Organizing

PLM-College of Medicine

Family and Community Medicine

Class 2010 Section 3B The Organizing Process Session objectives:  Definition of terms  Define the key elements of community organizing  Enumerate the approaches of community organizing  Explain the communication strategies  Describe the 7 stages of community organizing Definition Community Organizing  Is about modifying the attitudes and behaviors of people, not as individuals but as a group to: o Improve a social or health condition o Alter a social or health structure o Enhance social relationships to bring about a greater capcity by the group to address common social and health problems

 Is about having a broad representative cross-section of the community working together to identify and address common health problems that it defines as real and important.

 Is about people creating social change Key Elements of Community Organizing The four P’s People Problem Participation Process and Power APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZING Process Approach People are organized to facilitate:  Communication  Education  Hope  Awareness  Sense of community By working together, the group learns how to address common health problems and achieve specific objectives Power Approach

Lecturer: Dr. Mae Collao Date: June 20,2008 People are organized to acquire and demonstrate power The threat or use of power helps to influence specific individuals to correct:  Specific problems  Create systems change  Resolve Conflicts  Communication strategies About the Presenter (Organizer)

 An effective communicator uses personal experiences-his/her own to and those of the audience to build bridges of understanding He knows when people are concerned or feel threatened, their desire to listen increases His most powerful tool is a question He should always acknowledge the audience values and norms

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Factors that Enhance the Ability of the Communicator I. The Persons  Prestige  Attractiveness  Role  Likeness to the audience  Credibility  Don’t argue from the self interest perspective  Be candid as much as possible- some degree of exposure is helpful  It’s ok to identify your biases  Don’t use responses that sound rehearsed

 Anticipate difficult questions and think through responses II. 

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About the Message How you frame the issue also determines the effectiveness of the communication An effective communicator will determine the audience concern and attitude about the issue and then shape a message to address the factors Messages that acknowledge both sides of an issue are more convincing to

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those with a less favorable initial attitude Avoid a strong appeal to fear, the audience will think you are over reacting or they may become immobilized If you use fear, follow with specific actions that the audience can do to reduce the threat Avoid attacking your audience, or it will get defensive and discount your presentation

 When possible, it is helpful to start your response by agreeing with some elements of the other person’s remarks/ questions

 A soft sell is usually most effective 

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Try to illuminate the issue of agreement and outline possible solutions rather than intensifying the points of disagreement Use facts, figures and feelings to backup your comments Humanize the exchange Use local examples About the Audience Audiences sometimes listen to, understand and respond to messages People listen to people with whom they agree, however when they disagree with the presenter, they attempt to minimize or avoid the importance of the message and discredit the communicator Do not start with “you may not agree…” for you may lose the audience as it silently prepares counter arguments People’s desire to develop counter arguments can be reduced if you present a mild dose of the opposing views along with your arguments People understand only in terms of their own experiences, hence you need to communicate within the experience of your target audience When we cant find an experience to facilitate understanding with another party, we must create an experience for that party

 Make sure to address the underlying factors and concerns that are revealed

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when someone makes a statement or asks a question You can increase an audience commitment by asking them to take a public stand (i.e. a show of hands for support) It is helpful to start any presentation with a joke, a story, or a quote. Make sure it is matched to your audience and your message

1. Getting Started The organizer must:  Be invited by the community, its leadership  Help to highlight frustrations and raise issues  Cultivate hope for a better way  Instill a desire for change  Be seen as a winner  Demonstrate stick-to-itiveness  Help the community see why this effort is important from its perspective  Help people feel they have the power to make the necessary changes  Help develop a core group of concerned citizens, informal and formal community leaders 2. Targeting Issues and Setting Priorities *Targeting- the need for organizers and community- change organizations to identify and select specific issues and individuals they desire to affect an action or development (??) *with the assistance of the organizer and core group of community members, the host community must:  Identify important issues and commonly held problems  Define desired changes  Rank problems and set priorities  Develop shared vision for problem solution *understand that controversy is part of creating change- without controversy people may not be energized enough to act. A controversial issue is redundancy.  Spotting potential indigenous leaders  Comes from the poor sector of community and is directly engaged in economic production  Must process credibility and integrity

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Is receptive to change Must an analytical and critical mind Must be able to communicate effectively Must be interested in the upliftment of his community

Targeting Supporters and Opponents

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supporters who are concerned about these issues, who are willing to work towards a desire change, and who have the ability to make the change

 Identify Opponents who will stand in

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the way of the desired change and who have the ability to make or prevent the desired change Spotting potential indigenous leaders

Core Group Formation  Laying down of the foundation of a strong organization brought about by bringing together several indigenous leaders to exchange knowledge and insights towards a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the community  Setting up of an organization  After core group formation: o Set up purok organizationselect leaders o Necessary ground work must be done by the indigenous leaders and organizers to prepare for community meetings Targeting Suppoters  Assess who is most affected by these issues  Assess who has the potential to help you create the desired change Targeting Issues  Convert private troubles into public issues  Select an issue that people can get excited about  Define what changes you want to occur  Select an issue that is winnable 3. Mobilization and Training Goal: build people’s self confidence and develop their collective spirit. These

activities must include assessment and reflection sessions including team building Activities: must address the felt needs of the community, tap local and external resources in the solution, all sectors must be involved and their different roles clarified. Notes on Mobilizing, an Overview:

 Mobilization- is about using the supporters whom you have organized to influence the opponents you have identified

 Timing is everything- impact is

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dimished if the group enters the process too late or too early Mobilization must be seen as a tactic, building on the next as a way to accomplish a well defined goal or vision An effective campaign requires public suppor, therefore you must design actions with general public in mind You must be concerned about your group’s and your opponents images Power is not only what you have and what you can influence, but what others think you have and think you can do

 A threat is more often terrifying than 

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reality Never go outside the experiences of your group, but whenever possible, go outside the xperiences of the opposition Make the oppositionlive up to its own rules and rhetorics A good tactic is one that your people will enjoy and be comfortable using

 To win, you must “keep the heat on” but do not let things drag on too long

 Always be ready to move with the flow of events- be flexible, don’t wait until all the resources are lined up because most of the time, you need to do what you can with what you have Types of   

Mobilization Tactics Persuasion Negotiation Direct action

Issues for selection of tactics  The greater the commitment of the group, the greater the risks the group will be willing to take to achieve its desired goals  Always start with low risk tactics first  Pick actions that are both enjoyable and winnable  Tactics should fit the group’s style, history, and culture  Make sure the tactics are linked together so that they build on each other  Make sure that the selected tactics relate to: o The substance of the issue o The desired change- goal of the group o The culture an history of the community o Perception and organizational composition of the group o The available resources o The relationship between the supporters and the opposition o The groups norms Mobilizing Tactics

a. Persuasion- involves problem solving and education. Information is assembled, alternatives are examined and mutually satisfying solutions are selected. This tactic is used when there are shared objectives, between two groups, when disagreements are modest, and when misunderstanding can be mediated with improved communication and/or by referring to a common interest THREE PARTS OF PERSUASION AS A TACTIC:  The presenter  The message  The audience

b. Negotiation-

is used when you cannot, or choose not to persuade. It requires that you make a demand, back it up with arguments and then make a concession a trade Negotiation reflects power relationships more than it alters them THREE PHASES OF NEGOTIATION:  Pre negotiation phase o Establich self/ organization as a serious contender

Determine what motivates those who are blocking goal achievement o Asses where those who stand on your way are most/ least vulnerable o Define what it is you have to or trade to overcome or neutralize the concerns or onjections of those who stand in your way.- if this cannot be done, shift to persuasion tactic o Rehearse making the demandsdefine roles and stance, define public and private agenda, develop lines of arguments, anticipate objections, create defense and counter arguments and identify potential concessions and your bottom line o Understand that compromise is important in negotiation- not all of your demands will be met o Begin negotiation before the power of your group has peaked Negotiation Phase o It is a process o What is said is as important as what is done o Use questions to determine the meaning of the oppositions demand, o reveal the degree of interest in specific demands, and to expose items of possible tension. o Start with demands that are more than you need/want o Maintain the image of responsibility- do not make such unreasonable demands that your opponent can walk away and paint you as an extremist or an obstructionist o Threats must be credible to be effective- your resources and readiness must match your rhetorics o Threats are actually more effective than actually invoking them o Increased demonstration of groups commitment to o

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demand, increases effectiveness of threatswithout having to use them Settlement Phase o Seek a win-win situation o Win on merits no on just power o Concessions are made on merits because it is in the best interest of the opposition o You must help opponents rationalize change o A third party mediator may offer an opponent a way out by yielding to the prestige of the mediator rather than the power of the challenger

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c. Direct action 

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Social change and conflict are interrelated, neither can exist without the other Direct action embraces conflict Requires a well organized constituency Used to increase public awareness, to threaten and embarrass an opponent and to provide glue to your movement helps at times to create bargaining power needs to conform to the standards of news worthiness

 helps transform the complexities of

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the issue and associated relationships so that new, simple patterns emerge Good vs. Evil Serves to dramatize a point of view

SOME TYPES AND EXAMPLE OF DIRECT ACTION:

 Protest- legal disputes, marches, demonstrations, rallies, petitions, teach ins, picketing

vigils,

 Non Cooperation- strikes, boycotts, absenteeism (must be supported in order to work)

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 Interventions- sit ins, phone ins, stand ins, interference with routine procedures 4. Planning for action

The Organizer and Core Group community members must: o Develop a plan of action to effectively address the presenting issues/ problems o Assess the current power structures and other factors that create or maintain the problem o Examine the internal and external obstacles, opportunities and resources o Define the targets- those who are most affected by the problem, those who can help create the desired change and those who will stand in the way of the desired change o Develop strategies for organizing the supporters into a group/ organizations to address the issues and the opponents o Design strategies for mobilizing the organized group to create the desired change

5. Organizing a Power/ Process Structure  The Organizer and Community Members must: o Educate and energize the public on the target issue o Cultivate relationship with supporters o Design structural and communication links for addressing the identified problems, bringing the supporters together and implementing the action strategies that will create the desired change o Develop leaders to support the agenda and implement the action plan 

Notes on Organizing: o People get involved for selfish reasons and they get involved when they feel they can make a difference o Determine what will motivate these potential supporters

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Develop a message that will meet their needs and matches their perspective Identify supporters via one on one meetings, petition drives, direct mail, rallies, canvassing, ad campaign, fairs, community meetings, etc. People need an organization to demonstrate power The organizational structure should meet the needs of the supporters and the scope of the action

TYPES OF STRUCTURE THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER:  Community forum  Task committee  Steering committee  Block group  Neighborhood association  Town meeting  Coalition/ Partnership  Others 6. Mobilizing the group to achieve small Victories

 At this stage the organized group

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supportersexecutes the tactics to create the desired change The organizer must help the group to: o Select the appropriate tactics o Keep the action simple an fun o Own the action o Use tactics that will achieve small victories to advance the desired change

7. Continuing the process The organizer must work with the organized group to:  Make sure it receives feedback  Monitor actions  Evaluate effectiveness of strategy on overall goal  Redefine actions  Identifies new problems, priorities, and strategies  Implement revised action plan  Keeping organization active

 Have periodic progress reports on on-

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going projects to keep the spark of enthusiasm Conduct regular social activities Inter-visitation Contests Health fairs and/or exhibits Give recognition to those who have done well END

Sorry if this came late, doctora wasn’t able to email me the power point presentation so I borrowed notes from dra. Samaniego’s Lecture. 