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Community Action Model

"In the South of Market area, a group of youth advocates successfully get the San Francisco Park and Recreation Department to adopt a policy banning outdoor smoking in most parks and playgrounds."

Philosophy

No discussion of improving people's health and well being can be made without looking at health and social inequities in the context of the global economic structures that create this inequity. No solution to dismantle these inequities can be made without the full involvement and leadership of those communities impacted most by the social and economic injustice that the global economy promotes.

The Community Action Model (CAM) creates change by building community capacity. The CAM is asset based and builds on the strengths or capacity of a community to create change from within. The CAM moves away from projects that focus solely on changing individual lifestyle and behavior to projects that mobilize community members and agencies to change environmental factors promoting economic and environmental inequalities. Fundamental to this model is a critical analysis that identifies the underlying social, economic, and environmental forces creating the health and social inequalities that the community wants to address.

The intent of the Community Action Model is to work in collaboration with communities and provide a framework for community members to acquire the skills and resources to investigate the health of the place where they live and then plan, implement and evaluate actions that change the environment to promote and improve health.


Overview of Community Action Model Steps


The Community Action Model includes the following steps:

1. Train Participants: Community Action Team (CAT) members are recruited and trained to develop skills, increase knowledge and build capacity. The participants will use this knowledge and skills to choose a specific issue or focus and then design and implement an action to address it.

2. Do a Community Diagnosis: A community diagnosis is the process of finding the root causes of a community concern or issue and discovering the resources to overcome it.

3. Choose an Action: to address the issue of concern. The Action should be: 1) achievable, 2) have the potential for sustainability, and 3) compel a group/agency/organization to change the place they live for the well being of all.

4. Develop and Implement an Action Plan: The CAT develops and implements an action plan to achieve their Action which may include an outreach plan, a media advocacy plan, development of a model policy, advocating for a policy, making presentations as well as an evaluation component.

5. Enforce and Maintain the Action: After successfully completing the action, the CAT ensures that their efforts will be maintained over the long term and enforced by the appropriate bodies.

The CAM Training

Periodic one-day trainings provide a hands-on overview of the model using activities from a curriculum that can be used to implement the model. A complete CAM manual is included, and continuing education credits are available. The next training is listed at www.sfdph.org/HETC/. [will the HETC page be revised?]

The Curriculum
Download the Curriculum

[above link needs to be revised...need to link to a new page...]

This curriculum contains the activities needed to facilitate Community Action Training based on the CAM. The goal of the Community Action Training is that the CAT will identify and work towards the completion of an action that is achievable, sustainable and compels an entity to change the environment. However, this goal reflects the best of all possible worlds where there is adequate funding to support the process in the long term. Recognizing that there will be differences in funding levels, time lines, and other resources, the curriculum is meant as a guide with the intent that the activities and processes will be tailored as needed. For example, in some cases, once a CAT has identified an action, it may not have the resources to pursue that action. In that case, the CAT may identify an activity that supports the action.

Lesson Plan Outlines

All of the lesson plans have been developed based on adult learning theory and can be facilitated through shared leadership or partnerships. The activities are meant to promote dialogue and give participants a chance to share their insights, knowledge, and experience while at the same time learning from others. The lesson plans are not meant to be "one size fits all", but rather are designed so that facilitators can tailor the activities to make them relevant to the participants.
Each lesson plan includes:

The training activities themselves are broken out and include step by step instructions. It is best to familiarize yourself with the contents of a lesson plan and tailor the activities to your needs.

Glossary of Terminology

Community Action Model (CAM): The CAM is asset-based and focuses on the strengths or capacity of a community to create changes from within. The CAM moves away from projects that focus solely on changing individual lifestyle and behavior to projects that mobilize community members and agencies to change environmental factors promoting economic and environmental inequalities.

Community Action Team (CAT): Community Action Team (CAT) members are recruited and trained to develop skills, increase knowledge and build capacity. The participants will use this knowledge and skills to design and implement an action.

Action: In the Community Action Model, an action refers to the series of steps resulting in an outcome that is achievable, long-term, sustainable, and compels another entity to do something to change the environment for the well being of all.

Activity: An activity is an educational intervention that leads up to and supports an action.

Sample Community Action Model Training Agenda

Activity Time Where to Find it in the Binder
1. Registration, Capacity Inventory 9:30-10:00 Section III: Tool box - Icebreakers
2. Welcome and Introductions 10:00-10:15 NA
3. Naming the Issue 10:15-11:00 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
4. Introduction to Community Action Training Process 11:00-11:30 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
5. Actions for Health


11:30-12:00 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
6. Institution Puzzles and Global Concentration Game 12:00-1:00 Section IV: The Public Health Approach: Activities part of Globalization and Public Health
7. LUNCH 1:00-1:3O NA
8. How Local Policies are Made 1:30-2:00 Section III: Tool Box - Skill based Activities
9. Posterboards: How the Community Action Model works 2:00-2:30 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
10. Asset Mapping vs. Needs Assessment 2:30-3:00 Section IV: The Public Health Approach
11. Designing your Diagnosis 3:00-3:45 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
12. Planning for Health 3:45-4:00 Section II: Initial Training Core Activities
13. Evaluation Section 4:00-4:15 III: Tool Box - Skill based Activities

Upcoming Training

A one-day Community Action Model training is offered twice a year. A $25 donation is requested from funded agencies. Four continuing education credits are available for a fee of $20. To register, visit the Health Education Training Center site

In the Literature

The Community Action Model has been described in the American Journal of Public Health [abstract]. ---add a link for reprint (pdf) requests?