in doing so, extends and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in the community". 

Specht (1975) defines "Community organisation refers to various methods of intervention whereby a professional change agent helps a community action system composed of individuals, groups or organisations to engage in planned collective action in order to deal with special problems within the democratic system of values." (alert-success)

Principles of Community Organisation

It provides fundamental guidelines for effective practice within the framework of social work in a democratic society. Therefore, to achieve the ultimate goal of Social Work Profession, HY Siddiqui (1997) outlined a set of 8 guiding principles for community organization, focusing on achieving development and social justice by working within communities. These principles are given below;

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1. The Principle of Specific Objectives

This principle emphasizes the importance of having clear, specific, and well-defined objectives when working with communities. These objectives should be formulated based on the actual needs of the community and must be achievable. Setting precise objectives provides direction and helps in measuring the effectiveness of community interventions.

2. The Principle of Planning

Planning is essential for successful community organization. This principle highlights the importance of systematically planning activities, resources, and strategies. A well-thought-out plan ensures that actions are purposeful and goal-oriented, allowing for better coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness in achieving the set objectives.

3. The Principle of People's Participation

The involvement of community members in the decision-making, planning, and implementation processes is crucial for the success of community organization efforts. This principle stresses the importance of enabling community members to actively participate, as this fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment. People's participation ensures that initiatives are more relevant, sustainable, and responsive to the community's needs.

4. The Principle of Inter-group Approach

This principle emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation among various groups within the community. Since communities are often diverse, different groups may have different interests and needs. The inter-group approach encourages these groups to work together, fostering unity, mutual understanding, and joint action for the common good.

5. The Principle of Democratic Functioning

Democratic functioning involves transparency, inclusiveness, equality, and shared decision-making within the community organization process. This principle ensures that all community members, regardless of their status, have a voice and are involved in decisions that affect them. It promotes accountability and fairness, ensuring that power is not concentrated in the hands of a few.

6. The Principle of Flexible Organisation

Community organization must be adaptable to the dynamic and ever-changing needs of the community. This principle stresses the importance of flexibility in structure, methods, and processes. Community organizations should be able to adjust their strategies in response to new challenges, opportunities, or shifts in community dynamics, ensuring relevance and effectiveness.

7. The Principle of Optimum Utilisation of Indigenous Resources

Communities often have a wealth of resources in terms of skills, knowledge, traditions, and local materials. This principle advocates for the effective and efficient use of these indigenous resources, reducing dependency on external aid and fostering self-reliance. It ensures that development is rooted in the community's strengths and sustainability is prioritized.

8. The Principle of Cultural Orientation

Cultural orientation refers to recognizing, respecting, and incorporating the cultural values, practices, and norms of the community in the organization process. This principle stresses the need to be culturally sensitive and align community interventions with the local context. A culturally oriented approach builds trust, fosters acceptance, and enhances the success of community efforts by aligning with the community’s identity and traditions.

Other Principles of Community Organisation  

Altogether, these principles form the foundation for effective community organization, helping to build sustainable and participatory initiatives that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the community. The following principles are given by Dunham (1958) and Ross (1967);

Dunham (1958)  suggested 28 principles of community organisation and grouped them under seven headings;

i) Democracy and social welfare,

ii) Community roots for community programmes,

iii) Citizen understanding, support, and participation and professional service,

iv) Cooperation,

v) Social Welfare Programmes,

vi) Adequacy, distribution, and organisation of social welfare services, and

vii) Prevention.

Ross (1967) outlined twelve principles of community organization:

1) Discontent with existing conditions in the community must initiate and/or nourish development of the association.

2) Discontent must be focussed and channeled into organisation, planning, and action in respect to specific problems.

3) Discontent which initiates or sustains community organisation must be widely shared in the community.

4) The association must involve leaders (both formal and informal) identified with, and accepted by, major sub-groups in the community.

5) The association must have goals and methods and procedures of high acceptability.

6) The programmes of the association should include some activities with an emotional content.

7) The association should seek to utilize the manifest and latent goodwill which exists in the community.

8) The association must develop active and effective lines of communication both within the association and between the association and the community.

9) The association should seek to support and strengthen groups which it brings together in cooperative work.

10) The association should develop a pace of work in line with existing conditions in the community.

11) The association should seek to develop effective leaders.

12) The association must develop strength, stability and prestige in the community.(alert-success)

Lastly, these principles of community organisation operates at both micro (local community) and macro (policy-level) levels, focusing on long-term development and systemic change. Social workers acting as facilitators, enablers, or advocates, work to build the capacities of communities to influence decision-making processes and gain access to resources that can improve their quality of life.