What Does a Community Development Officer Do?

A career as a community development officer is great for individuals who enjoy interacting with others and bringing about positive change. The specific duties of this job can vary depending upon the department, but the main purpose behind the position is to help build community solidarity. Consequently, some common responsibilities of a person in this position include coordinating volunteer groups, working with charities, working with scholarship programs, interacting with the community, and participating in department meetings.

A key responsibility for a community development officer is coordinating volunteer groups. In many places, various groups come together to improve some aspect of the community. This could include planting trees in a park, picking up litter or spending time with the elderly. To help these groups operate efficiently, it's often the job of the officer to assemble them and designate times for meetings. That's why this career usually requires a person with both interpersonal and organizational skills.

Working with charities is another common part of this job. For example, a community development officer may assist in setting up a food drive for impoverished families during the Christmas season. He may also work with donors in order to amass funds for building a park or recreational facility in a city. It's often his job to develop a budget for a project and work with organizations or individuals to meet the budget.

Another aspect of this job is working with scholarship programs. In order to help community students achieve the best education possible, he will often work with donors to acquire scholarship funding. Along with this, a community development officer will also need to effectively manage scholarship money and make sure that it reaches the right students. This aspect of the job requires a person who is fiscally responsible.

Interacting with the general community on a consistent basis is also a significant part of the job. In order to pinpoint community needs and get feedback, it's important for a community development officer to visit places like town halls and other local facilities. While interacting with the public, he may ask questions to identify which areas of the community need improvement.

As he learns new information, he will often address those needs in department meetings. At these meetings, a community development officer will convene with other department leaders and discuss new ways to enhance the community. In addition, he may give presentations to demonstrate his ideas for improvement.