Facilitating Community-Driven Development
participatory approaches & tools for working with communities
“Development brings freedom, provided it is development of people. But people cannot be developed; they can only develop themselves….People develop themselves by joining in free discussion of a new venture, and then participating in the subsequent decision; they are not being developed if they are herded like animals into new ventures. Development of people can, in fact, only be effected by the people.”
Julius Nyerere
Course brief
How does one work with communities so that they drive their own development as Nyerere describes it? The Institute for Development Practice (IDPM) of Participatory Development Associates (PDA) Ltd. offers this course in Community-Driven Development (CDD) based on its tried and tested work with many different communities located all over Ghana over the past 15 years. This practical training programme offers participants an opportunity to learn about using a facilitative approach that supports and respects the right of people in communities to determine their own development. The course integrates theory and field practice, giving participants hands-on experience of working facilitatively with people in communities, supporting them to make their own collective decisions about their future, and the action they wish to take to bring change. It introduces concepts such as participatory learning and action (PLA), appreciative inquiry and the role of community leadership in development.
Who the course is for
Anyone who works with communities, including:
- Community leaders (including communities of interest – religion, profession, etc).
- Programme/project managers and front-line field staff of civil society and faith based organisations
- Staff of private companies responsible for corporate social responsibility
- Extension agents/officers of government agencies like health, agriculture, education, water and sanitation.
Course Date
10th to 14th October
Course overview
- What are animation and facilitation?
- The essential skills of a community facilitator
- The 4-power framework
- Gender and social inclusion – how to work inclusively
- Selected participatory learning and action tools for facilitating community dialogue, reflection, and action planning
- Community entry
- Field practice and sharing of field practice experience
- Facilitating community development planning
- Moving community development plans into action
- Community development plans as an advocacy tool
Course methodology
PDA is renowned for its highly participatory, interactive and fun training sessions. The course will use action-oriented, experiential learning approaches aimed at active participation throughout. These will include case studies, group work, simulations, energizers, interactive presentation and individual reflection through learning journals. A certificate is awarded to participants who attend the full course.
Course fee and logistics
This is a five-day non-residential course. The course fee of GH¢800 covers tuition, training materials, lunch, transportation for field trips and a certificate. Participants bear their own accommodation costs.
Course venue
Christ The King Parish hall, Accra.
Language of discourse
A mixture of English and the dominant Ghanaian language among participants.
Course facilitators
Tony Dzidzinyo Kwesi Dogbe: During Tony’s 30-year career as a development practitioner, he has focused on programmes that involve working with communities, facilitating community-driven development, facilitating participatory development processes, and NGO management. He is an experienced facilitator and a member of several NGO advisory or governing boards. Tony is a co-founder and the former Managing Director of Participatory Development Associates (PDA) Ltd, which was founded in 2001. Before this he was the Executive Director of the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) for nearly 9 years. He also worked for VSO for 3 years as a Programme Officer and served for 4 years as a member of its international Board of Trustees. Tony holds a BA (Hons) degree in Political Science and an MSc in Community Organisation for Rural Development.
David Kwame Mensahhas over fifteen (15) years of professional experience. He was the Lead Community Mobilization Advisor on a USAID malaria project in Ghana. He also worked as a Senior Community Relations Officer for Newmont Ghana Gold Limited. Prior to that assignment, he worked with Participatory Development Associates as a Field Coordinator and later as a manager. He went on to coordinate an ILO-funded project addressing issues of child labour in the cocoa industry for International Cocoa Initiative.
David Kwame Mensah has organized over 150 national/regional/district/community workshops, serving a total of over 2,500 participants comprising mainly of the media, Regional and District Health Management Teams, NGOs/CBOs, SMCs/PTAs, assembly members, local government (LG) officials, education officers, community leaders and community groups on child labour and malaria control issues. This has given him extensive expertise in community mobilization, facilitation of community driven processes and the use of participatory tools and methodologies to engage groups.
What previous participants said:
- “I learnt that the facilitator is critical to the change process; that his task is to help bring the community members to the point of realizing their needs and what they ought to do to address these needs”.
- “I now see the value of involving people in effecting a social change.”
- “From this workshop I have learnt how to listen to others share their thoughts and motivate them to open up during discussions.”
- “One thing I liked is the participatory nature of the course content and the practical use of examples to explain tools and results achieved.”
- “I liked the cordial atmosphere created during the training’.
- “I liked the practical approach used by facilitators.”
How to apply
To apply for this course either visit the PDA website www.pdaghana.com, select IDPM from the menu, download and complete an IDPM application form and email it toidpm@pdaghana.com or you can call 0503362035 / 0302243098 for a form.
Applications must be sent one week before the start of the course. Early booking is recommended as places are limited. If you book and confirm your place 14 days before the start date, you will be given 5% discount off the course fee.
Payment of fees
Course fees must be paid in full before the start of the course.
For more information
Please phone the IDPM Manager directly with any enquiries about our courses on 0503362035 / 0302243098 (Mon to Fri, 8am – 4pm GMT).
*This course, as well as many others that the IDPM offers, can also be made available as a tailor-made course attuned to your specific needs and context.