Community development

Community development is a structured intervention that gives communities greater control over the conditions that affect their lives. This does not solve all the problems faced by a local community, but it does build up confidence to tackle such problems as effectively as any local action can. Community development, often linked with Community Work or Community Planning, is often formally conducted by non-government organisations (NGOs), universities or government agencies to progress the social well-being of local, regional and, sometimes, national communities. . Community development works at the level of local groups and organisations rather than with individuals or families. Less formal efforts, called community building or community organizing, seek to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them with the skills they need to effect change in their own communities. The range of local groups and organisations representing communities at local level constitutes the community sector. These skills often assist in building political power through the formation of large social groups working for a common agenda.


The second portion of the CDD (if applicable) provides working capital to maintain the amenities and common areas. This working capital provides long-term assurance that the community's amenities and infrastructure will be maintained after the developer has ceased their involvement in the community. Formal programs conducted by universities are often used to build a knowledge base to drive curricula in sociology and community studies. . Community development practitioners must understand both how to work with individuals and how to affect communities' positions within the context of larger social institutions.