A social planner works to improve a community’s quality of life. Various tools are used in this process, such as identifying a community’s strengths and weaknesses, conducting social research, evaluating services and programs, and providing education and awareness. Analyzing policy, forming local partnerships, and advocating for those in need are all part of the job. Social planners also help to facilitate community mediation by providing safe meeting spaces.
A planner uses a variety of methods to identify strengths and weaknesses. A social planner may conduct social research independently or in collaboration with other community organizations or agencies to provide information on a community’s needs. Talking to local residents or visiting nearby locations can be informal and qualitative research. Through the use of data analysis and statistics, it can also be more structured and usually quantitative. This research will be published in journals or publications related to social planning by some planners.
In order for certain programs and services in a community to receive funding, they must first be evaluated. A social planner aids in the evaluation of services and programs in a community by using surveys, usage data, and other methods to determine whether they are beneficial. If this is the case, the planner will make every effort to assist groups in receiving funds and remaining open. When the planner determines that the services or programs are no longer useful, he or she suggests that they be discontinued.
Individuals living in a community, particularly those who are unable to help themselves, are advocated for by social planners. Another aspect of the job entails forming alliances with local businesses in order to improve the community. Associations are formed for a variety of reasons, including the arts, downtown neighborhoods, and community centers. The planner assists in bringing people together for a common cause or effort, as well as enlisting the assistance of the local government to meet the community’s needs.
A social planner also provides community education and awareness, as well as safe locations for meetings and mediation sessions. These concerns range from fundraising to homelessness and other causes that are important to local residents. A person in this position frequently goes out into the community to speak with residents about issues that they face on a daily basis.