Strategies for Mobilizing Communities by CSOs in Making FOI Requests

STRATEGIES FOR MOBILISING COMMUNITIES BY CSO IN MAKING FOI REQUESTS

BY

PROFESSOR A.A. ILEMOBADEPRESIDENT & CEO, UPLINE RESOURCES FOUNDATION,AKURE, ONDO STATE.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction of Participants What is Community, Its dimensions

Why Mobilization Benefits of Community Mobilization

COMMUNITY

What comes first to your mind when you think or hear the word “COMMUNITY” ?

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?

A Community is a set of people living together with common interest”

We all live in a community. There are different things that bind us together. Let us try to identify them.

Beliefs Values Language Territory Religion Culture Occupation

COMMUNITY MOBILISATION: DEFINITION

Community mobilisation is an attempt to bring both human and non-human resources together to undertake developmental activities in order to achieve a common purpose. – Wikipedia.

COMMUNITY MOBILISATION - DEFINITION

The Act of marshaling and organising and making ready for use or action or common purpose - Dictionary

COMMUNITY MOBILISATION - DEFINITION

Community Mobilization refers to the process of building social relationships in pursuit of common community interests.

Community Mobilization is seen as being the foundation of the community development process.

WHY COMMUNITY MOBILISATION?

As a Means or Strategy for: Creating demand for interventions Increasing access to services Scaling up interventions Increasing effectiveness and efficiency of interventions Contributing additional resources to the response Reaching the most vulnerable Addressing the underlying causes of Education: gender

disparities, lack of awareness etc. Increasing community ownership and sustainability

Benefits of Community Mobilization in a project Increase community, individual, and group capacity

to identify and satisfy their needs Improve program design Improve program quality Improve program results Improve program evaluation Cost effective way to achieve sustainable results Increase community ownership of the program

STEPS IN COMMUNITY MOBILISATIONStep 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: Establish a Community Mobilisation group

Step 3: Design Strategies, set objectives and select target groups

Step 4: Develop an Action Plan and a timeline

Step 5: Build Capacity

Step 6: Identify Partners

Step 7: Implement the Plan of Activities

Step 8: Monitor, Evaluate and Improve

STAKEHOLDERS

Who are the stakeholders?

Why is it important to coordinate among all stakeholders?

What can be achieved when we involve all stakeholders?

What can we assume if we don’t involve all stakeholders?

IDENTIFICATION OF MARGINALISED/DEPRIVED GROUPS

Economically deprived group (Poor)

WomenTribal/Ethnic peopleDisabled peopleMinority GroupsOthers

Key Tasks involved in Community Mobilization Developing an on-going dialogue between

community members Creating or strengthening community

organizations (Committees etc.) Creating an environment in which individuals

can empower themselves to address their own and their community’s needs

Promoting community members’ participation

…CONTINUING

Working in partnership with community members

Identifying and supporting the creative potential of communities to develop a variety of strategies and approaches

Assisting in linking communities with external resources

Committing enough time to work with communities, or with a partner who works with them

REASONS FOR MOBILISING FOR FOI

What are the reasons why we are mobilising our Communities under an FOI project?

REASONS FOR MOBILISING FOR FOI

• FOI is a basic right of all citizens• FOI is at the root of achieving a

relatively corruption-free society• Access to information is crucial to

achieve transparency and accountability in governance

• FOI provides teeth to the rule of law

• Gives credibility to governance.

…CONTINUED

And…..Transparency is a key public policy tool for promoting greater efficiency in the use and distribution of Public Resources and improving public services.

SELECT A STRATEGY

Since this is FOIA, plan for community dialogue and select a strategy.

Requires sensitization on the issue.

Calls for mobilization of community

Need for interaction with individuals, family members.

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

In defining the problem, collect basic information in order to have clear statement of the problem and identify target population in the community

ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY MOBILISATION GROUP

The aim is to establish a group that can influence community mobilisation activities

Usually the group should consist partners that have a stake in the issue (e.g. CBO, FBO as well as influential groups and members of the community such as formal and informal leaders, civil servants and political leaders and traditional leaders)

DESIGNING STRATEGIES, SETTING OBJECTIVES AND SELECTING TARGET GROUPS

Mobilise resources from Community and other external partners

Community Mobilisation group to design strategies the issue of FOI with objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART)

DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN WITH A TIME LINE• An Action Plan links the

general community mobilisation plan with time lines for the implementation of planned activities against target set for goals to be achieved

BUILDING CAPACITY• Identify existing capacity resources• Assess the gaps that exist to

implement community mobilisation• Gaps identified should be

addressed by capacity building of the community groups and other relevant stakeholders in the community.

IDENTIFYING PARTNERS

Identify various partners who may be working to achieve similar goals through simple mapping exercise. The following partners may be relevant: religious institutions, CBOs, women organizations, youth organisations, other local NGOs

IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN OF ACTIVITIESBased on the Action Plans

developed with all partners implementation of the community mobilisation activities is the main task.

Clear and unambiguous role for any partners that may be involved is given and communicated with all of them

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Although last activity, it is essential element of Community Mobilisation

Provides a basis to assess whether or not the action plan has been implemented effectively and objectives met in respect to the issue the community is mobilised to achieve.