Community Development Practitioner

Description

A Community Development Practitioner acts as a change agent to add value to community development practice by exploring and coordinating networks and partnerships. Conducts community-based research to inform interventions, aligned to relevant legal and regulatory frameworks. Plans, designs and manages community interventions through the application of appropriate leadership and management styles; all of which are done to promote ethical and professional community development practice.

Certification

NQF Level 5
212 Credits

Learning Outcomes

*Compile and present community profile reports.

*Manage community development information and data (Gathering, analysis and storing).

*Establish, identify and coordinate community development structures.

*Assess the performance of and provide support to community development structures.

*Monitor the progress and achievements of community development initiatives.

*Mobilise and manage volunteers and support staff.

Rationale

The aims of community development, as embodied by the South African Presidency’s Intergovernmental Relations and Service Delivery (IRSD), includes the need for the development of a seamless and integrated approach to community development that is driven by the national development plan.

In order to achieve this there is an enormous task of managing the processes of mobilising people within the diverse communities throughout the nation and ensuring that the mobilisation is adequately focused on the key objectives of the National Development Plan. There is ongoing evidence of community frustrations relating to poor service delivery.

It is for this reason that there is a desperate need for ensuring that community development practitioners are focused and that they work together in achieving optimum synergy within the communities.

The Occupational Certificate: Community Worker (Community Development Practitioner) has been designed to meet the needs and interests of the public and private sector relating to community development and will provide the means through which this level of leadership can be built.

The qualification will provide opportunities for people to progress to supervisory and mid management levels in the Department of Social Development and with a range of Non – Governmental organisations. It will also create opportunities for the successful learners to enter the private sector in organisations where they are doing community work in terms of the various industry charters.