NOCN Resource Pack 4
Involving people in community development

Unit: Involving People in Community Groups
Level Two: Optional. NOCN Unit Code EE32QQ014
Level Three: Optional. NOCN Unit Code EE33QQ034

This pack is designed to support the Involving People in Community Development National Open College Network (NOCN) unit at levels 2 and 3; it is an option unit at both levels.

One of the most critical aspects of the recent interest by government and other bodies in 'community involvement', 'community engagement', 'community consultation' and all the other buzz words, is the ability to actually involve people within communities with all the different initiatives.

This programme takes a Freirian approach to start with and explores the motivation for people becoming involved in community development, and then looks at the rationale for the governments interest in community involvement in all its different guises. It examines the different kinds of community involvement on offer and the implications for communities of these.

It provides an insight into how to find out what is already going on and how to build and maintain working relationships with and within communities. It examines the best ways to make contact, particularly with the most marginalized groups. Different techniques for engaging with people and encouraging them to become involved in community activities are outlined. Strategies for increasing participation at different levels within communities and for the effective involvement of people within groups are considered. The pack introduces some of the approaches to ensuring the quality of community involvement in different initiatives.