Topic 1: Operate within a community development framework

Community development aims to improve the lives of individuals and groups within a specific community. When you work in a community development framework, you are not so much providing services to the community, but empowering and supporting them to take action to achieve the changes they see as necessary.

Community development operates on the principle that all people have a right to be involved in community decisions and that everyone in the community has skills and knowledge to contribute. Community development is an inclusive process that rests on the contributions of the diverse community and encourages everyone who is interested to participate.

In this topic you will learn how to:

1A	Work towards the vision and mission of the community development work plan
1B	Work with communities to achieve their priorities
1C	Identify and document the interrelationships between the priorities and rights of the individual, the family, the community and society