Training Manual in Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases Part I (Peace Corps, 1985, 579 pages): Module 3: Community analysis and involvement: Session 11: Learning about the community

Training Manual in Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases Part I (Peace Corps, 1985, 579 pages)

Module 3: Community analysis and involvement

		Behavioral objectives
		Session 9: Deciding what to learn about the community
		Session 10: Methods for learning about the community
		Session 11: Learning about the community
		Session 12: Community analysis
		Session 13: Survey and disease surveillance
		Session 14: Working with the community
		Session 15: Working as a counterpart

Session 11: Learning about the community

TOTAL TIME: 6 hours

OVERVIEW

Having planned what information they want to learn about the community as well as how to gather that information, participants now visit and conduct a simple investigation in a local community. Working in their teams of three, participants use assessment skills along with other skills and knowledge learned in language and cross-cultural training. During Session 12 they will share their experiences and analyze the information they gathered during the day.

OBJECTIVES

· To gather general information about the surrounding community and become acquainted with community members. (Step 1)
· To gather specific information in the community about health behavior and at least one of the other subsystems of the KEEPRAH model using plans developed during Session 9. (Step 1)

RESOURCES

Community investigation plans from Session 9.

MATERIALS

Paper, pen.

PROCEDURE

Trainer Note

Well in advance of this session, contact the host community, by visiting leaders in the town government, schools, health centers, as well as homes of certain families who know you or other members of the staff. Explain the purpose and date of the field visit.

Step 1 (10 min)
Preparing to Conduct the Community Investigation

Ask the group for any last minute questions they might have before going out into the community. Explain to participants that within their work teams they should assume one of three roles - interviewer, observer, or listener as they interact with various community members. Ask the team members to rotate in these roles such that they each have an opportunity to experience all three roles. Ask participants to informally discuss their experiences in their work teams before Session 12.

Trainer Note

If possible and if indicated, couple each team with someone who has local language capability. If this person is a current Volunteer, request that person to act only as interpreter and not be directly involved in gathering information or leading the group in any way. Be sure to give the group a way to contact you in case of emergency. Tell them that when they return to the training site they should spend a half-hour or more reflecting on the day's experience.

Before Session 12, give the work teams 45 minutes to 1 hour to meet and prepare a concise presentation of their investigation for reporting to the larger group. Explain that they should base their 7-12 minute presentations on the following discussion points:

- the information they gathered.
- problems they encountered in getting to various places in the community and finding people with whom to talk.
- techniques for gathering information that worked well for them and those with which they had problems.
- mistakes they made.
- most valuable learning that came out of the 6 hour investigation.

In addition, they should try to answer the following questions:

- What is the relationship between the non-health subsystem you selected and the health subsystem of this community? (Kg. what is the relationship between the Economics subsystem and the Health subsystem?)
- What do community members perceive as their primary development problems regarding health and the other subsystem you investigated?
- What process did you use to answer the above question? (i.e., how did you interpret your data?)

Post these points on newsprint in the room. Make markers and newsprint paper available to the work team; and encourage them to be creative.

Step 2 (6 hours)
Conducting the Field Visit

Wish the participants good luck and send them on their way.