The COPAR Process (Community Organizing Participatory
Action Research) is a vital component of Community Health Nursing and Primary
Health Care. It equips nursing students and practitioners with the skills
to empower communities, promote health, and foster self-reliance through
participation and collaboration.
What is COPAR?
COPAR stands for Community Organizing
Participatory Action Research. It is a continuous and cyclical process
of working with communities to identify problems, develop solutions, and take
collective action for health improvement.
The 5 Phases of the COPAR Process
- Pre-Entry
Phase
This is the preparatory stage where nurses or health workers familiarize themselves with the community, its people, and existing conditions. - Entry
Phase
In this stage, the health team formally enters the community, establishes rapport, and gains the trust of key leaders and members. - Organization
Building Phase
The community begins to organize itself. Leaders are identified and trained, and collective activities are started to strengthen group unity. - Sustenance
and Strengthening Phase
The community takes more responsibility for its projects and health programs, showing independence and self-reliance. - Phase-Out
The health team gradually withdraws while ensuring that the community can sustain the programs and continue their initiatives independently.
Importance of COPAR in Primary Health Care
The COPAR process aligns perfectly with the principles of
Primary Health Care (PHC) — accessibility, participation, and empowerment.
It ensures that health services are not only delivered to the community
but also with the community.
For Nursing Students and NLE Reviewees
Understanding COPAR is essential for Nursing Practice 1
(NP1) and Community Health Nursing subjects. It’s also a common
topic in the Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE), so mastery of each
phase and its purpose is crucial.
Keywords: COPAR Process, Community Health Nursing,
Primary Health Care, Nursing Review, NP1, NLE Reviewer