NGO Education Survey

Community and Resource Mobilisation

The module introduces students to resource and community mobilisation, which are key elements within most development projects and programmes. Students will explore real cases of community and resource mobilisation, highlighting the value of community participation as key components of the development process.

Community Development in Practice

This module looks at community development from a sociological point of view with an emphasis on both the theoretical and practical facets of the developmental process. These themes will be related to current development challenges in South Africa and will be studied against the background of global trends as well as specific community issues. Whilst strong emphasis will be placed on a holistic and people-centred orientation to development theory and praxis, the economic prerequisites and requirements for development will also be stressed. Theoretical insights will be translated into skills required for hands-on community development.

Community Development in the Rural-Urban Continuum

This module interrogates contemporary theoretical approaches that translate in policies, strategies and designs that ensure sustainable, rural and urban spaces/areas with a view to improve the quality of life of these communities through regional economic development, social equitable planning and ecological restoration.

Community Research Methods

This module aims to skill the student in community based research (i.e. tools, techniques and methodologies); with the goal of helping a community identify an issue or problem, collect and analyse information and act upon the problem in order to find solutions and to promote economic, social and political development/transformation. One of the focuses of the module will be to train the student on how to write a research proposal and to equip them with qualitative and quantitative techniques for data collection and analysis for social research. The module will review methodologies and approaches appropriate to community based participatory research and provide opportunity for practical application of acquired knowledge and skills.

Comparative Studies of Development Challenges in Africa

As a continent, Africa continues to be excluded from the benefits of the global market economy. However, with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the quest for sustainable economic and social development on the continent has become even more urgent. Using case study material comparing specific nations, this module examines some of the reasons for Africa’s developmental challenges and considers possible solutions.

Local Economic Development

This module introduces students to the local economic development approach as a mechanism that contributes towards sustainable community development. The module will give due attention to the global and South African macroeconomic environment that impact on local urban, semi - urban and rural economies. It will unpack a selection of the pressing socio-economic challenges confronting South African communities and will explore the most appropriate LED approaches to meet these challenges. Particular attention will be given 99 to different approaches to LED, the range of LED tools and stakeholders involved, different programmes, successes and constraints.

Organisational Development

Organisational Development explores the theory and practice of management in the context of business and community-based organizations. The management component of the module will examine practical issues such as managing change, strategic planning and human resource management issues.

Organisational Management in Community Development Practice

This module will focus on expanding knowledge and skills needed on the project, programme and organisational environment in which community leaders mobilise and manage their people and other resources to achieve desired outcomes and impacts in their communities. Students will be guided to achieve personal, interpersonal, and organisational effectiveness through the “frames” of ethical and theoretical guidelines. The module will furthermore attend to the application of the impact value chain, log-frame planning, monitoring and evaluation as it applies to project, programme and organisational development.

Policy and Legislative/Regulatory Framework for Community Development Workers

This module introduces students to the policy and legislative ecology that governs the profession of community development and examines the need for and strategic importance of policies and regulations with regard to their respective functions and roles in the systemic structuring and application of community development. The impact that relevant policies and regulations have on the practice of community development will be analysed in order to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of community development professionals. Students will also explore legal requirements and procedures to be followed in community development practice.

Population and Development

This module focuses on social demography, examining such themes as socio-demographic indicators, population profile, health profile, urbanisation and migration profile, education 48 profile, and human development profile. Students focus on local communities, South Africa and the African continent as they analyse the consequences of social demographic factors for research, policy, planning and development. Contemporary Sociological Theory in Context.

Social Research Methods for Community Development

This module focuses on the methodology of social science research and is designed to build research capacity amongst future community development practitioners. During the course students will be taught the logic inherent to social research methodology, covering the design stage, data collection, data capturing, data analysis, data interpretation and research ethics. A research proposal, which may form the basis of the Independent Research Project (IRP), forms a major part of this module.

Social Theory for Community Development

This module introduces students critically to the epistemological and theoretical foundations of community development in order to build advanced analytical capacity among community development practitioners. It s this by interrogating philosophical and conceptual assumptions as well as analytical approaches in community development practice

Sociology of Development

The aim of this module is to lay the conceptual foundation for further in-depth discussions on community development issues. The module will, therefore, introduce both macro theories pertaining to development and the basics of what we understand by community development. The underlying meaning of popular community development jargon will be critically revisited and debated to set the scene for further modules in community development. This module will also explore poverty as a development concern.

Sustainable Community Development

In this module developing a human community is viewed as the outcome of ecological processes. Through communities people come together and collectively not only survive but may also increase their standard of living. The four principal ecological dimensions are population, organization, environment and technology, acronym POET. The module thus expounds the importance of: Population as the group of humans that occupy an area; How they get organized into a community to gain sustenance; Their common environment (including other communities); The application of knowledge, and the tools they use, to adapt to their environment, in order to enhance their sustenance i.e. a population’s technology. Particular attention is given to the principle and challenge of sustainable community development in diverse community located settings.

Urban and Rural Development

This module seeks to explore in depth the dynamics that are involved in both cities and rural areas as unique spaces of social interaction. The module accords special attention to the impact of urbanization on the poor, elderly, youth, other marginalised groups, as well as rural areas. Specific themes discussed are the role of the urban and rural areas in the social and political economy of developing societies, and current approaches toward the management of the areas. It also seeks to help students outline the challenges facing urban and rural development in developing countries and in South Africa in particular. The various issues and themes are explored through field-based reflection, lectures and group discussions.

Youth Development

This module explores the concept of Youth Development on an International and local (South African) level from the perspective of the Community Development Practitioner. Youth development theories and youth development practices will be critically evaluated. Dimensions of youth development and its application within a community will be discussed as it relates to community transformation.