Participants Manual

JCI Impact
Projects for sustainable solutions to community challenges
Version 01 January, 2013

JCI Official Course

JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

JCI Vision

Course Summary

To be the leading global network of young active

citizens.

JCI Impact is a course aimed for JCI members who

want to apply the Active Citizen Framework as a
methodology to implement projects. The course
discusses the active citizenship concept, covers the
analysis of community needs, the establishment of the
real causes of problems and discusses the projects a
Local Organization can conduct with other partners in
order to create long lasting positive changes in their
communities.

JCI Mission
To provide development opportunities that
empower young people to create positive change.
About JCI
JCI is a membership-based nonprofit organization of
young active citizens ages 18 to 40 in more than 100
countries who are dedicated to creating positive change
in their communities. Each JCI member shares the belief
that in order to create lasting positive change, we must
improve ourselves and the world around us. JCI
members take ownership of their communities by
identifying problems and creating targeted solutions to
create impact.

JCI Official Courses are designed to facilitate the

learning process by combining the new theories with
practice using the previous experiences from
participants as a source of learning with the focus on
sharing knowledge and experiences.
Copyright by JCI: All rights reserved.
This publication is for the exclusive use of the trainers
conducting the JCI Official Course and can only be
reproduced for this purpose. All JCI Official Courses
must be organized online and all participants must
individually register online to qualify for the manual and
to be certified as graduated from the course.
This publication or parts of it may not be translated in
any other language without the express permission of
the JCI Secretary General.
Published by
Junior Chamber International (JCI), Inc.
15645 Olive Boulevard Chesterfield, MO 63017,
U.S.A.
Tel: +1 (636) 449 3100 Fax: +1 (636) 449 3107
Toll free (from USA only): 1 800 905 5499
E-Mail: [email protected] - Website: www.jci.cc.
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Content
JCI Impact is a half day course divided in these
modules:
Module 1 Active Citizenship
Module 2 Needs Analysis
Module 3 Sustainable Solutions
Criteria to attend this course
This course can only be attended by active JCI members
or past members still contributing to the Local
Organization and to graduate the participant must pass
the online knowledge test and fill the trainer evaluation.
The course must be organized online and have all
participants registered online.
Criteria to become Trainer of this course

Be an active JCI member or past members still

contributing to the Local Organization for at least
one year.
Have graduated from this course and JCI Achieve.

JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

JCI Impact
Introduction

identify community needs and address them through

action projects.

The 21st century finds mankind in a world of rapid

change. There is a meeting of the sophisticated and the
backward. People everywhere are demanding a better
life and a greater share of the good things. This is the
turbulence that we find today in the world community. It
is widely known, however, that the power to advance lies
in the hands of the people. All that is necessary to satisfy
these human aspirations is leadership! Leadership is a
quality that JCI members are best equipped to provide.
So the call goes out to thousands of JCI Local
Organizations in more than 100 countries and territories
to identify themselves firmly with the hopes and needs of
their communities. To do so we must not think in terms
of community service but in terms of Community
Leadership.
Ever since the formation of the Junior Chamber
movement in 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,
members have made leadership in the community one of
their major objectives. Since then, Local Organizations
have expressed their concern for the welfare of their
fellow citizens by conducting hundreds of projects that
have formed the basis of JCI activity throughout the
world. The highest form of community leadership is
known as the catalytic action project, whereby the
Local Organization engages people and organizations to
achieve a major community objective previously
considered to be beyond its capability.
The JCI Active Citizens Framework will guide you and
your Local Organization toward the realization of a
community leadership role through the effective
implementation of a balanced community program. This
balance should be maintained between the more
comprehensive catalytic actions and the smaller, direct
action projects. As well, there must be a balance
between projects that care for people and those that
care for the environment.

No matter how large or small a Local Organization may

be, it can conduct some kind of a Community
Development project. This is true because the Local
Organization determines the size of the community
project based upon its own resources.
The JCI vision of Community Development emphasizes
leadership as a stimulus for people to discover their full
potential to contribute to the community.

Definition of the Active Citizenship

Active citizenship generally refers to a philosophy, states
that members of companies or nation-states have
certain roles and responsibilities to society, although
those members may not have specific governing roles.
Active citizenship can be seen as an articulation of the
debate over rights versus responsibilities. If a body gives
rights to the people under its remit, then those same
people might have certain responsibilities to uphold. This
would be most obvious at a country or nation-state level,
but could also be wider, such as global citizenship. The
implication is that an active citizen is one who exercises
both their rights and responsibilities in a balanced way.
What do we mean by "Active Citizenship"? To be a
citizen is to be part of a community, a member of the
society. To be an Active Citizen is to choose to
participate and to take responsibility. It is empowerment
- knowing that our destiny, and the destiny of the world,
is in our own hands; that we have the power to influence.
Active Citizens are the ones who make the difference /
the world better.

The JCI Active Citizenship Framework is one of the tools

used to advance the conditions and way of living of the
people. The term has been used to describe a particular
method of work or a set of techniques; a comprehensive
process aimed at increasing human prosperity.

Through Active Citizenship the world, our societies and

even ourselves become better. Every person (and
especially a JCI member) has many opportunities to
make a difference in their family, social and professional
life. More globally, thinking about Corporate Social
Responsibility Sustainability, that tell that business today
is not only about profit but also about responsible
behaviors. We take responsibility for the society we live
in, we as people, become better.

For JCI members, the JCI Active Citizenship Framework

is a system to combine efforts with their fellow citizens to

We feel better in a world that is more in line with our

values; we feel more part of it, more connected. It is a

Active Citizenship Framework

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JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

moral duty to be involved in society and to create
positive change. And everyone can make a difference
because even small choices matter. By choosing to
make a difference, by knowing your purpose and by
continuously challenging each other, you have the
possibility to become stronger contributors to the world.

do not know the importance of being active, or do not

have perception, they will not be able to take into action.
The nature of volunteering is changing. There is
cynicism and lack of confidence in democratic and
consultative structures Individuals may feel they are
not genuinely listened to. There is a sense of unease
regarding economic changes that impact on the
community. New ways need to be developed to attract,
support and recognize the role of volunteers.

Guiding Principles:

Active Citizenship concerns everyone.

We all have rights and responsibilities, and shared
national, continental and global interests.
Strong and healthy communities welcome diversity
in cultural expression, values and lifestyles.
Openness, accountability and trust will help
maximize participation in the democratic and
decision making process.
A successful society depends on a partnership with
citizens, civil society, unions, business, and elected
representatives.
Active Citizens are made, not born.
Active Citizenship needs leadership.

Citizens should be aware of the importance to be a part

and take their responsibility. This is going to be an
output of the understanding the importance of the
voluntarism. As much as a volunteer contributes to the
society, the Social Capital (SC) of the citizen is
increasing SC is something like a bank account and
you can built your SC with social activities. If you do that
you build up your network...

Active Citizenship is not for someone else it is for each

one of us, as well as for government, businesses, the
media, unions, and organizations (such as JCI). It is
about how we engage with each other and create
together a set of shared values for a better society.

Active Citizenship refers to the voluntary

action of citizens and communities working
together in the pursuit of common goals.
It is not easy to define the challenges of active
citizenship due that, although rights are often written
down as part of law, responsibilities are not as well
defined, and there may be disagreements amongst the
citizens as to what the responsibilities are. Yet, if we say
that an active citizen is someone who takes a role in the
community, then the biggest challenge is lack of active
citizens or inactive citizens; this will create a really big
global problem for sure.
An active citizen is a person who doesnt hesitate to take
steps towards the mistakes or missing things that they
realize. A world lacking of active citizens will be chaotic
and static because of not coming into action. Everything
will remain as it is with the missing parts, mistakes.

Political indifference is another challenge that we

should think about it. People do not realize that they
have a voice, nobody raises their voice and therefore we
as a society are losing the value and contribution of each
individual that would add great value to society. People
do not realize the benefit of their opinion and therefore
they should know the importance. This needs a change
in the believes followed by a change in attitude. We may
brief it in three steps:
Be aware of the importance of their
voice/opinion/contribution
Set a goal for future
Act for that

Active Citizen Frame Work Tools

The JCI Active Citizen Framework illustrates the
methodic manner in which JCI Local Organizations
around the world embark on creating positive change in
their communities. In essence the framework allows
young people to play an active role in bringing all sectors
of society to work together towards sustainable
development. By bringing all sectors together in
identifying needs they will build partnerships that working
together will lead to sustainable development.
JCI is looking to develop simple user-friendly highly
efficient Internet based tools that will allow its members
to be able to:

Lets think about the worst case. Assume that a big

earthquake happened and no one is eager to help to one
other. If a rescue team is not available on that time,
active citizens should be there to help people. If people
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JCI Impact

1. Collect and analyze the needs in their

communities,
2. Plan a project based on the needs analysis
3. Manage a project based on the plan

JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

4. Evaluate the results of the project.

the number of people impacted by the project, the

amount of resources used, the role involvement of
community stakeholder and the cost benefit analysis of
the project.

Needs Analysis
Instead of JCI members just deciding on what projects
will create positive change, the framework tools enable
them to begin action by analyzing the needs in their
communities. JCI members will be able to analyze needs
by conducting online surveys, face to face meeting with
government officials, community businesses, civil society
organizations and citizens, organize town hall meetings
and hold group meetings with a cross sections of the
population. The surveys must include simple questions
but ones that will lead to easy analysis of community
needs. All information that is collected in face-to-face
meetings, interviews with citizens, town hall meetings or
group meetings will be inputted into the online tool for
analysis. The system analyzes the inputted information
and lists out the priorities of needs. This will permit
members determine which projects they will run based
on the outcome of their analysis.

This part of the tool should be able to provide an output

range that should tell the user whether project should be
reconsidered or not.
Conclusion
To make the Active Citizen Framework effective the
tools must be user friendly simple and easy to use. It
must look fresh and attractive to young people as well as
highly interactive. What we seek to accomplish here is
breaking new grounds, we cannot afford to settle for
less, yet we are conscious of limitations in our
resources. We must be creative and innovative and we
must look far into the future like no one has done before.

How to organize a Community

Development Project

Project Planning
Based on the needs analysis JCI members determine
which need they intend to craft sustainable solutions to
in the community. Such a solution must be one that is
sustainable and not just providing short-term solution.
The online tool will help JCI members determine what
action to take through a series of questions. Such
questions will simply be intended to make members
think critically towards long lasting solutions to problems.
For example if after needs analysis, poverty is listed as
one of community challenges, the project-planning tool
will help members think of the root cause of poverty
rather than just short-term solution such providing
education or economic empowerment opportunities. The
tool will provide action steps toward developing a good
plan online that the participants will use to plan their
project.
Project Management

The basic purpose of the Community Development

project is to identify the needs of your community and
then to conduct a series of projects that meet those
needs. Before reviewing the actual project, it is important
to realize a few key points:
1. To implement the actual Community Development
project, it is important for the Local Organization to
utilize its maximum manpower and skills.
2. Planning is the key to success. Although this
expression may sound like a clich, it is an accurate
one. Planning takes many forms; it ranges from the
initial idea to a detailed, written, step-by-step plan.
Planning itself is an essential part of the Local
Organizations activity. It consists of assessing in the
present what should be done in the future in order to
fulfill the following purpose effectively:

The project management part of the tool will help

members take step-by-step action in accomplishing their
tasks. This will include time lines for the accomplishment
of specific tasks, people involved or responsible,
resources necessary for the accomplishment of the task
and the projected outcome of every specific task.
Management and Evaluation Mechanism
This part of the tool will match original action with
obtained results and determine what the impact of the
project is on the community. This will evaluate based on
JCI Impact

To give members the chance to become actively

involved in constructive projects to improve their
community and, simultaneously, to provide them
with opportunities for personal development.
By implementing those projects that are best suited
to your members and that best fulfill the needs of
your community, you will retain your members
interest, provide possibilities for personal
development, and render valuable leadership to your
community.
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JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

3. The Local Organization should establish a
Community Development Commission having the
following priorities:
a. The commitment toward understanding the
concept of community development project
methods; studying this and other publications on
the subject.
b. The motivation to determine the needs of the
community and why a particular project is
necessary to meet those needs.

c.

Partners

This is the area of interest that distinguishes JCI

from many other organizations and grants the
members the opportunity for constructive action.
The types of community projects conducted will
vary from Local Organization to Local
Organization according to their needs. However,
in all cases, the conception of a project begins
by finding out what a community really needs.

There are various groups whose support you will need to

carry out a successful project. Firstly, you must get the
support of your Local Organization members to avoid
having to do all the work by yourself. As it is a
community project, various community groups must
support you as well. These groups include the news
media, community leaders, community organizations,
sympathetic individuals and the public in general.

The capacity to understand how a project can be

implemented by JCI members.

It is easier to interest the community in a specific project

than it is to gain their support for an overall community
program. Therefore, each Local Organization community
project will require a different method of gaining support
from different groups. It is also important to decide what
type of support you need: do you need manpower,
publicity, finance or endorsement? Each group will be
able to give you a different type of support.

d. The establishment of specific and identifiable

goals for the projects. Goal setting is an
extremely important function of any planning
process. A goal establishes what you want to
achieve in relation to each project and defines
the standard of measurement.
4. Once the Community Development Commission has
determined the needs of the community, it is
necessary to establish priorities to determine which
projects should be conducted by the Local
Organization during the year. This establishment of
priorities is made through study and planning,
leading to the selection of the best projects to
achieve the goals set by the Local Organization.
A need in the community may require more than one
project before it is fulfilled; however, these projects
could be interrelated, with one leading to the next or
supplementing the other.
5. The result of the work done by the Community
Development Commission it to be submitted to the
Local Organizations Board of Directors for approval
and selection of the priority projects.
6. When the Local Organization has accepted the
project proposed, it should allocate the responsibility
of the project to a project chairman.
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7. The image and effectiveness of the entire Local

Organization, as well as that of its individual
members, are reflected in the performance and
results of each and every project. The first element
is to identify problems in the community, set specific
and identifiable goals for each project, and inform
members what is going to happen each month of the
year. Another element is guiding the project
chairmen in the basic steps of organizing each of the
projects.

The Local Organization members must be convinced

that the project fulfills a community need, is a feasible
exercise, and will be appropriate for the Local
Organziation to carry out. Members must be enthused,
and, to gain their support, you must plan your
presentation well.
The news media can be a good friend. Involve news
personnel from the very beginning and keep them
informed with concise, factual information. Treat them
courteously and, where possible, invite their advice as to
how your project can be publicized to the best
advantage.
Community leaders will take a natural interest in good
community projects. Be very diplomatic and be sure to
recognize their contribution to the success of the project.
Such leadersif suitably impressed by your sincerity,
presentation, organization and the objectives of the
projectwill be strong allies in your program.
Other organizations might be very glad to add their
support. Your best sources are the groups most closely

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JCI Impact Active Citizen Guide

identified with a certain project. Sometimes such groups
may have wanted to implement that very project or one
of a similar nature but were handicapped by a lack of
organization, manpower or opportunity.
The general public has to deal with exposure to
advertising and publicity for many things. Somehow,
your message must reach the various segments that
make up the general public (i.e., children, teenagers,
senior citizens, professional people, farmers, etc.).
Therefore, it is necessary to plan your project so that its
message goes out to all the groups whose support you
seek.
A word of caution: plan to combat those forces that will
work against your cause. This opposition can be passive
(like public apathy) or it can be active, as when traditions
oppose the changes that are suggested by your project.
You also have the opposition of misunderstanding, bad
publicity, ignorance and even poverty.
The secret of a successful campaign to gain support is
understanding. If all groups understand the benefits of
the project, why the project needs their support, and
what they must do to help it succeed, you will get all the
support you need . . . and maybe more.

Promoting your project

The most effective method a Local Organization can use
in establishing a good public image is to implement a
successful, well publicized community project. The
purpose of public relations is to let your community and
members know what you stand for, what projects your
Local Organization is conducting, what you have
achieved, and what you are trying to achieve. Thus,
when you approach business leaders or your community
for support, your reputation has preceded you, and they
know what sort of an organization JCI really is.
Ostensibly, it helps the recruitment program of a Local
Organization if the people in your community know that
you are an organization worth joining.
Public relations is a integral part of a Local
Organizations planning and action. It must not be
confused with publicity, which is simply a method of
informing. Good public relations requires that information
be given, but of primary importance is what you
accomplish and how you accomplish it. Well-planned
and well-executed projects that are of real value to the
members and the community are necessary to obtain
the best public relations.

Here are some suggestions that could be useful in

promoting the public image of your Local Organization:
1. Know your media. Make a list of all the media
organizations in your community, or at least those
that you think may be of interest to you.
a. Newspapers are a valuable medium for
continual coverage. A feature story could
probably be developed from press releases
submitted to the editor along with photos. Be
sure to supply the media with resource materials
about the organization, especially about
successful projects.
b. Radio and television provide the largest
audiences. Since JCI is a nonprofit organization,
public service announcements available at no
cost will probably be the most accessible
avenue.
2. Know your media people. Meet them personally
and show that you are interested in helping them.
Ask them how they would like to hear from youby
advance notice, phone or e-mail.
3. Prepare routine fact sheets. These will present
your major projects in a concise, easily assimilated
way. Fact sheets cannot be used by the press as
such but will arouse the interest of news people and
serve as a reference. Samples of JCI Fact Sheets
are available from JCIs Website.
4. Plan your public relations event. A Local
Organizations public relations event in connection
with a community project should be planned to earn
support from the public. The press and other media
cover the news. The problem is to determine what is
news from the journalists point of view. The
journalist considers whether a story is new, warmed
up, or cold and whether the subject matter is
relevant today. Convincing proof of relevance will
establish the quality of your project. If you do a good
job, chances are the story will appear in the next
edition of the local newspaper or in the next
broadcast of radio or television news.
Once again, the importance of publicity cannot be
overstated. It can be virtually guaranteed if generated by
a well-organized, dynamic community project of
consequence to the general public.
Bear this in mind when contacting you local newspaper,
radio or TV station with an announcement, article or
news release.

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The JCI Project Planning Process
The best method of implementing a successful
community project is to follow the five steps of the JCI
Project Planning Process.

will be necessary to organize one or more training

sessions for prospective interviewers.

Step 1: Survey
How can a Local Organization discover the actual needs
or challenges in a community? Your Local Organization
members certainly do not want to spend time on
community projects that have not been researched, have
been deemed unnecessary, or are irrelevant to your
community. A comprehensive community survey is the
best way to discover the needs of the community. Be
sure to involve as many members as possible in
conducting the survey. After the survey, your Local
Organization analyzes these findings and establishes its
community project.
It is very important that, whenever possible, your Local
Organization involves professionals in the field of
community surveys (e.g., public relations or marketing
consultants) so that you avoid conducting an inadequate
survey that would result in an inadequate Community
Development project.
A. PREPARING THE SURVEY
1. Your Community Survey Committee must have
some idea of the nature and scope of the survey, as
they are then in a better position to discuss survey
goals with consultants experienced in social
research.
2. Visit a public relations or marketing consultant to
discuss your survey. Professors in marketing and
sociology at your nearest university may also be
helpful. Also, students taking such a course may
very well offer to participate in the survey.

7. The best technique for implementing your specific

Local Organization survey is the one that can be
best handled by the resources of the Local
Organization. This means you must carefully
consider your manpower, the size of the community
served by your Local Organization, financial
resources, support from community leaders, and the
professional expertise available in this field. Tailoring
your survey according to your resources would be
our best advice to you.
8. You may have to choose between a comprehensive
survey and a selective survey. The comprehensive
survey covers a wide range of topics, while the
selective survey may concentrate on only one or
more specific areas.
9. The type of questions you ask the citizens in the
community is important. Some questions are defined
in detail with recommendations. You would do well
to read that section carefully.
B. WHICH TYPE OF SURVEY IS THE MOST
SUITABLE?

3. While some members are preparing the survey

document, others should be arranging sponsorship
for the printing of the documents. Some members
should be gathering sufficient manpower to carry out
the survey and creating the appropriate publicity so
that the public and those polled will understand the
purpose of the survey.
4. Establish a survey timetable. This will depend upon
the type of survey you select.
5. Person-to-person interviews are not always easy. It
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6. We have mentioned publicity already, but it is worth

repeating. It is more important in large communities
than in small ones to make citizens aware that a
comprehensive survey is being undertaken by the
Local Organization. Carefully planned media
coverage of the surveyas well as the use of
posters, displays and other types of promotionwill
result in a more positive public response to the
survey.

1. Public survey. Go out on the streets and ask

questions of a cross section of the community.
2. Leader survey. Visit a cross section of community
leaders and ask their opinions.
3. Representative survey. Carefully select a
representative cross section of the public and mail a
questionnaire or make personal visits to them.
4. Panel discussion survey. Organize a public
meeting featuring a panel of qualified individuals
speaking on the issues under consideration.

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5. Other. Local professionals in this field will suggest
other survey methods to you (public relations and
marketing consultants, lecturers in marketing at
universities or technical institutes, etc.).

Local Organizations efforts in conducting the

Community Development project.
E. TYPES OF QUESTIONS

C. WHAT IS THE SURVEY PROCEDURE?

1. Determine the area of interest (physical appearance
of the community, people projects, historical,
general, etc.)
2. Visit professionals in the field of social research.
3. Study available records from past surveys and other
sources.
4. Send out a Local Organization observation team to
look and listen in the community. (Find out about
road conditions, water pollution, smoke nuisance,
lack of playgrounds, inadequate youth facilities,
badly maintained historical sites, etc.)
5. Select the type of survey that will best serve the
purposes of your Local Organization Community
Development project.
6. Carry out the survey.
D. PLAN OF ACTION FOR COMMUNITY SURVEYS
Always enlist the support of professionals when
preparing the survey. Contact nearby Local
Organizations and non-JCI groups for assistance when
conducting the survey unless your Local Organization
members can handle it without outside help. Make
preparations for receiving the survey results.
1. Develop a community survey. Include questions
about community problems and needs.
2. Secure media coverage before the event. Ask
local newspapers, radio and television stations to
run articles announcing the survey.
3. Determine the target public to be surveyed.
Target several residential areas to visit (it is not
necessary to go to every house in the community;
perhaps survey one household per block), high
pedestrian traffic areas, and a favorite grocery or
department store.
4. After the event. Make sure that you thank
businesses, government and the media for their
support and offer them the opportunity to join your

All your planning can be undone by your selection of

questions. We have compiled some recommendations
and types of questions for you to consider.
1. True or false; yes or no
Are you satisfied with the current number of parks
with green areas in the city?
o Yes
o No
2. Multiple choices
What the community needs to do most urgently for
its youth is:
o Build a park.
o Open a youth center.
o Establish a number of youth clubs.
o Construct a community swimming pool.
3. Factual
How many different religions are represented in this
community?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
4. Opinion
What do you think is wrong with our community?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
5. Priority listing
By numbering the following items from 1 through 5
(with 1 being the highest priority), give your opinion
on the order of priority to be followed by local
authorities to lessen crime in our community:
o Organize an educational program in schools.
o Increase the size of the police force.
o Institute a number of incentives to citizens for
criminal apprehension.
o Introduce more severe penalties for certain
crimes.
o Plan for community crime awareness campaign.
There are other types of questions that you can
incorporate into your survey. This list will indicate to you
how important it is to prepare your questions for your
community survey.
F. QUESTIONS TO AVOID
1. Leading questions, like Do you think our town

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needs better streets? Nearly every community in
the world needs better streets. This can only be
answered by yes and does not help you to
determine specifically the type of attention the
streets and perhaps the whole transport system
requires.

A small Local Organization might find that it has enough

worthwhile community projects to deal with for the next
few years! The next step is to make a priority list of the
projects that most urgently need the attention of your
Local Organization and appoint a project chairman for
them. You are now ready to move on to the next step.

2. Questions the public cannot answer, like Should

the new community water storage tank contain
800,000, 900,000 or 1,000,000 gallons of water?
Such a question will elicit an uninformed answer or
no answer at all. At the same time, the person being
questioned will doubt the contribution he or she can
make to such a questionnaire.
3. Questions that require too many answers, like
Should there be more emphasis placed on tourism,
and, if so, where should the emphasis be placed,
and how much public money should be spent? You
lose the person answering your questionnaire very
quickly with multiple questions.
These examples confirm that your preparation of the
survey questionnaire is of the utmost importance.

Now is the time for planning. The survey has been

completed and analyzed, your Local Organization has
selected a number of projects and placed them on a
priority list, and project chairmen have been appointed to
lead each Project Committee. Now each project requires
a Plan of Action.
Before establishing the plan, remember that your Local
Organization is not the only organization in the
community capable of handling projects. So,
communicate with other groups, local government
agencies, and nearby Local Organizations to avoid
duplication, unnecessary rivalry, or misunderstanding.
The Project Committee

Step 2: Analysis
The survey has been completed and all the relevant
information has been collected from the questionnaires
and interviews. Now it is time to analyze the results.
You have before you a variety of dataanswers to
questions, reports, letters, and documents that must
be interpreted to answer your major question, What are
the real needs of our community?
The material should be organized logically and studied
so that the list of community needs can be placed in an
order of priority. Your Local Organization must produce a
Survey Report presenting the results of the Community
Survey as quickly as possible to maintain the momentum
of community and member interest as well as their
enthusiasm.

A well-organized team for implementing each project is

the foundation for success. An effective way of ensuring
this is to assign appropriate projects to a particular
committee under the control of a chairman. It is the
committee chairmans responsibility to select committee
members. He or she should look for a balanced group
combining enthusiasm, specialized skills and
experience, and each member should have a specific
responsibility.
What to Do First
The first meeting of the committee should be for project
planning. The chairman should guide committee
members to think the project through step-by-step. It is
the chairmans goal to enthuse the committee about the
task, help them visualize the job ahead, and anticipate
the problems they will encounter.
THE PLAN OF ACTION

Present the pertinent results of the survey to the

community via the news media or a prominent
community organization.
Even though you must take immediate action to resolve
the problems revealed during the survey, the very act of
implementing the survey, making the analysis, and
reporting the results has been a positive community
contribution.
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Step 3: Planning

With all the factors mentioned in mind, your Project

Committee is ready to draw up a Plan of Action. Take
into account the financial and membership resources of
your Local Organization. The Plan of Action must include
the following:
1. The Purpose of the Project. Establish the reason
why your committee is conducting the project. The

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Purpose must identify the projects aims in one
sentence that can easily be understood by
everybody involved in the project.
2. The Major Responsibilities of Key Result Areas.
Divide the project activities into different Key Result
Areas, such as Finances, Promotion, Records,
Administration, etc.
3. The Objectives in Each Area. Establish the major
Objectives in each Key Result Area. The Objectives
must be achievable and easily understood by the
members of the committee.
4. Strategies to Accomplish Each Objective; the
Person Responsible for It, and the Deadline.
Under each Objective determine who should be
responsible for the task, and when it should be
completed.

their project with Step IV. In many instances these

projects have not achieved their set goals or have only
been of minimal value to the community and the Local
Organization. So, before moving to this stage, be sure
you have prepared properly by covering the first three
steps.
In the Action phase, the project gets underway, and all
participants are busy carrying out their share of the
responsibilities. Each project chairman is encouraged to
follow the basic steps of project planning. The Action
phase involves important skills such as delegation,
supervision, communications, personnel management,
public speaking and a variety of other skills.
Here are some brief points to consider in the Action
phase of the project:
1.

5. Action Steps in Each Strategy. Each Strategy

must be broken down into small Action Steps. Every
action that must be taken by a committee member in
order to complete a Strategy must be written down
so everybody knows exactly what they are to do and
what is expected of them and others.

2.
3.
4.
5.

After the Plan of Action is completed, the following

information will be needed:
6.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

A chronological order of events or actions

A time schedule
A budget outline
An incentive or recognition scheme
An outline of the Local Organizations commitments
in the project
Terms of Reference (outline of duties) for each
committee member
List of outside organizations, resources, and people
involved in the project.

The Plan of Action is then submitted to the Local

Organizations Board. The approval by the Board of
Directors or the General Membership Meeting will
establish the Local Organizations commitment to the
project and will allow your team to get ready for Step IV:
Action.

7.

Be sure that all participants understand the main

and subsidiary objectives of the project.
Share the workload and responsibilities among all
participants.
Prepare brief Terms of Reference (list of duties)
for all participants.
Keep everyone in the Local Organization
informed at all times on project progress.
Emphasize incentives; the main incentive being
individual development through effective
community involvement.
Keep accurate records in one central system so
that progress can be tabulated regularly, thus
avoiding a last-minute rush of paperwork at the
end of the project.
At all times plan the project on formats that are
easy to maintain and complete.

Sacrifices have to be made at this time in the project.

Members give up free time and may have to forego
leisure interests until the project is over. Keep this in
mind when allocating your responsibilities, and be sure
that efficiency is maintained at all times. This will not
only minimize the sacrifices that must be made but also
serves to side-step any risk of project failure at this
critical phase that can occur despite excellent
preparations beforehand. After the exercise will come
the final step in the processEvaluation.

Step 5: Evaluation

Step 4: Action
Warning JCI members are often so eager to get
started on project activity that they have hurried through
the first three steps of the Community Project Planning
Process or have skipped them altogether, commencing

Can you remember where it all began? If you have

followed the first four steps, Evaluation will be a natural
concluding step for your project. Your Local Organization
does not end its responsibility with the project until the
evaluation of the exercise has been done. The

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members, the public and perhaps even community
leaders or certain groups will want to know the outcome
of the project.
The project may have been an outstanding success, but
still not have satisfied the need. It may even have
uncovered a whole list of needs that will need action by
some group. That group may very well be your Local
Organization again.
If it failed, it is important for the JCI learning process to
find out why it failed and how remedies can be applied
either now or when a similar project is tried again.

Was the project a success? If so, why was it? Is

further action required to fulfill the need?

If it wasnt a success, why not?

As active citizens we can no longer subscribe to the

notion that national security she be provided by
governments but we must ensure the security of every
human being from want or fear.
In recent years the United Nations has began to address
the concept of Human Security, which simplistically is a
concept that seeks to ensure the security of every
human being towards food, health, the environment,
personal, community and politics.

After each project, ask these questions:

Beyond national boundaries and government

bureaucracies young active citizens will have to take
initiative to ensure progress and development of
communities. The term Citizens Initiative has been used
to define the notion that positive change in the world will
be brought about by the action of individuals rather than
the action of nations or states.

In addition to the evaluation of one project, it is important

to have a periodic evaluation of the whole Local
Organization Community Development program.
Community growth, changes of local leaders, changes in
attitudes or the influence of successful projects by other
groups may require alterations in the Local
Organizations Community Development program.
Prepare a Project Record that will contain an outline of
the project, news clippings, photographs, a Final Report
on the project, minutes of committee meetings, charts,
and other relevant items. This record will be placed in
your Local Organizations library or will form the basis of
an awards entry before it is placed in the Local
Organizations library.
A good Local Organization Community Development
project usually spans a number of Local Organization
administrations, so an Annual Report should be
prepared to allow the new administration to continue an
effective community project. At the end of the project,
the chairman, the committee, and all participants can
take pride in their achievement and feel satisfied that the
experience has developed them as individuals. Such is
the true test of a first-class community project.

Conclusion

The perspective of Human Security emerged in the

context that a nations no longer have the ability to deal
with issues that face the security of individuals
unilaterally.
Human security means to protect the vital core of human
lives in a ways that enhances human freedom and
human fulfillment.
It works to free people of their fears as it relates to
conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters, environmental
degradation, infectious disease and economic crisis.
It relates to the ability to elevate people out of poverty,
illiteracy, poor health and the lack of vital social services.
These problems continue to prevail because
governments whether in developed or emerging
economies cannot sufficiently satisfy the wants of the
people.
The old notion of top down approach to human
development from government has proven insufficient. It
will take a bottom to top grassroots efforts implemented
by citizens like JCI members to meet these wants.
We are responsible for the future of our communities,
our countries and the world at large. At no time has our
mission which empowers young people to create
positive change, been more relevant than now. At no
time has our action been more urgent than now.

st

In the 21 century with the cold war past and increased

globalization, people are exposed to threats that cannot
be resolved by unilateral efforts of nations.

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With a vision to becoming a leading global organization,

we must reaffirm our commitment to our mission and as
one global team with a unified sense of purpose embark
on an ambitious journey to lead the world to a new era.

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The Benefits of a Community Development Project
Individual benefits:

Local Organization benefits:

Community benefits:

Involvement
In our rapidly changing society, all
citizens are expected to become
involved in the future of their
community.

Involvement
In todays society, organizations must
play a part in the future of their
community.

Involvement
Community leaders will have a strong
ally in the battle to have more citizens
become aware of community
responsibilities.

Experience
The member uses such skills as
organization, group and committee
activity, planning, public relations,
reporting, speech making and basic
self-management. Also involved are
delegation, motivation, supervision
and meeting community leaders.

Experience
The Local Organization becomes a
stronger unit because its members
have gained in experience.

Experience
The citizens experience the
enthusiasm and efficiency of the
Local Organization and have the
opportunity of seeing the young
leaders of the future in action. The
community will gain the experience of
learning more about its potential from
the JCI projects.

Learning
The individual will learn the skills
above and more about his or her
community.

Learning
The Local Organization will learn
more about its community role and
responsibilities.

Learning
Citizens will learn more about JCI,
particularly in Catalytic Action
projects.

Leadership
The individual member is accepted as
a community leader.

Leadership
The Local Organization is recognized
as a leadership organization.

Leadership
The community gains young leaders
who will be responsible for guiding it
in the future.

Membership
Individuals may very well join the
Local Organization when they
become involved in projects or see
the publicity that is part of the project.

Membership
More people may join the Local
Organization when they become
involved in projects or see the
publicity the project receives.

Membership
More citizens are given the
opportunity to join a community
development organization that will
make them better persons.

Satisfaction
The individual has the feeling of pride
and satisfaction at the conclusion of a
good project.

Satisfaction
The Local Organization has the
satisfaction that it continues to play a
role in community betterment.

Satisfaction
The community is satisfied with the
results and that its young citizens are
preparing for future leadership.

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JCI Vision
.
To be the leading global network of young active citizens.
JCI Mission
To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
About JCI
JCI is a membership-based nonprofit organization of young active citizens ages 18 to 40 in more than 100
countries who are dedicated to creating positive change in their communities. Each JCI member shares the
belief that in order to create lasting positive change, we must improve ourselves and the world around us. JCI
members take ownership of their communities by identifying problems and creating targeted solutions to create
impact.