COMMUNITY IMMERSION: IT’S CONCEPTS AND PRINCPLES, COMMUNIY NEEDS ASSESSMENT/

PROCESS INVOLVED IN ANALYZING RESULTS OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Lesson 2

I. Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the learner will have
1. explained the concepts and principles underpinning community and community immersion;
2. realized the importance of understanding the dynamics of a community and community
immersion as a way to realize the objectives of NSTP; and
3. practiced the standard operating procedures and establish protocols governing community
immersion;
4. verbalized the process of immersion as a guide for rendering service to the communities;
5. designed a community immersion plan of implementation following the process;
6. internalized the importance of carrying out the step of community immersion in series.

II. Guide questions

Use this guide questions to understand fully about Good Citizenship Training: Rights,
Duties and Responsibilities of Filipino Citizens, Self-Awareness and Values Education.
1. What is community immersion?
2. What are the concepts and principles of community immersion?
3. How to contextualize projects and programs of NSTP-CWTS component during community
immersion?
4. How to design a community immersion plan?

III. Concept Notes

Community immersion is a strategy of transforming deprived,
depressed, and underprivileged communities and trainees into self-sustaining ones as means for
others imbued with good citizenship values of being: Makadiyos, Makatao, at Makakalikasan.

Let us define Community Immersion.

Community Immersion is one important requirement of the National Service Training
Program (NSTP) prescribed to students, male and female alike, in private and public higher
education institutions and technical-vocational schools (RA 9163, Sec. 7). In essence, it is the
practicum-based element of NSTP where lessons learned and acquired in NSTP 1, whether on
a semester basis or as part of the One Summer Program, are applied in the enhancement of the
trainees’ capabilities, civic consciousness and defense preparedness in the service of the
nation. The practicum requirement essential to NSTP 2 is not only applicable to the Civic
Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and the Literacy Training Service (LTS) components but the
Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC), as well.
 As a concept, community immersion is a strategy in community organizing that is sought
to imbibe among the NSTP trainees a better understanding and realization of the different
community concerns through exposure on actual life situations specifically in the deprived,
depressed, and the underprivileged (DDU) communities. These experiences will allow them to
integrate with other people who may facilitate them to undergo certain changes that will make
them civic-conscious and socially responsible citizens.
Corollary, community immersion, as a process, is aimed at developing among student-
trainees, through the training program, their appreciation of rendering community works which
is quintessential in affording for them the opportunity to experience and put themselves in
real-life situations in the communities they serve. For this reason, each trainee must have a
genuine feel of living with the people in order that they may understand and relate with
community concerns as they go through a self-transformation and personal growth at the same
time.
In more specific terms, the NSTP trainees are expected to initiate community-based
interventions in the form of projects and activities meant to address the multi-faceted issues
and concerns supported by needs assessment/analysis study that maps out the problems
there from which impedes the important aspirations of the community people in the area of
service.

The trainees, in their own little way, contribute in the uplift of the quality of life of the
people in the service areas and, at the same time, develop their ethics of service imbued with
the good citizenship values of makadiyos (godly), makabayan (patriotic), makatao
(humanitarian), and makakalikasan (nature lover) thereby better preparing them as reservists in
responding to the call of the times.

Community immersion is an approach of

developing among the NSTP student-trainees the
concept of service and empowerment as they reach
out to deprived, depressed and underprivileged
communities, and the marginalized segments of the
society.

The myriad of problems in the community

can be addressed by immersion projects and
activities specifically designed to improve the
different aspects of human development like
economic, social, spiritual, etc. These aspects cannot and should not be defined singly and
separately, but must be viewed interdependently and in totality. However, for purposes of
delineation, the economic aspect suggests financial management while social aspect focuses on
people’s interaction and relationship building. On the other hand, the spiritual aspect is
associated with religion and our relationship with the Supreme Being, regardless of whatever
name we call our God.
 Translating the aforementioned aspects of human existence, NSTP had contextualized the
said concepts by determining the various dimensions of development along the CWTS
component of the program, as per guidelines of the NSTP Law, to wit:
➢ education
➢ health
➢ safety and disaster management
➢ sports and recreation
➢ environmental services
➢ entrepreneurship and livelihood; and morals of citizenry and other social/general
welfare concerns

In a nutshell, community immersion is an approach of the bringing the NSTP

student- trainees to DDU communities and to underserved, marginalized sectors, providing
them the venue where they may encounter paradigm shifts from being mere spectators of
community action, nonchalant and passive citizens to responsible and effective change
agents who are empowered to touch the lives of other people.

However, in as much as the principles involved in NSTP community immersion present

a solid foundation for the attainment of a common goal, the quality of the program
implementation
from different institutions and schools may vary
depending on the NSTP implementers’ extent of
knowledge on concepts and level of understanding
of the processes and protocols on community
immersion not to mention the level of commitment
in realizing the seemingly lofty yet noble goals of
the program.

Moreover, generation of resources must be

given an equal amount of attention and forging of
collaborative partnership with the community and
organization is deemed necessary in forgoing a successful community immersion program for our
NSTP students.

OBJECTIVES OF NSTP COMMUNITY IMMERSION

The community immersion requirement of NSTP is a mechanism specifically designed to

allow student-trainees to:

a. define community immersion as an approach and strategy of developing projects in

serving people and communities;
 b. enrich knowledge and competencies on community immersion as a process for
development;
c. apply the principles and concepts of working in the community through immersion
projects and activities;
d. expose NSTP trainees in depressed, deprived, and the underprivileged communities
and marginalized groups of our society;
e. appreciate the values of community immersion as a means of developing themselves
as citizens and helping people improve their way of life and in alleviating their living
conditions;
f. enhance civic consciousness and defense preparedness; and
g. develop ethics of service imbued good citizenship values.

Figure 1. An illustration of how community immersion. As an approach and strategy can be

used to help improve community life and develop student trainees.

SYNTHESIS
Community immersion is a means for NSTP trainees to value the critical role they play in
nation building as they begin to have a deepened sense of awareness and involvement in real life
situations in the communities that encourage them to do civic works particularly those that relate
 to the dimensions on education, health, entrepreneurship, environment, safety and disaster
management, sports and recreation, morals of citizenry, and other social welfare concerns.
Further, it is a scheme intended for them to contribute significantly in upholding the youth and
members in nation building by setting the groundworks of developing in the grassroots level

Understanding the Concepts and Principles of Community Immersion

People involved in community immersion must be knowledgeable on the basics of
community, i.e., its meaning, concepts, underpinning principles, and nature of problems and
issues arising there from. These will enable the trainees to have a good grasp of the local
situation, thereby preparing them to appropriately respond to the multifarious concerns in the
community and properly carry out immersion projects and activities that is so conceived to bring
about long-term amelioration, and not just over-night, cosmetic solutions, of the social menaces
and ills.

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?

Noted community development specialist Arlien Johnson once wrote that the term 'community'
refers to a group of people gathered together in any geographic area, large or small, who have
common interests, actual or potentially recognized in the social welfare field.

To paraphrase the words of Johnson, a community is a collective of people with similar

interests and goals whether living in the same geographic locality or not. The meaning of
community may actually vary depending on the objectives of a program to be conducted there at.

As per concept, a community may be categorized as

“A community is a collective
geographical or functional. The term geographical
of people with similar
community is define in the purview of group of persons living interests and goals whether
living in the same
in the same geographical location like in a certain village, geographic locality or not.”
town, neighborhood, district, area or territory.
Meanwhile, community is said to assume the functional nature if the aggregate of people though
not necessarily based on living in the same geographical location, is-bonded by a common end
such as fighting for the same cause, having the same interests and goals. These are people who
hold common values, share common functions or express common interests.

A certain type of community has recently emerged. Some refer to it as just social movements
but its definition points out that it surfaced out of the two other types of community. It is called a
relevant community that defines a group of people having similar interests and goals as the
communities around them. These populations have common interests in changing existing
institutions to their advantage in order to achieve redistribution of resources. It is geared towards
organization of the poor.
Elements of a Community

As a trainee, one should be aware of elements • Demographics (include population

distribution and density)
of a community in order to understand the
• History (events of the past that contributed
dynamics thereof. The important elements are to the development of the community)

demographics, history, culture, economy, and • Culture (ways of living of the people)

structures. The demographics (characteristics of • Economy (income level, occupation

of people)
population) tell a lot about the movement of the • Structure (physical, political and social
population in the community that you will serve. structures)
History allows you to identity certain patterns of
change and people's way of adapting to these changes that can be useful in plotting your
activities. Understanding the economy, culture, and community structures increases the
chances
of the success of activities since anyone can provide culture based and more realistic solutions
to
community concerns.

In example, you were able to identify that it floods in a market area nearby the creek. During
rainy seasons, sales are very low because their merchandise gets soiled by the rain. They have
adapted by using improvised plastic covering to cost their merchandise but they are not so
attractive. What kind of projects do you think you can do by learning this information already? By
experience, the architecture and fine arts students training in the NSTP would usually think of
enhancing the features of the merchandise, covering the stalls to attract more consumers even
during the rainy season.

Based on their assessment of these elements and by working with the community,
one can already formulate plan of actions.

In view of the fact that immersion is a major concern in development work,

trainees may find it significant to be guided by the following precepts:
• Trainees should immerse in actual community life to get to know the social,
political and economic situation of the people.
 • Trainees may also undergo certain changes like increase in knowledge
about the social realities, development of good values, empathy
towards other people, improvement of social skills, among others.
• Trainees should identify the community people’s interest and
aspirations.
• Trainees must recognize people’s resiliency and does not rob them of
their right to have community participation and determination of
appropriate courses of action.

• Trainees should be aware of the gained-negotiated sanction – the

acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the right
to conduct immersion activities.
• Trainees must reflect on how their social analysis of the current situation is
concretized in community people’s lives. The analysis should have as much
meaning for the trainees as for the community.

The following are the forms of integration in community immersion;

• Home visits
• Living with selected families preferably with key
informants
• Informal discussions with individuals or groups
• Sharing in household and community activities
(cooking with the community host, clean-up
drive)
• Attendance in social gatherings (fiestas,
weddings, etc.)
• Assistance in production work (selling, farming,
etc.)

Whom Do You Immerse With the Community?

When one goes to a community, he/she associates with the people whom
intends to work with as partners, allies in community. The parents, youth, the
 differently-abled constituents, professionals, members of people’s organization, and
other formal and informal group, and others who can be a potential collaborator of
your project or activities. We do not just work for and serve the people but rather
we encourage their participation. This practice of enjoining people’s support is
adherent to the Confucian’ philosophy of “give man a fish and he will live for a day,
teach him how to fish and he will live for a lifetime.” Community immersion is
empowering the people towards development of the locality.

What Personal Gains from Community Immersion?

The community immersion aspect of NSTP will be able to benefit not only the
communities
served but more so the student-trainees who may be accorded with the following
advantage:
• opportunity for the trainees to comprehend people’s lives because of the
chance given to them to see real life situations, live, identify and associate with
the people therein;
• gain social acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the right to
offer services;
• enhance experiences in conducting asset mapping such as identifying geographic
coverage, point out resources and the use, and the relationships of people with the
existing resources;
• establish rapport and relationship with different people who may be of help to them at
some future time;
• develop their conscientization ability, it helps them realize issues that will help solve
problems in the community, it is important for them to do something that can change
their situation.
• acquire first-hand experiences in dealing with community work; and the
• chance to learn life skills that will enrich and better their persons.

Dos and Don’ts in Community Immersion

It is a basic rule that trainees must be well-versed with the area, skilled to communicate with
community people and disciplined to keep yourself from responding indifferently towards diverse
types of personalities.
Hereunder is a guide prepared by Dr. Florida C. Labuguen and Ms. Emily Rose M. Bautista in
manuscript form entitled ‘Essential Protocols When Visiting Community. ’

Table 2.1 Essential Protocols when Visits Community

Things to Remember Things to Avoid
Before the Conduct of Community Immersion
1. Familiarize yourself with the basic information and theories Never forget to inform
and get the consent of
regarding community life. At this stage, you must at least
have in your mind a community you intend to immerse at. your
Ask around for information about this community parents/guardians about
the activities lined up.
2. Secure a waiver from the NSTP Office prior to the visit
and have it signed by your parents.
3. Always inform the faculty in-charge of your destination,
time table, and plan of action.

4. Be armed with background information about the area for Do not go directly to the
immersion. This will be helpful in locating resources, and community without
site entry and exit points which will make your travel safe determining the
and more convenient. Background information will background information
enable you to anticipate the general characteristics of about it.
people in the area. In example, there are barangays in
manila which are historically and primarily composed of
Pampangueños. With this background information, you
can already assess that people in that community mainly
identify with Pampangueños. To facilitate your community
activities promptly, you can ask a fellow trainee who
have deeper understanding of the culture to lead you
on.
5. Pay courtesy call to community leaders, whether
formal or informal. Courtesy calls may also be done to
officers of anon-government organization (NGO)
where the project is also directed to. Be sure that the
people who will be helping you in your project and the
key informants of the community are informed of your
every visit. Provide them with a copy of the
schedule of your activity. Harmonious relationship with
community leaders and officers can almost ensure you
of your safety in their area. By relating well towards
them, you can solicit their support in your project and
activities. They may be able to commit in providing
security when you roam around and familiarize
yourself with the community.

6. Secure documents like a letter of acceptance from Avoid bringing original

the community, memorandum of agreement, etc. copies of signed
and other documents pertinent to your stay in the documents in the
community. community. It is better to
carry around original and
 certified true copies of
documents to prevent loss
and smudging the
document
7. Bring your own personal provisions like water, snacks, and However sometimes,
community people could
extra shirt. These will be helpful to fill in those hunger
be insistent in their
pangs while conducting the immersion. Community
hospitality in offering you
people are often very hospitable. They will most
provisions like food. Try
likely offer you their food and water if they see that you
to gauge whether it would
are unable to provide for yourself. This is despite
be offensive to refuse
that they might already be offering their last supply of
their offer. If you think
food. Remember, you are there in the community to
they will be offended if
assess if you could help and work with them, so try not
you beg off, you may
to be an additional burden to them.
accept food or water in
your plate or glass but
do not consume it.
Especially if you are not
able to have as much
background information
on the

community you are

immersing at. Avoid
consuming their
resources and focus
on your work. This is
also for your own safety.
Whenever possible, and
in a respectful manner,
decline and tell them
the offer that you
appreciate their
hospitality.
During the Actual Community Immersion

8. Be courteous to everyone. Whether it be a vendor or a Avoid labeling and

community official. Remember that you are there to work naming people with
with the community. politically incorrect terms.
Try to be more discreet
in your use of words to
avoid offending other
people.

9. Act properly and discreetly. You are representing your

school and your fellow students. Be responsible with the
words you say. Your actions and words would be easily
be generalized as the behavior of every other student in
your school, in one of our interviews with community
organizations, they alleged that some schools wherein
their previous students have not shown proper behavior
 will no longer be welcome to conduct immersion
activities in their area.

10. Depending on the type entry you use, (See the page on Do not show off in terms
phases of Community Immersion) wear proper uniforms of dressing up, you are
and identification card. This will allow the community to there in the community to
identify who are the trainees who will immerse in their help. Just bring an extra
community. This can also promote your school’s image white shirt if you have
as you become “ambassadors” for community service. to change your soiled
Depending on the situation, there may be some cases uniforms after your
where descent civilian clothes are more appropriate to activities. Avoid drawing
wear during immersion time especially if you are trying to attention to yourself. Be
be mass-based and less formal. as low profile as possible
and avoid being
identified as a guest in
the community.

11. It is highly advised to keep your valuables secured to Never bring out your
protect you from unnecessary attracting and distracting
valuable things like
community people, from possible theft, etc.
cellphones, jewelry, and
money in public places.

12. Always document your visit. Write in your record

notebook the date, the narrative of important events
that happened, and your reflections in each visit.

13. Always ask for permission from concerned people when Never promise and
you have to take pictures. It is best to take pictures that commit to a task that is
show you “in action” and working with the community beyond your and your
people as these can best illustrate your experiences in school’s capability. Never
the community. Again, be mindful of your surroundings go beyond the
and be careful in bringing out variables. activities stated in your
MOA to avoid false
commitments and
dependency of the
community.
After Community Immersion

14. Validate and evaluate if the programs and activities

were conducted appropriately and as planned.

15. Provide copies of your final documentation output to the

NSTP Office and to the community where you
conducted your immersion. For your documentation
may serve as a baseline study for the community
and other batches of NSTP students in conducting
community immersion. This will avoid unnecessary
repetition of activities and maybe a basis for
enhancement of other previously conducted activities.
The Process of Community Immersion
Community immersion generally takes on different overlapping phases, similar to performing
community organizing strategies called social preparation phase, integration, social analysis, program
implementation, evaluate and reporting, writing, and termination of the project.
The community immersion process is a series of interrelated and intertwined phases
which commences with the Pre-immersion followed by entering the Community, Community
integration, Community Needs Assessment, Program or Project Implementation, and Termination of the
Project.
Phase I: Pre-Immersion
This phase regards the identification of the community where the students will be immersed at.
Trainees will have to prepare themselves physically, mentally and spiritually for many tasks
ahead.Trainees must have waivers from their parents or guardians stating that they are informed of the
mandate to undergo the NSTP community immersion. The school also needs to organize its own
manpower resources and other technical needs. According to the many who have undergone immersion,
the activities could be both exciting, and exhausting.
Aside from preparation of the trainees and the school, the community is primarily the one to be
prepared and informed. With this, trainees must set up criteria in selection of an area for immersion.
Area Selection
Factors to be considered in area selection:
1. Select our areas. The marginalized sectors are your target clients because they are the ones needing
your assistance more than any other groups in the society. Examples of marginalized groups are the
youth, women, slum dwellers, the differently-abled, among others.
2. Local partners must be willing to work and support community project. This goes to say that we
should start with the people and work with the people.
3. Consider needs and resources within the capability of the students and community partners. You
cannot extend what you do not have in the first place.
4. Places that is not saturated by other agencies. Supporting agencies are probable resources waiting
to be tapped that can provide additional financial assistance when it comes to projects that are also within
their type of service.
Soliciting their support will also prevent duplication of services and activities. You have to
identify if their schedule of activities coincides with yours so that you will not confuse the people with
your separate identity. There is a danger that people will not support you if the schedules of your
activities overlap with those of an agency that has long existed in the community before you came.
Through appropriate communications and relations with these agencies, they can most likely be the
source of other updated baseline of that data you will need to understand the community.
5. Stable peace and order situation. You have to put into consideration your own safety when you
conduct your immersion. Some of the salient questions you need to ask are that, “Are the roads
and work area secure to travel on?” “Am I not putting myself and other members of the immersion
team in danger if we conduct our immersion in this venue?” “Will I and my school be compromised
if I continue to work in this area?” Sometimes despite the community leaders’ commitment to work
with the trainees, when the community in general does not regard their area as having stable
peace and order situation, they themselves will not cooperate because their community issues go
beyond what you can respond to. Remember, you are also a student and that one of your main
objectives is to learn and experience community living without disregard to your own safety.
6. Accessibility. Successful community immersion also relies on how quickly and how often you can
visit the community. If you live in Cavite and you happen to have chosen Bulacan as an immersion area,
would it be easy for you to conduct, monitor and evaluate your projects in the latter area mentioned?
You have to take into account how much time you spend travelling, how much money you spend for
transportation or lodging. There is a chance that you will spend extra effort on tasks like carrying
training materials on the field, etc. that could otherwise be prevented if you have chosen a much
accessible venue for immersion.

If you have been able to select an area for immersion based on the foregoing factors, you can now
proceed to entering the community.

Phase II: Entering the Community

To ensure success in entering the community, it is necessary to have community mapping of the target area.
This will help you identify the geographic coverage of the project. It will also help point out the resources that may be
used by the trainees in the community and the relationship of people with these resources.
Angelito G. Manalili in his book Community Organizing for People's Empowerment (1990), remarked that there are
different ways of entering the community. Similarly, immersion begins with the initial steps in community organizing.
Anchored on Manalili's concepts, those planning to conduct community immersion can enter the community thru:

▪ Ostentatious Entry - Complete with banner and a general assembly of the people, the community ushers in the
people who will undergo immersion or outsiders. People naturally expect more from the outsiders because the latter's
identity is boosted.

▪ Banking on the People’s Weakness - Outsiders sometimes enter the community through catching people's
attention. At times when community people are in distress, they usually adhere to outsiders, like during economic crisis,
emergency and disaster situations. The outsiders try to find out which aspect is it that the community will need them for
and through this, they emphasize on how they could be helpful.

▪ Academic Style of Entry - Communities are often called social laboratories because they are a place to test the
theories learned in classrooms. Academic institutions field some students into the community to assist the community
regarding its concerns, A trialogue between the school, the students and the community is done to identity the terms to
which the community service will be fulfilled.

▪ People-Centered Approach - This approach ultimately believes on the capacity of the community people to
participate and acknowledge whether outsider assistance is really needed.Users of this type of entering the community
invest on community relations, believing that both parties are partners to community development. Key to this type of
entry is strong linkage with the people in the community.
When entering the community, the members of the community immersion team must establish good
rapport and relationship with the community people. Gathering information and doing a background investigation
about the situation in the community may prove to be of great help in pursuing the goal of establishing linkages in the
locality. Ground working can also be an effective mechanism in knowing the community well. Talk to as many people as
possible and document or record your conversations. Pay courtesy call to recognized leaders of the community. Make
communications ahead of time of entering the community. Write the community leader a letter of intention and in turn
you should have a letter of acceptance from them. Whatever type of entry to be used, it is a must to secure a
memorandum of agreement between you and the community. This will set your working parameters. It is giving due
respect to them and formalizing a commitment of the helping contract.

Phase III: Community Integration

Integration is a continuous process wherein the trainees come into direct contact and become involved
with the community people. This phase is where the immersion phase gets more personal. The trainees should
realize that there is an existing concern within the community. As the problems of the community become more
apparent, you become aware and validate that you are part of the circle.

Integration may be done through:

a. Border Style. If provisions allow, the trainees may choose to stay and live-in the immersion
area for a certain period of time. They may live- in the community to pursue deeper knowledge about
the community. However, the 'boarder' or guest status will still be the regard of the people toward
them unless they integrate themselves fully with community life.
b. Elitist Style. Some trainees tend to stay close to key informants and political
players during their stay in the community. Due to this, their social circle
becomes limited and their interaction is confined to a few people. Immersion
activities must always take into account the involvement of the majority.
c. But the best way is the People-Centered Method of Living with the People.

Phase IV: Community Needs Assessment

Needs assessment, social analysis or community diagnosis as others refer to, is a concrete base for the
formulation of programs. It reflects the sentiments, needs, aspirations, and recommendations of the community
people. When it is done properly, it will reflect also the trainees feeling of oneness with the community. They begin
to see that the people’s problems also reflect their own.

Needs assessment becomes significant when it is conducted through integration with the people. Our
analysis and assessment should be done with the people. Hence, it does not merely contain our perceptions, but
also of the people for it to be genuinely pro-people. Analysis of social situation becomes meaningful if it is used
as an instrument for conscientization. Those immersing in the community must not just make the people realize
their issues but also make them to act on it. Their realization of the problems should help make the community
realize the relation between their local condition and situation of other communities around them. It is important
that the people realize that they can do something to change their situation for the better.

Assessing the needs of the community is a prelude to effective program offered to clients. This will ensure
solutions to problems, issues and concerns of the people in the locality. This discussion covers the
meaning, importance, steps, and exercises in preparing community needs assessment instruments that will equip
students to prepare similar tool which they will utilize in measuring the needs of the community assigned to
them.

Community Needs Assessment Defined

Community needs assessment is the process wherein problems, issues and concerns of the
community are identified through the use of several tools for assessment. It encourages the
participation of the community, as they are the stakeholders, to the findings in the assessment.

Importance of Needs Assessment

1. Gather information about citizens’ attitudes and options in order of importance.
2. Determine how citizens rank issues, problems and opportunities in order of importance or
urgency.
3. Give citizens a voice in determining policies, goals and priorities.
4. Evaluate current programs and policies.
5. Provide speculations about what people are thinking.
6. Provide speculations about what people really want

Information to Be Included in Assessing Community Needs

1. Historical Development - refers to data on how the community became what it is today and
provides insights into the kind of resources to collect and weed.
2. Geographical and Transportation Information - includes information on the community's
patterns and population contributions.
3. Political and Legal Functions - includes strategies for community- based selection [or this may
include strategies that community uses for selecting players in the political sphere).
4. Demographic Data - includes data on age characteristics, size, race, and transience of
population.
5. Economic Data - refers to the economic base, social, cultural, educational, recreational
organizations. This includes the values and social pattern.
I. Geographic Profile
(Data source may come from barangay or city/municipal hall)
a. Physical
I. Location/Boundaries (north, east, west, south)
II. Terrain
III. Facilities (like clinic/hospital, schools, recreation hall, etc.)
IV. Climate
V. Basic food
b. Cultural
I. History of place and people
II. Languages being used
III. Peace and order situation (usual community conflict and/or crime
rate)
IV. Clothing (most applicable to rural setting)
II. Social
(Data comes from
survey
a. Total Population
b. Total Number of Household
C. Population distribution by Gender (and Age)
d. Population distribution by Educational Attainment
e. Health and common illnesses
f. recreation
III. Economic
a. Age earners in the family
b. Employment
c. Household monthly income
IV. Life Skills
a. Abilities
b. Interests
V. Spiritual Aspect
Number of people with active membership in the church.
 VI. Socio-Political Aspect
a. Known social programs or projects and other related community efforts
(whether existing or planned efforts)
b. Expression of satisfaction/dissatisfaction towards current social programs
c. Perceived community problems
d. Recognized community leaders
e. Other agencies, GO's or NGO's that are in the area or that serve the community
Sample of Community Needs Assessment Framework/Design for Urban and Rural Setting.

Methods in Collecting Data for Community Needs Assessment

1. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with Keyinformants. The keyinformants of

the community are people who hold socially responsible positions such as
educators, public officials, clergy and business representatives or those who
are active in community events. These are the people who can provide good
information that will guide and give you better understanding on historical
issues needed by the community.
2. Community Forum/Assembly. This involves holding of group events that may
include the entire community. It gives visibility to the leaders and raises the
status of the community but it requires lots of planning and publicity.
This meeting can be a venue where people can express their needs and be
immediately validated by the rest of the attendees. Participatory action
research effectively uses this method.
3. Public Records. Public records like national census will provide data for
social and demographic indicators of the community. Data included are age,
gender, educational level, locality, etc. that tend to contribute to library use.
4. Survey. Survey and questionnaires involve asking individuals in the
community about their everyday needs. This can be implemented through
the following:
a. Mailing questionnaires to randomly selected members of the community
b. Performing telephone survey; c. Handing out surveys
while people are in an assembly; and
d. Posting questionnaires on your public access computer catalog. An

example of this is the Minimum Basic Needs (MBN) Form the DSWD.

Steps in Conducting Needs Assessment

1. Establish a working committee to solicit citizen and community involvement and develop a
plan of action.
2. List important aspects that are needed to be looked upon. This may also mean identifying
the surveyors' own capability and strength.
3. Identify the population to be surveyed. This also includes making communications with
community leaders and authorities of the identified population to facilitate other
procedures.
4. Determine the information that is needed. It may be existing information which must be
collected or it may be information gathered using a survey. Information like demographic
profile may be readily gathered from the barangay, municipal or city records office.
5. Select a random sample of person to survey. A good number of representative
populations to be surveyed will contribute to the validity of the information.
6. Develop and pretest a questionnaire. Afterwards, if the questionnaire was found to be a
valid tool for measurement of data, proceed to distributing the questionnaire for
community use.
7. Collect and collate the information.
8. Analyze the data. This may be done together with the core group members of the
community. Community participation in analyzing gathered data is also important so that
they can feel the ownership of the issues and concerns in their community.
9. Go back to the community for validation of information. This may be done through a
community assembly or simple community group discussion.
10. Finalize the document. Make sure that there are corresponding recommendations for the
issues and concerns found.

The Story of The Lone Community Servant

Once there was a community servant who saw that the problem of poverty in his
community was related to the low wages that a big-shot company was giving to the
residents who worked for it, so, the community worker organized a work stoppage until
"their" demands were given, including a wage hike. He was successful in gathering 100
community people to picket with him. But on the third night of the strike, he was surprised to
find no one behind him in the picket line… apparently the problem, in the eyes of the
community people will not be solved through strikes but through a round table discussion
with the management.

“The community was not consulted of the real method of approaching the problem and so the
community servant was left on his own in the picket line."

Community Assistance in Assessing Needs

1. Help identify community groups and citizens to be involved in the working committee.
2. Facilitate group discussion to identify important issues and set priorities.
3. Help select the sample to be surveyed and design a system to identify respondents.
4. Provide tested questions from which the working committees choose questions that
address the issues and concerns.
5. Help design a process to distribute and collect survey questionnaires, code, enter and
analyze the resulting data.
6. Provide summary reports of data.
 7. Suggest programs to report the results and strategies to solicit community
involvement.
8. Work with citizens to identify courses of action based on the information.

Phase V: Program/Project Implementation

Project implementation deals with the actual execution of the plans. This phase of project
development includes, making the final arrangement with the target clients/community partners,
officials involved in the activities, right schedule of each event, day to day activities, and needs of
the clients, manpower each day of the program, monitoring and evaluation plan and other
requirements like social and recreational activities, and the culminating activities of the project.

It must be remembered always that the needs of the clients will be the dominant consideration
throughout the conduct of the projects.

To ensure the success of the NSTP community service projects performed by trainees during
their immersion time, the following must be considered:
• program must be responsive to the needs of the clients;
• contribute to the upliftment of the living conditions of the clients;
• maximize the resources available in the community;
• tap the potentials of the clients and give due recognition;
• objectives must be SMART with tangible results that touch the lives of clients;
• project must be done systematically to ensure significant contributions from pre-planning,
planning stage, implementation, and evaluation;
• complete documentation must be observed as basis for reporting and tor future studies;
• projects must be within the capacity and concern of the trainees that will allow them to gain
the knowledge, skills and encourage reflective action, and
• develop shared commitment among the trainees.

Projects must promote civic consciousness imbued with good citizenship values of pagkamaka
Diyos, pagkamaka tao, pagkamaka bayan and pagkamaka kalikasan.

The following flow of activities will guide NSTP trainees in the implementation of their project:

a. Pre-immersion -Preparation of project proposal based on community needs

-Approval of the proposal
-Once the project is approved, the trainees will prepare all
immersion requirements.
-Letter of request regarding their immersion to the community
or the partner agency signed by the trainer/coordinator and
approved by the NSTP director.
 -Community responds to the request by signifying their acceptance
through a letter
-Trainees, based on the identified needs, submit a project design
to
the community for approval.
-Once approved, trainees will submit a detailed program
schedule of action.

-Based on the detailed program approved, the NSTP trainees

will implement the specifics of the activities as designed.
The actual immersion time will last for 8-10 meetings with
the clients or partner community. It may also depend on the
design of the project.

b. Actual -In the course of the actual work, coordination, monitoring and
community evaluation is done to give immediate action to immersion
immersion problems encountered and make necessary adjustments if
needed.
-During this stage, trainees are required to make and complete
their journal of events which serves as a reference in finalizing
their tasks. Pictorials are also required to support the activities
undertaken.

c. Presentation of -Each group of trainees will make a narrative report. The

community presentation of documents during the post evaluation of the
service outputs program is about the community service activities conducted
during the immersion time.
d. Monitoring -Continuously done to measure effectiveness of activity.

e. Evaluation -Each group will be rated as part of the final rating given to them.
-Implementation of the project ends by the time all requirements
have been satisfactorily done.

Phase VI: Termination of Projects

NSTP trainees are expected to complete their projects in the community in the span of 50-90
hours as prescribed to the CHED-endorsed Program of Instruction for it to be credited in the
training course. Right at the very start the trainee-implementers must apprise their target
participants of the particulars of the projects undertaken especially in terms of time frame.This will
enable their clients or partner community to prepare for any eventualities should the implementers
will terminate the project. Trainees are advised to inform them with due respect of the status of the
project and other details as may be deemed necessary. Nevertheless, the trainees may decide to
continue with the project if the endeavor proves worthy of continuation, follow-up or replication. If the
proponents and implementers have decided to pursue and push through with their venture, they can,
seek the assistance and support of the school's extension services/community outreach unit just to
sustain the project.
 If in case trainees lack hours of community immersion or did not perform well, they are bound to
receive an unsatisfactory rating; more so, failure of compliance must be noted. If trainees go
beyond the required number of hours in the community their conduct of the project for failure to
conform or comply with the requirements of the plan of action formulated, then a similar poor rating
should be accorded.

As trainees, one must learn how to work within the allotted time frame given, for their
convenience and also for the community's sake. If one stays in the community beyond the agreed
time, the action can be construed by the community for something else like, extending more help
(intensified volunteerism) to them or that they could still ask for their help even beyond their
capability, This might also encourage their dependency on the implementers.

However, it is not really a problem if trainees want to extend their services in the community.
Infact, NSTP encourages trainees to continue their community work. This time, their services will
already be regarded as their personal commitment to doing voluntary work, separate and distinct from
the NSTP-initiated activities. In step with enjoining NSTP students to eventually becoming volunteer
workers, the school may establish volunteer corps either under the auspices of the school's NSTP
unit or extension services office to ensure the continuity of the immersion program for volunteers.