[PDF] Community Development Toolkit - CommDev

Community Mapping7DescriptionA community map is a visual representationof what the community perceives as itscommunity space. This includes showingthe boundary of the community asunderstood by community members and allthe elements recognized by them as part oftheir area. Most of the spatial informationis obtained through direct observation andfacilitators should familiarize themselveswith the area sufficiently to be able toassist the community in drawing the map.However, it is the community membersthemselves who must decide what does anddoes not go on the map, where items areplaced on the map and how big they shouldbe. Some items of importance to thecommunity, and which they may choose tomark on the map, may not be noticeable tooutsiders – sacred sites or clan boundaries,for example.PurposeTo encourage community members torecognize that they are the experts abouttheir own community and to get discussionand co-operation going. Community mappingcan be used as an ice-breaking exercise inwhich community groups sketch out theircommunity’s physical layout. You mightseparate groups of men and women if thatis appropriate and practical, and draw mapswith different features, which can lead tointeresting discussions about communitydynamics.The objective of this exercise is not toproduce any particular kind of map, butto engage community members, possiblyunused to being involved in planningexercises, in mapping out their owncommunity as they see it and to startanalysing for themselves how theircommunity functions. It is also veryinstructive to the facilitators, company andgovernment people to learn about how thecommunity functions from the inside andto observe community dynamics andcapabilities.PLANNING TOOLSIf the combined community meeting wishesto, they could produce a combinedcommunity map, incorporating featuresfrom all the different small group maps.Community Development Toolkit93