Bachelor of Community Development
Human and Social Studies - People/Human Centred Development
Purpose and Rationale
Bachelor of Community Development
Purpose
The Bachelor of Community Development is a professional qualification designed for Community Development Practitioners. These practitioners are responsible for facilitating collective processes within communities to promote psycho-social and economic development. The qualification aims to equip practitioners with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to enable households and communities to manage their own development effectively and achieve sustainable livelihoods.
Key objectives of the Bachelor of Community Development program include:
- Facilitating community initiatives
- Integrating theory and practice to analyze needs and plan interventions
- Promoting change and community ownership that is self-sustaining
- Conducting research in communities to inform participatory development approaches
- Promoting community well-being based on the principles and ethics of community development
The qualification places emphasis on integrating theory and practice to enhance the collaboration of all stakeholders involved in community development across various sectors.
Rationale
Community Development processes focus on empowering local communities, enhancing the capacity of individuals as active citizens, and fostering dialogue between institutions and citizens to facilitate positive change. These processes involve engaging community members in their own development and building the community's ability to address its collective needs and resources.
The Bachelor of Community Development emphasizes an integrated and holistic approach to community development, assuming learners operate at a high cognitive level and can independently solve complex problems using evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments.
Upon completion, graduates of this program will be prepared to work as Community Development Practitioners in a variety of sectors including Public Service, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), International Development Entities, Corporate Entities, and Civic Entities. They will have the necessary authority, responsibility, and status to facilitate processes that engage stakeholders and communities in integrated planning and collective actions.
Outcomes
- Communicate community-development related information verbally and in writing to a range of audiences with due regard for the purpose of the communication and the ethical value system of the specific context.
- Analyse, synthesise, evaluate and review complex community development related information in order to conceptualise a problem and produce an evidence based argument or solution to an authentic community development situation.
- Critically analyse philosophies and theories of community development relevant to a specific context.
- Apply knowledge of the regulatory environment to mobilise a community to operate within the regulatory framework in a local, provincial, national, regional or global context.
- Apply the ethics, principles, values and processes of community development to a specific context. Range: Principles of community development practice include, but are not limited to, inclusion, respect, building shared leadership and capacity, and participation.
- Apply knowledge of the interdependent relationships between individuals, families, groups/organisations, the community, State and society to facilitate processes to build interdependent relationships in an authentic community development context and within own scope of practice.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of responsibility and accountability within own scope of practice in a community development context.
- Integrate theory and practice in an authentic community development context in order to build collective capacity.
Assessment Criteria
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
- Demonstrate verbal and non-verbal communication appropriately for the audience and purpose of the communication.
- Demonstrate written communication professionally, accurately, coherently, and correctly in terms of style, tone, and sensitive use of language.
- Demonstrate active listening skills in individual and group situations.
- Interpret, assess for relevance and apply knowledge of current events, issues, and affairs reported in the media at the local level where appropriate.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
- Apply knowledge of research designs and methodologies to research in a community development context.
- Conduct community-based research to profile a community and inform a programme or collective action.
- Compile a research report based on actual research.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
- Apply theories and philosophies to a variety of community development contexts.
- Explain and use concepts of community development appropriately in context.
- Discuss historical and contemporary contexts of community development with reference to how the contexts give meaning to community development concepts.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
- Analyse and interpret legislation, policies, and international conventions for application and/or compliance in a specific context.
- Explain the processes through which legislation and policies are formulated with reference to how individuals and communities can be involved in and/or influence the processes.
- Analyse social policies relevant to community development in terms of the inter-relationship between the policies.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
- Demonstrate methods, skills, and techniques for working with communities in a variety of authentic community development situations or contexts.
- Investigate theories and techniques of leadership and management for relevance in a variety of community development situations.
- Apply participatory approaches to a community development process.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
- Analyse social dynamics within the various systems in a community to facilitate change or build community capacity.
- Apply an understanding of social systems, human development, and behaviour in order to build interdependent relationships in a community context.
- Investigate institutions and organisations that provide resources for the facilitation of community development for a specific context.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
- Explain the roles and responsibilities of community development practitioners with reference to scope of practice, avenues for referral, and the consequences if the code of practice and professional code of ethics is contravened.
- Explore skills and techniques for personal development and awareness.
- Analyse and discuss a code of conduct for community development practitioners.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
- Apply community development theory in an ethical manner and supported by authentic evidence in a practical community development situation.
- Demonstrate selected skills to address social challenges in a practical situation.
- Apply an understanding of community and social dynamics in an authentic community development context.
Integrated Assessment:
- The Bachelor of Community Development aligns with the assessment policy of the institution.
- Learners will be assessed continuously through various methods.
- Formative and summative assessments will be conducted to evaluate learners' progress.
Assessment of experiential learning (if applicable):
- Learners will undergo experiential learning through fieldwork placements.
- Learners will be assessed through observations, practical application, reports, and reflective journals.
- Learners will be required to complete a minimum of 800 hours of internship.
- Mid-term and final assessments will be conducted by agency supervisors and lecturers.
Qualification Details
- Type
- National First Degree(Min 480)
- NQF Level
- 08
- Min. Credits
- 480
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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