Course Title: Work within a community development framework

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2013

Course Code: HWSS5685C

Course Title: Work within a community development framework

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4313 - Certificate IV in Community Development

Course Contact : Julian Silverman

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4578

Course Contact Email:julian.silverman@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 65

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None.

Course Description

This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to work within a community development framework. A community development framework may include a range of methods designed to strengthen and develop communities by enhancing individual and group capacity to confidently engage with community structures and to address problems and issues.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	CHCCD412B Work within a community development framework
Element:	Distinguish between private and public issues arising in community development work
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Employ appropriate interpersonal skills to hear individual stories and distinguish between private and public issues 2.2 Identify the individual’s willingness to engage in a public process to bring about change and facilitate the move from private concern to public action 2.3 Provide appropriate referrals to assist people to deal with personal issues 2.4 Ensure all work reflects and meets duty of care responsibilities
Element:	Operate within a community development framework
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Reflect a current working knowledge and understanding of community development vision and mission in work undertaken 1.2 Reflect through work, a commitment to working with communities to resolve their issues through enhancing skills, accessing appropriate support and working with others in the community who share concerns and issues 1.3 Underpin work with a commitment to the principles of community development 1.4 Demonstrate understanding of the interrelationships of the needs and rights of the individual, the family, the community and society 1.5 Reflect through work, a demonstrated understanding of the impact of current and changing social, political and economic contexts 1.6 Work in a manner which reflects the impact of worker’s own value base and values within a community development framework
Element:	Work effectively with diversity in the community
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Ensure all work reflects a commitment to the principles of access and equity 4.2 Ensure all work reflects respect and understanding of individual differences 4.3 Ensure all work reflects recognition of the positive contribution of diversity in the community 4.4 Adapt inclusive work processes that enhance people’s participation
Element:	Work with groups to achieve community development outcomes
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Contribute to analysis of community needs 3.2 Identify shared community needs within the public group processes 3.3 Identify appropriate strategies with the group in order to ensure community issues are addressed 3.4 Identify community structures and resources available to groups to maximise outcomes for groups 3.5 Provide advice and information to groups and individuals as required to ensure they are fully informed about relevant issues and opportunities

Learning Outcomes

  

Details of Learning Activities

You will attend an all-day workshop in which you will participate in activities including role-plays, discussions and presentations related to engaging communities in the community development process as part of specific initiatives. You will be presented with information relating to the central themes of the unit including theories and skills relating to how to conduct research with community partners about their perceptions of how community development practice relates to the roles and functions of their organisation. Self -directed learning activities outside of the workshop will involve conducting research with community partners about their perceptions of how community development practice relates to the roles and functions of their organisation, how they can avoid conflicts of interest within their community work practice and how they ensure that they engage diverse sectors of their own constituent community as well as the wider community.

Teaching Schedule

Please note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the weekly order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of speakers and resources.

 

Week 5	Class Content	Learning Elements
Work within a community development framework	In this workshop students will focus on refining their ability to operate within a community development context through a range of interactive activities involving work in class discussions. Students will explore scenarios that will enable them to determine the difference between a community development framework and other forms of service delivery including NAB differentiate between collective and individual issues. The workshop will also enable participants to develop skills in working with culturally diverse groups to achieve community development outcomes.	1. Operate within a community development framework 2. Distinguish between private and public issues arising in community development work 3. Work effectively with diversity in the community 4. Work with groups to achieve community development outcomes

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems and access to specialised facilities and relevant software. You will also have access to the library resources.

References

Other Resources

You will be issued a reading kit that includes links to relevant web resources upon commencement of this course. It will contain articles and instructional materials that relate to this workshop and it will be developed in consultation with industry experts in the community development sector.

Web links for this workshop:
Teaching community development a critical refection – Philip Mendes
http://www.thecyberhood.net/documents/papers/mendes09.pdf
Dilemmas in teaching community development – Sue Kenny
http://kxohnnc.iacdglobal.org/files/kenny.pdf

Overview of Assessment

Assessment is ongoing throughout the course. Assessment will incorporate a range of methods to assess performance and the application of knowledge and skills and will include:

- Self and Supervisor Assessment
- Simulation

Assessment Tasks

In order to demonstrate competence in this course you will need to satisfactorily complete the following assessment tasks:

Self and Supervisor Assessment
You and your supervisor will be asked to separately answer questions on a single document that evaluates your effectiveness from your respective points of view in terms of how you conduct research with community partners about their perceptions of how community development practice relates to the roles and functions of their organization, how they avoid conflicts of interest, as well as how they work with stakeholders to determine the difference between private and public shared interests within their community work practice and how they ensure that they engage diverse sectors of their own constituent community as well as the wider community.

Simulation
As part of the workshop you will engage in a hypothetical scenario in which you will role-play a worker utilising one or more specific techniques in a scenario that will be provided to you will show your skills working with a group of community members at a community meeting to gain support, if not consensus, for an ethical problem confronting the community you work with including managing a conflict of interest. The scenario will include culturally or otherwise diverse members of the local and wider community as community members. You will be assessed during the workshop on your ability to support a diverse community group to manage ethical issues including a conflict of interest.

Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview