Social

Planning
SOCIAL POLICY AND
ADMINISTRATION
THELMA GARAIDENGA W210787
TARIRO TAKAWIRA W210604
TOPINA M MUMBA W210936
KEVIN DOKA W210776
VIMBAYINASHE MAGWIRA W210699
MESTANCE MAGWIROTO W210760
TARIRO B MAITERA W210853
AUDREY T MUCHENA W210789
DEBRA SHEKEDE W210907
SOCIAL PLANNING
-Social planning is a process of assessing and addressing social needs and issues through the
development of policies and programs.It involves the collaboration of individuals, organizations, and
government entities to identify, analyze, and respond to social challenges facing a community.

The goal of social planning is to improve the well-being and quality of life of individuals and society
as a whole. Social planning has a long history, dating back to the late 19th century when social reform
movements emerged to address social inequality and poverty.

Today, social planning is an important tool for creating more just and equitable societies. It involves a
set of principles, steps, and tools that guide the planning process and help to ensure that policies and
programs are effective, efficient, and sustainable.
Aims of Social Planning
The aims of social planning are like a set of guidelines that help people create policies and programs to
make their communities better. These guidelines make sure that everyone is treated fairly, and that
people who might be left out of the decision-making process are heard.

The first aim address on fairness . It make sure that everyone in the community benefits from the
policies and programs, especially those who might not have as much power or resources. Creating a
community that is fair and just.

Involvement of people in the society is another social planning aim. It makes sure that everyone who is
affected by the social issue is involved in the planning process. This way, people who might have
valuable insights or ideas can contribute to finding a solution.
Thinking of the future is another aim of social planning .this means they have to create policies and
programs that are sustainable, meaning they won’t cause problems for future generations.

Working together as one is another aim. The policmakers and the stakeholders have to collaborate with
different people and organizations in the community to create effective solutions. By working together,
they can make sure that everyone’s voices are heard and that’s using all the resources available to us.
Stages in Social Planning
Problem finding: This is to figure out what the problem is. This means interacting with people in the
community, doing researches, and looking at data to understand what the issue is and how it affects people.

Set goals: Once they now know what the problem is, they need to set clear goals and objectives for what
we want to achieve. This helps them to stay focused and measure there progress.

Checking resources and obstacles: they have to look at what resources they have and what obstacles they
might face. This include things like funding, staff, and regulations that could affect our ability to implement
there plan.

Coming up with ideas: they need to brainstorm different ideas for how to address the problem. This
means considering different approaches and interventions that could be effective, and evaluating them
based on how practical, feasible, and sustainable they are.
Put the plan into action: Once they have the plan, they need to put it into action. This means
implementing the strategies they have developed and monitoring there progress to see if they are
achieving the goals.

Evaluate and improve: Finally, they need to evaluate how well there plan is working and make
adjustments as needed. This means looking at data, getting feedback from the community, and making
changes to improve the plan and achieve better outcomes.

By following these stages,they can create policies and programs that are based on evidence, responsive
to the needs of the community, and have a positive impact on people’s lives
Tools and Techniques in Social
Planning
Social planning is all about using different tools and techniques to develop policies and programs that
help solve social problems. ---Here are some of the key tools and techniques that social planners use:

Needs Assessment: To figure out what people in a community need, social planners often gather data
and talk to people to identify what’s not being met.

Stakeholder Engagement: When making plans, it’s important to talk to people who are affected by
social issues. This helps planners understand what people need and how policies might impact them.

SWOT Analysis: A SWOT analysis is a way to look at the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats of a plan. This helps planners to develop strategies that make the most
of their strengths and opportunities while addressing their weaknesses and threats.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: A cost-benefit analysis helps planners to understand the costs and
benefits of a proposed policy or program. This helps them make decisions about where to
allocate resources.

Logic Model: A logic model is a way to map out the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of a
program or intervention. This helps planners to understand what resources they need and to
evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation is all about collecting data to see if a
program is working. This helps planners figure out what’s working well and where there’s room
for improvement.

By using these tools and techniques, social planners can create policies and programs that are
based on evidence and respond to the needs of the community. This helps make sure that policies
have a positive impact on people’s lives.
Factors that lead Social Planning
to be a success
Make contact with agencies, organizations, and individuals that know the community :and
use their knowledge and credibility to ease your way in. They can help you to avoid making
the kinds of tactical errors that your lack of familiarity with the community can easily lead to.
They can also introduce you to the people whose opinions matter to those whom you want to
involve, as well as to potential participants.

Make the goals and process clear in small meetings that lead up to a larger one. Meet both
with formal groups – clubs, fraternal organizations, sports teams, faith-based groups, participants
in health and human service programs, unions and other workers’ groups, classes – and with
families and groups of friends in people’s living rooms or similar informal settings. Take a
trusted community member with you, or make sure one is hosting or attending the meeting, to
vouch for you.
Clear Objectives: Clearly defining the project’s goals and outcomes and the criteria used to
measure success is crucial for its success.

Well-Defined Scope: Defining the project’s boundaries, including what is and isn’t included,
ensures that everyone involved knows what to expect and can work effective.

Realistic Timeline: Identifying all the necessary tasks and setting realistic deadlines ensures that
the project is completed on time and within available resources.

Adequate Resources: Allocating adequate resources, including personnel, equipment, and

funding, is crucial to the project’s success.

Effective Communication: Establishing communication channels, stakeholders, and their

responsibilities ensures that everyone involved is informed and up-to-date on progress.

8-) Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and outlining strategies to mitigate them
ensures that risks are identified and addressed early, minimizing their impact on the project’s
success.
WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN
SOCIAL PLANNING
those whom a policy is meant to benefit

-those who will have to administer or enforce the policy

-policymakers and public officials

-those whom the policy is meant to control for instance Land Use policy,may place restrictions on
developers, so they should be represented in discussing and creating it though there voice should not
be heard
WHY SHOULD THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGE IN SOCIAL PLANNING PROCESS
-participation provides the opportunity to educate policymakers to the community’s real needs and
concerns

-community’s members cab help policymakers understand their lives, the difficulties they face,the
strength they bring

-participation allows community members to help create policy that really works to meet their needs

-affords community members the respect they deserve rather than seen as victims, nuisance -it build
community members in control o
Challenges in Social Planning
1 limited resources, which can make it hard to develop and implement effective policies and
programs.

2 political constraints, which can limit the ability of planners to develop policies and programs
that are based on evidence and respond to the needs of the community.

3 Social issues are often complex and multifaceted, which can make it difficult to develop
policies and programs that address all of the underlying causes and factors.

4 implementing new policies and programs can be met with resistance from stakeholders who
may be resistant to change or may have vested interests in the current system.

5 Engaging the community in the planning process is important for ensuring that policies and
programs respond to the needs of the community.
However, limited community engagement can result in policies and programs that do not
effectively address community needs.

Moreover, social planners rely on data to understand social issues and to develop effective
policies and programs.

However, data can be limited or incomplete, which can make it difficult to develop evidence-
based strategies.

To address these challenges, social planners need to be creative, collaborative, and committed to
evidence-based policymaking. By engaging the community, working with stakeholders, and
using data and evidence to inform decision-making, social planners can develop policies and
programs that have a positive impact on people’s lives.