BASIC CONCEPTS IN COMMUNITY FACILITY

Facilitation is an activity that explains the understanding, actions, decisions made by a person or with others to facilitate the task of a process. There are several definitions listed in the dictionary are: "Freeing difficulties and obstacles, making it easier, reduce jobs, help". So when adapted in the process of empowerment, facilitation implies assist and strengthen the community to solve problems and meet their own needs according to its potential. This notion seems right to describe the facilitation of understanding in the community empowerment program.

Sustaining patterns and aid in the context of community empowerment known as "mentoring". Literally this sense refers to the effort to provide convenience, to anyone to solve problems. This action is usually followed by procurement personnel, assistants, volunteers or others who play a role providing information, guidance, psychological therapy, and awareness so that people who do not know to know and be aware to change.

In critical situations, the role mentoring not only provide ease of access to various relief alone but proactively intervene directly to the public. On this side tried to take on a role as a facilitator or intermediary cathartic to accelerate the learning process and increase welfare.
In the context of the development of society (civil society) facilitation of activities performed by personnel assigned khusua; First, fostering community groups affected by the crisis so that it becomes a common cause and action-oriented efforts to improve life; Second, as a guide or facilitator, liaison and driving ( dynamist) in the formation of community groups and supervising the development of the group's activities. In an effort to realize the autonomy and independence of people need guidance or mentoring. The facilitator is usually synonymous with the mentoring task.

Facilitation and Assistance

Facilitation is often used in conjunction with the guidance in reference to the shape and methodologies in support of various development programs and poverty alleviation. Facilitation at the core of the mentoring activities carried out by specialized personnel to assist the community in various sectors of development. Assistance activities carried out in an effort to encourage community participation and self-reliance. Mentoring to be one part in the process of community empowerment. Assistance is needed in power who have the ability to transfer knowledge. Attitudes and behaviors to the public. In addition, the need to support and means of self-development in the form of training for counselors.

A.      Facilitation Principles

Public Participation Community participation in empowerment is understood as an effort to build ties or relationships that emphasize three aspects ; First, participation is directed at the function. Independence, including resources, energy and local management. Second, the emphasis on the unification of the community as a whole; evident from the formation of local organizations including customary institutions responsible for social problems. Third, the general belief about the situation and direction of social change and the problems it causes. Specific aspects of the social changes which became the principal thought a variety of community development programs, namely the existence of inequality both within and between communities.

Through a strategy of "community development" is expected to empower indigenous peoples can take place dynamically in accordance with the socio cultural, political and economic communities concerned and the relationship with other communities. Social assistance is not only related to the fulfillment of basic needs. Human resource development, or strengthening institutions but also to the development of community capacity to escape the shackles of racial differences, class and gender imbalances, and eliminate the majority oppression.

B.       Based Values ​​and Moral

Mentoring is not only seen as an effort to fulfill the basic needs of living material such as employment, compliance with food, income, infrastructure and other social amenities. Companion must be seen as an effort to increase intellectual capacity, skills and "attitude" or values ​​upheld. Mentoring is done through a "humane" and civilized to achieve development goals. That is, can be a group of people has been awakened in the sense of a decent living standard, but in ways that are "inappropriate" from the perspective of community capacity building. So it is clear that empowerment is a means to build a civilized society.

C.        Strengthening Social Networking

In the context of social assistance, aspirations and community participation can be strengthened through mutual interaction and communication in the form of networking (nerworking). Increase the capacity of a group of tough luck if it does not involve other communities that have the same interests and relationships. Network development needs to be based on an understanding of the relationships among the system actors and locality-based community with the assumption that the actors have the same understanding of networking. In other words, need to build mutual understanding between actors such as NGOs, High Perguruaan, CSOs, Bank, Social Institutions, Government and International Institutions to build social networks.

Networking process requires the implementation of the principles of equality, informal, participatory, strong commitment, synergy and efforts to build strength to help people solve problems and find solutions in order to improve well-being. Productive activities and community-based locality is expected to involve other actors or institutions, such as government organizations. The success of networking as a medium for the formulation of policies become very important but it all depends on the commitment of all actors in the network. Local government's role more as a facilitator, not just as a donor. Local governments need to allocate funds for the bottom layer or small businesses in the region. In this case the institutional strengthening is essential for community empowerment.

D.       The Government as Facilitator

The role and functions of government in changing the concept of social assistance is not just a public service institution, but in a democratic society have a fundamental role as a facilitator. Government is not only in charge of providing public services alone but with more emphasis on promoting the ability of the community to decide and act based on environmental considerations, the needs and the challenges ahead. Facilitators are not just required to master certain techniques to facilitate but also to other actors the ability to build on the program as a whole.

Facilitator Role and Function

ASTD (1998) suggested four main functions of a companion or community development facilitators, namely: (a) resource, (b) coaches, (c) the mediator, and (d) driving. Facilitator as a resource (resource person) because of his expertise serve as a source of information as well as manage, analyze and disseminate in a variety of ways or approaches that are considered effective. Facilitator as coach (trainer) perform duties coaching, consulting and delivery of content to increase capacity and changes in learner behavior. Facilitator duties as a coach is very prominent in any training activities, workshops, seminars and discussions. Mastery of the patterns of behavioral change both the knowledge skills and attitudes to be important for determining the process (methodology) and the results of a study. The mediator's role is done when there is tension and conflict between opposing groups. Mediating role will be performed by the facilitator to bridge the differences and optimize a variety of resources that support the creation of peace. Facilitator as a driver to act more as a party providing encouragement or motivation of the group to participate in development.

In particular function is reflected in aspects of the following activities:

1.      The pursuit of potential and needs

2.      Solve Problems

3.      Positioning the Roles and Actions

4.      Encouraging people to think

5.      Provide confidence

6.      Autonomy and Decision Making

7.      Building Networks

Facilitation is done to provide ease of learning to the community to enhance the capacity of scientific thinking and the ability to anticipate change. Facilitator rather than as a determinant of the decision on the selected issues, but rather on helping people learn a systematic process to determine their own needs and solve problems. Community is positioned as the subject and object of the problem solving process. Facilitator role provides ample opportunity to people independently determine the decision. (by Opick)