This post will provide information on what is community development in Nigeria? as well as provide answers to questions like: What is community development definition? What is community development in your own words? What is community development and its importance? What is the main aim of community development?
Community development is an operation where community members are supported by agencies to identify and take collective action on issues which are crucial to them. Community development empowers their members and creates stronger and more connected communities. Community development considers their members to be experts in their lives, values , knowledge and wisdom. Their programs are led by community members from deciding on issues to selecting and implementing actions, and evaluation.
People who are involved in community development initiatives may experience more skills, knowledge, empowerment , self-efficacy, and enhanced social development. Community development initiatives can achieve stronger and more cohesive communities.
Community-based work comprise of:
- Professionals who develop strategies and agencies defined any issue to solve the problem and then involve community members in these strategies
- Ongoing responsibility for the program may be handed over to community members and community groups
- The outcomes are pre-specified, changes in specific behaviours or knowledge levels
- Groups are supported to identify important concerns and issues, and to plan and implement strategies to mitigate their concerns and solve their issues
Community development work comprises of:
- The groups are supported to identify important issues, and to plan and tobring more ideas and strategies to mitigate their concerns and solve their issues
- It has a long term duration and increases their members capability and capacities
- The problem is first known by the community and then defined in a way that advances the shared interests of the community and the agency
- The relationship between angency and the communities member are negotiated
Community development is a good approach when you are trying to create change at a community. To build the capacity of local Indigenous organisations and to increase self-determination, community development is needed for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities.To alleviate children and families, Community development initiatives are likely to work well in disadvantaged communities where they can build social capital and social inclusion. Community development may not be the best approach if you already known what to do and the outcome you want to achieve, it is not suitable if you don’t have the authority or resources to implement the community’s decisions, focusing on a specific individual skills and also if you have a short-term funding cause it's development is a long-term process.
Community development practitioners should be familiar, through training or experience, with the theory, practice and principles of community development work. It is important that community development practitioners have effective and respectful relationships with the communities they are working with, and sometimes the ability to be able to build these relationships with the community.
The main role of community development practitioner is to empower the community. This is done through a broad range of actions and activities that change depending on the context. Community development practitioners support community members with the information needed to identify issues and plan actions. It include sharing information on local data, good practice around particular identified issues, and relevant programs and resources that are available. Community development practitioners also connect with and build local networks and local leaders, undertake community engagement and plan, deliver and evaluate projects and programs.