Chapter 4  It was Greek philosopher Aristotle who first postulated the

concept of community as a group established by people with

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT shared values. That initial definition has been refined and
expanded throughout the years. It has been recognized, for
Knowing the Community example, that people can belong to different types of
 Community is simply defined as people with common communities:
interests living together in the same place. This term is  (1) communities of place, in which people are linked in
derived from the old French word comunité and the Latin the geographical sense
term communitas which are broad terminologies for  (2) communities of memory, in which people who may
fellowship, commonness, unstructured society, or organized technically be strangers share a morally significant
society. history
 The most common and simplest definition of community is  (3) communities of face-to-face personal interaction, in
that it is an aggregation of families and individuals who have which people are governed by sentiments of trust,
settled in a compact and contiguous geographical area and cooperation, and altruism
share significant elements of common life as shown in their (Boyles 1997).
manners, customs, traditions, and modes of speech. For How, then can community be understood at the beginning of the
Manalili (2009), a community refers to an organization of 21st century? What will its future be in the time to come?
people who are able to undertake projects based on its
members' experience, resiliency, motivation, and willingness Community Needs Assessment
to learn. A community needs assessment is a process in which the

 In archeology, community is understood in two ways. problems, issues, and concerns of the community are
 First, it is a place where people actually reside in, an identified by using several tools.
idea quite similar to the concept of ancient settlement.  Needs assessment, social analysis, or community diagnosis
 Second, it is a group of individuals who live near and is a concrete basis for the formulation of programs.
interact with each other.
 It reflects the sentiments, needs, aspirations, and
 An active community is an organization of people who
recommendations of the community.
strategize, conceptualize, implement, and evaluate a program
 It becomes significant when conducted as the students get
(Bunagan et al., 2009)
integrated with the people.
 The definition of a community may vary, but certain
 Assessing the needs of the community is a prelude to
commonalities are noticeable when explaining and describing
effective program implementation.
the concepts (Norman 1998).
 It hopes to solve the problems, issues, and concerns of the
 In Genesis 1:27 of the Old Testament, the word community
people in the locality.
encompasses all God's creation in the universe, including
 In determining the areas for improvement in a community, the
man and woman, whom He created in His own image. He
following steps should be taken:
allowed them to have a dominion over all living things and
1. Gather information about the community's attitudes and
other natural creations. In addition, God placed the first man
opinions in order of importance.
and woman in the Garden of Eden so it could be guarded and
2. Determine how citizens rank local issues, problems,
cultivated. Man and woman are not created to live in isolation
and opportunities.
from one another. The first framework established in
3. Give the citizens voice in determining policies, goals,
understanding the essence of a community concentrates on
and priorities.
the relationship of the Lord with His creation.
4. Evaluate current programs and policies.
5. Speculate on what the people are thinking and what
Sociological Concept of a Community they may really want.
 Sociologically speaking, the family is the smallest unit of the
society. It is composed of the immediate and non-immediate
Steps in Conducting a Community Needs Assessment
members, while a community is composed of different
families who live in the same place and share the same  The steps in conducting a needs assessment as follows:
interests. 1. Establish a working committee to solicit community
involvement and develop plan of action.
 The activities of a family that are also conducted by a
2. List important aspects or areas that need to be
community include sharing common resources, working for
analyzed.
the common good, and building harmonious relationships.
3. Identify the population to be surveyed.
These central qualities of a family are also the basic building
4. Determine the information needed.
blocks of any community.
5. Select a random sample of people to survey.
 It is believed that stronger families help develop stronger
6. Develop and pre-test a questionnaire.
communities.
7. Collate the information gathered.
 An individual person can form a family
8. Analyze the data.
 A family can form a community 9. Go back to the community to validate the results or
 A community can form a nation findings.
10. Finalize the report.
Aesthetic and Moral Values of a Community
 The aesthetic and moral values of a community consist of the Data Gathering Methods for Community Needs
guiding and sometimes paradoxical ideas that its members Assessment
hold, e.g., how they know what is
1. Focus group discussion (FGD) by key informants
 good from bad
The key informants of the community are the people who
 beautiful from ugly
hold socially relevant positions such as educators, public
 right from wrong
officials, clergymen, business representatives, or volunteers.
 The justifications for the set values of communities are
2. Community forum/assembly
necessary in explaining their actions.
This involves holding group events which include the
 As a community develops, its values change. entire community. Such events give visibility to the leaders
 A change in values may result from innovations in technology and raise the status of the community; however, they require
or the social hierarchy. Examples of values include: extensive planning and publicity. Participatory action research
 solidarity uses this method effectively.
 commitment 3. Public records
 mutuality Public records like the national census provide social and
 trust demographic data of the community. The data include the
 profile of the population such age, gender, educational level,  It is done to address the needs of community members and
among others. the functionality of the whole community.
4. Survey  One is not paid to take part in community services.
Surveys and questionnaires involve asking individuals in  Volunteers are expected to willingly dedicate their efforts to
the community about their everyday needs. These can be community services from which they can be repaid through:
implemented through the following:  small gifts
a. Mailing questionnaires to randomly selected  tokens
members of the community  sense of fulfilment.
b. Doing telephone surveys  NSTP-CWTS 2 students are required to complete thirty two
c. Handing out survey during assemblies (32) hours of community service in their institution's
d. Posting questionnaires on the internet community partners as stipulated by RA 9163.

Needs Assessment Survey Community Immersion Services

 A needs assessment survey is conducted to identify There are hundreds of ways to participate in community services,
community needs which are necessary for subsequent depending on the skills and interests of students:
actions. I. Activity 1: HEALTH AND NUTRITION
 This survey contains a set questions to be answered by Feeding Program
people in the community through personal or telephone II. Rationale
interview, online or face-to-face surveys, or email or written  Health significantly affects child's learning
correspondences. performance. Poor health and nutrition negatively
 The following data are gathered in a needs assessment impact the cognitive development of school-age
survey: children, thus reducing their ability to participate in
1) Historical data learning activities.
2) Geographical data  The group will conduct a feeding program for day-
3) Political and legal data care children who are 4 to 5 years of age.
4) Demographic data (e.g., age, size, race, growth III. Learning Objectives
patterns, and population distribution) General Learning Objective
5) Economic data (e.g., the nature of the economic base  This activity aims to provide nutritional food for
in relation to the social, cultural, educational, moral, and day-care children and to improve their eating
cultural superstructure) habits by teaching them the value of nutritional
food.
Roles of the Community in a Needs Assessment Specific Learning Objectives
 The roles of the community in a needs assessment are as  At the end of the activity, the students should be
follows: able to:
1. Help identify interest groups and citizens who can be a 1. conduct a situational analysis on malnutrition
part of working committees. 2. improve the physical and mental stability of
2. Facilitate a group discussion to determine important day-care children
issues and priorities. 3. involve and encourage community participation
3. Select the sample to be surveyed and design a system in providing nutritional food from local sources
to identify respondents. 4. evaluate their active participation in the said
4. Provide a pool of questions from which the working activity.
committees draw upon in addressing issues and IV. Proponents
concerns. Leader:
5. Design a way of distributing and collecting survey Asst. Leader:
questionnaires and encoding and analyzing the Members:
resulting data. 1.
6. Provide summary reports of data. 2.
7. Suggest programs whereby results can be reported and 3.
strategies on community involvement solicited. 4.
8. Work with citizens to come up with well-informed 5.
course of action. V. Respondents
Name of the Community:
Address:
CONCLUSION
Barangay Chairman:
A community needs assessment identifies the strengths Location Map
and resources available in the community to meet the needs of VI. Sponsoring College or Department
children, youth, and families. Community assessment is a College or Department:
systematic examination of the community status indicators for a Dean/Program Chair:
given population that is used to identify key problems and assets in a NSTP Director:
community. NSTP Facilitator:
VII. Strategy/Methodology (Sample only)
Chapter 5 1. A group member will be assigned for each task that
COMMUNITY SERVICES needs to be done. One will be responsible for:
 preparing the meal plan
 This chapter provides students with different examples of  another for securing the ingredients for the food
community services in different areas of concern in the to be served
community including health and nutrition, sports and  another for gathering the contributions of the
recreation, physical fitness, livelihood and entrepreneurship, members, and so on.
and environment. 2. The area in the community where the feeding
 It also discusses group dynamics activities to improve the program will be held will be secured and prepared
functionality of groups engaging in community immersion according to the number of children who will be part
activities. of the program.
3. The group will coordinate with the community
 Community services are conducted by a person or a group members, particularly parents of children, in order to
of people for the benefit of others. ensure the full cooperation of the community.
VIII. Let's Reflect
Reflection Guide
1. Reflect on the programs in line with improving the
health and nutrition of the community members. XVII. Activity 3: LIVELIHOOD AND
2. Note the best practices in the implementation of the ENTREPRENEURSHIP
feeding program. Recycling Seminar
3. Describe your learning experience in being involved XVIII. Rationale
in conducting the feeding program.  Providing entrepreneurship opportunities to the
4. Prepare a development plan to sustain this members of the community gives them a chance to
program and recommend certain strategies. find more ways of earning money.
5. Identify the values and concepts you have learned  The group will conduct a recycling seminar for the
during the implementation of the program. parents in the community.
XIX. Learning Objectives
IX. Activity 2: SPORTS AND RECREATION General Learning Objective
Physical Fitness and Recreational Activity  This activity aims to enhance the business acumen of the
X. Rationale parents in the community by teaching them how to profit from
recycling used materials.
 Participating in physical fitness and recreational
Specific Learning Objectives
activities will help senior citizens have a healthy
 At the end of the activity, the students should be able to:
lifestyle that improves both their body and mind.
1. impart knowledge on how to recycle and sell
 The group will conduct a physical fitness and
recreational activity for community members aged 60 recycled products
2. evaluate the skills that the community members
and above.
XI. Learning Objectives have learned
General Learning Objective 3. encourage them to sell recycled products as a
 This activity aims to encourage senior citizens to source of additional income.
XX. Proponents
adopt or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Leader:
Specific Learning Objectives
Asst. Leader:
 At the end of the activity, the students should be able Members:
to: 1.
1. determine the value of staying healthy among 2.
senior citizens 3.
2. identify the most common health-related 4.
problems that senior citizens experience 5.
3. integrate a regular exercise routine into the XXI. Respondents
daily schedule of senior citizens Name of the Community:
4. evaluate their participation in the activity. Address:
XII. Proponents Barangay Chairman:
Leader: Location Map
Asst. Leader: XXII. Sponsoring College or Department
Members: College or Department:
1. Dean/Program Chair:
2. NSTP Director:
3. NSTP Facilitator:
4. XXIII. Strategy/Methodology (Sample only)
5. 1. Conduct a needs assessment on the recycling of the
XIII. Respondents used materials in the community.
Name of the Community: 2. Validate the data gathered.
Address: 3. Prepare a seminar on recycled products.
Barangay Chairman: 4. Invite resource persons for the seminar.
Location Map 5. Tap different agencies or Non-Governmental
XIV. Sponsoring College or Department Organizations (NGOs) for linkages and support.
College or Department: XXIV. Let's Reflect
Dean/Program Chair: Reflection Guide
NSTP Director: 1. Reflect on the program in line with entrepreneurship
NSTP Facilitator: for its effective implementations.
XV. Strategy/Methodology (Sample only) 2. Describe your learning experience in being involved
1. Conduct a needs assessment on the overall well- in conducting the recycling seminar.
being of the senior citizens of the community. 3. Prepare a livelihood business plan to sustain this
2. Validate the results of the needs assessment by program and recommend certain strategies.
holding a focus group discussion (FGD). 4. Identify the values and concepts you have learned
3. Prepare a physical fitness and recreational activity for during the implementation of the program.
the senior citizens.
4. Execute the program and train the leaders of the XXV. Activity 4: ENVIRONMENT
community senior citizen association on how to Operation Cleanliness
implement the program on their own. XXVI. Rationale
XVI. Let's Reflect  Green is a color that symbolizes a clean and healthy
Reflection Guide environment.
1. Reflect on the program's effectivity in line with physical  A cleanliness drive or campaign is a barangay-wide program
fitness and recreational needs of senior citizens. that aims to thoroughly make streets and alleys spic-and-
2. Note the best practices in the implementation of the span by having students coordinate with community members
physical fitness and recreational activity. to sweep up trash, remove all forms of vandalism, and
3. Describe your learning experience in being involved in beautify public infrastructure in the community.
conducting the physical fitness and recreational XXVII. Learning Objectives
activity. General Learning Objective
4. Prepare a development plan to sustain this program  This activity aims to help the community by dedicating efforts
and recommend certain strategies. to clean it while instilling environmental awareness among
5. Identify the values and concepts you have learned community members.
during the implementation of the program.
 Specific Learning Objectives 6. The participants in the group will start saying their
 At the end of the activity, the students should able to: impressions of the focus person, i.e., "this person
1. dedicate efforts for the cleanliness of the reminds me of ________"
community 7. The "it" will be asked to guess who is being described.
2. identify the importance of maintaining He or she will be allowed three guesses. Every time
cleanliness the "it" takes a guess, he or she will be asked to
3. recognize the role of the members of the explain why. After making the right guess or after
community in maintaining their community's three guesses, the focus person may request
cleanliness explanations as to why he or she was described as
4. evaluate their participation in the cleanliness such.
drive. 8. The focus person will now take his or turn to be the
XXVIII. Proponents "it." The activity will only be done after all participants
Leader: have become a focus person or the "it."
Asst. Leader:
Members: Activity 2: UNDERSTANDING
1. Learning Objectives
2. After the activity, the participants should be able to:
3. 1. put themselves in the shoes of others
4. 2. gain insight and understanding into oneself and
5. others in a non- threatening way.
XXIX. Respondents Time required: thirty (30) minutes
Name of the Community: Directions
Address: In a group of four to six participants, two will volunteer to
Barangay Chairman: pretend to act like each other. One will imitate the other's way
Location Map of speaking, gestures, posture, and vice versa while the other
XXX. Sponsoring College or Department participants observe.
College or Department: 1. After the roleplay, all group participants (roleplayers
Dean/Program Chair: and observers) will critique how the two roleplayers
NSTP Director: imitated each other. Emphasis should be placed on
NSTP Facilitator: the feelings of the roleplayers.
XXXI. Strategy/Methodology (Sample only) 2. The activity will go one until every participant has
1. Conduct a needs assessment on the cleanliness of volunteered to roleplay.
the community. Sharing and Feedback
2. Validate the data gathered. 1. How did you feel when you were pretending to be
3. Gather cleaning materials (e.g., brooms, garbage your partner?
bags, etc.). 2. How did you feel when your actions were being
4. Ask barangay officials to supervise the cleanliness imitated by your partner?
drive in the community. 3. What attribute of your partner was easy to imitate?
5. Put up posters regarding environmental awareness. 4. What have you learned about yourself? About your
XXXII. Let's Reflect partner? About others?
Reflection Guide 5. How could you make use of the things you learned
1. Reflect on the program's effectivity in line with from this activity?
environmental awareness. 6. What have you learned by putting yourself in the
2. Describe your learning experience in conducting the shoes of others by imitating them?
cleanliness drive.
3. Prepare a development plan to sustain this program Activity 4: VILLAGE WIRE
and recommend certain strategies. Learning Objectives
4. Identify the values and concepts you have learned After the activity, the participants should be able to:
during the implementation of the activity. 1. determine how information is altered as it is
transmitted from one point to another through
Group Dynamics Activities different media
2. learn to listen attentively
There are hundreds of ways to conduct group dynamics
Time frame: one (1) hour
activities, depending on the skills and interests of students. Some
Materials Needed: Pictures, voice recorder
common community group dynamics activity are as follows:
Directions
1. Six volunteers from the class will be chosen as
Activity 1: FOCUS
participants of the activity.
Learning Objectives
2. Five of the participants will go outside of the
After the activity, the participants should be able to:
classroom while one will remain inside the classroom.
1. share their thoughts regarding the personalities of
3. The voice recorder will be used to record how
others
information is passed on from one participant to the
2. distinguish the complexities of their personalities and
next.
that of others.
4. From a picture provided by the instructor and with the
Time Frame: one (1) hour
supervision of the instructor, the first participant will
Directions
create a story based on the picture and relay it to the
1. The participants should be grouped with seven to
second participant. The second participant will pass it
twelve members each.
onto the third, the third onto the fourth, and the fourth
2. The participants will sit down to form a circle.
onto the fifth. Afterwards, they will go back to the
3. There will be a volunteer who will be considered as
classroom.
the "it." He or she will distance himself or herself from
5. Once in the classroom, the fifth participant will relay
the group so as not to see or hear them.
the story to the sixth participant who remained inside
4. The group will assign a "focus person" within the
the classroom. The sixth will then go on to tell the
circle, to whom they will express their honest
story to the class or write it on the board.
impressions by describing him or her through animate
6. The class will then evaluate how the story was
or inanimate objects.
transmitted based on the voice recording.
5. The "it" will be called in to join the circle.
Sharing and Feedback
1. What was the story?
 2. What has become of the retold story? 1. The class will be asked to put on blindfolds. They will
3. What details were missed? What were added? be instructed to put themselves in the following
4. How did you feel about the story being altered as it scenario:
was being transmitted? Imagine that you have been blinded by the flash
5. If the activity was to be repeated with only three of hydrogen bomb. You are now in an underground
participants instead of six, will the transmission of the shelter and you know that the ventilation system will
story be more accurate? Why or why not? completely malfunction in 20 minutes and everyone in
the shelter will surely die. There is absolutely no
Activity 5: SPIT BACK possibility of escape from the room. You have 20
Learning Objectives minutes left in the world, in the room, with the people
After the activity, the participants should be able to: and things contained in it. You need to be aware of
1. determine the value of receiving feedback from how you feel and how you make use of the last 20
others minutes. You will be told when your time is up.
2. demonstrate the proper handling of both positive and 2. After 20 minutes, they will be told their time is up.
negative criticisms. They will be given a few minutes to absorb the
Time Frame: experience and record how they felt and what they
forty-five (45) minutes to one (1) hour depending upon the did during the time given to them. They will now
size of the group. remove their blindfolds and form groups of five or six
Directions members. The group will talk about their experience
1. The participants should be grouped with four to five of imagining themselves in the given scenario.
members each. 3. The whole class will be asked to contemplate about
2. Each member will share his or her objective criticism their life after being in a scenario that involved dying.
of his or her groupmates. Sharing and Feedback
3. Criticisms shall be explained or processed and 1. How did you feel to be put in such a helpless position
members shall then accept and acknowledge them. with no other choice but to wait to die?
Sharing and Feedback 2. Were you able to do what you wanted to in 20
1. What was your reaction to the criticisms given to you? minutes?
What did you feel? 3. If put in an actual situation like that of above, how
2. Do you believe in the truthfulness of the criticisms would you like to go about given the short time left for
given to you? you to live?
3. Did you mind the criticism given to you? Why or why 4. What are the things that you realized you need to
not? accomplish now before it is already too late?
4. What did you learn from the reactions of your other
groupmates when faced with criticism? CONCLUSION
 Community service is done for the welfare of the community.
Activity 6: UNDER THE SEA EXPLORATION It functions through the efforts of willing volunteers.
Learning Objectives  Volunteers are not paid to do community service.
After the activity, the participants should be able to:  Usually, volunteers dedicate their time and effort to these
1. discuss and evaluate their priorities activities because they find meaning in doing things that
2. determine what things are most important to them. would benefit many people.
Time Frame: twenty to thirty (20-30) minutes
Directions
1. The class will be asked to close their eyes and focus
on a particular place under the sea.
2. They will be asked what they see and hear and why
these things are important to them.
3. For ten minutes, they will keep their eyes closed and
continue exploring the sea from their imagination.
From their exploration, they will be told to keep in
mind the things that they would like to take home with
them.
4. Afterwards, they will share their experiences with a
partner.
Sharing and Feedback
1. How did it feel being able to explore the sea through
your imagination?
2. Were you able to visualize things in the sea? What
were important to you? Why were these things
important?
3. What object from the sea did you decide to bring with
you? Why?
4. What value does this object have for you?
5. How did you feel about sharing with a partner your
experience of exploring the sea through your
imagination?

Activity 7: THE WORLD'S DOOM

Learning Objectives
After the activity, the participants should be able to:
1. assess what is important in life
2. evaluate one's way of making decisions in times of
crisis.
Time Frame: forty-five (45) minutes
Material Needed: blindfolds
Directions