Community development is a process where people in a community come together to take
collective action to solve common problems and improve their quality of life. It's a holistic and
empowering approach that emphasizes local ownership, participation, and sustainability.
Here's a breakdown of its key aspects:
Core Principles:
* Participation and Self-Determination: Community members are actively involved in identifying
their needs, setting goals, planning, implementing, and evaluating projects. The idea is that
people have the right to make their own choices and decisions about their communities.
* Empowerment: Community development aims to increase the capacity of individuals and
groups to control their own lives and influence decisions that affect them. This involves
developing skills, knowledge, and confidence.
* Collective Action: Recognizing that common problems are best addressed through unified
effort, community development encourages people to work together in groups or organizations
to amplify their voices and achieve shared goals.
* Social Justice and Equity: It strives to address power imbalances, inequality, and disadvantage,
ensuring that everyone benefits from development efforts regardless of their background,
identity, or social status. It challenges systems of oppression and works towards fair and
equitable access to resources and opportunities.
* Sustainability: Community development considers the long-term impacts of actions, aiming for
solutions that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially inclusive, ensuring
future generations can meet their own needs.
* Respect for Diversity: It values and respects the varied cultures, traditions, and perspectives
within a community, avoiding imposed solutions and building on local strengths.
* Asset-Based Approach: Instead of focusing solely on problems, community development often
emphasizes identifying and utilizing the existing strengths, resources, and assets within a
community.
How it Works in Practice:
Community development typically involves a cyclical process:
* Identifying Needs and Assets: Through discussions, surveys, and other methods, community
members identify the issues that are most important to them and the resources they already
possess.
* Planning and Strategy Development: Based on identified needs, the community, often with the
support of community development professionals, develops strategies and action plans to
address these issues.
* Mobilization and Implementation: Community members mobilize resources (both internal and
external) and implement the planned activities. This often involves forming committees,
organizing events, and building partnerships.
* Monitoring and Evaluation: Regular assessment of progress is crucial to determine what is
working, what isn't, and to make necessary adjustments. This iterative process allows for
continuous learning and adaptation.
Outcomes of Community Development:
Community development can lead to a wide range of positive outcomes, including:
* Individual Level: Increased skills, knowledge, self-efficacy, empowerment, social inclusion, and
community connectedness for those directly involved.
* Community Level: Stronger and more cohesive communities, improved social capital, increased
civic engagement, enhanced community safety, better health outcomes, and a greater ability to
address future challenges.
* Structural Change: It can also contribute to challenging and improving conditions that lead to
disempowerment, ultimately leading to changes in social structures, policies, and service
delivery.
Community Development in Ghana:
In Ghana, community development has a long history, dating back to colonial times when it was
used to promote basic education and social welfare, often with an emphasis on self-help. Today,
it remains a crucial strategy for endogenous development, promoting self-help initiatives and
enabling communities to participate in decision-making processes, particularly at the local level
within a decentralized administrative system. The Department of Community Development plays
a significant role in facilitating improvements in living standards in both rural and urban areas,
through adult education, skills training, and supporting self-help projects.
