Guide to Community Mobilization Programming

mercy corps team member speaking to community
23 July 2009

Download the guide ▸

Whether you've heard about community mobilization and want to know more, are looking for proven mobilization tools you can use immediately, or supporting new program development…the Guide to Community Mobilization Programming is designed for you.

This new resource compiles tools created and lessons learned from our experience over the past 10 years and in all corners of the world. In the guide, field and headquarters teams planning, implementing, and evaluating community mobilization efforts will find:

  • The Community Mobilization Framework with an overview of principles and options for applying the approach;
  • Impact examples that illustrate the many creative ways that Mercy Corps is mobilizing communities – from differences in mobilizing rural vs. urban communities, to using the tools in emergency settings, and involving local government and the private sector in mobilization;
  • A detailed discussion of community mobilization tools, plus advice from colleagues about when and how to use them;
  • Recommended indicators, draft position descriptions, a sample workplan, and organizational capacity statement;
  • A look back at how community mobilization became a major programming approach for achieving our Vision for Change; and
  • Descriptions of useful Mercy Corps and other resources with Digital Library links.

Stories and advice from Mercy Corps staff in 25 countries are included throughout these sections…and there's room for more! The guide is a living document designed to be updated regularly as new tools, innovative approaches, and impact examples are created every year.