Community Assessment Resources 1-7

Describing the Community

What is a Community?

A community is any group sharing something in common:

Locale
Experience
Interest

Things to find out:

Geographic boundaries
How long the community has existed
General history
Key people and leaders
Demographics
Income and employment status
Educational institutions
Health care access
Built environment
Important community issues
Key allies and rivals

Gaining an understanding of your community:

Visit the Welcome Center
Visit Chamber of Commerce
Drive through the area (windshield survey).
Adjust boundaries if necessary
Review area with a list of things to watch for
Contact and interview key individuals (key informants) in the community
Visit local hangouts
Work with a partner- please

Source:
http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_overheads_1020.htm
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Individual Skills/Assets Inventory

Inventory Tool 1A

Name_________________________ Phone________________________ Date__________________________

Health Construction & Repair Food

Caring for the Elderly Painting Catering
Caring for the Mentally Ill Plumbing Preparing for Many People
Caring for the Sick Electrical Serving to Many People
Caring for Disabled People Carpentry Operating Commercial Equipment
EMT or Emergency First Aid Brick and Masonry Baking
Nursing Experience Wall Papering Meat Cutting and Preparation
Nutrition Furniture Repairs Bartending
Exercise Locksmith or Lock Repairs
Building Garages Transportation
Office Dry-wall and Taping Driving a Car
Typing (WPM______) Cabinetmaking Driving a Van
Taking Phone Messages Welding and Soddering Driving a Bus
Writing Business Letters Concrete Work Driving a Tractor-Trailer
Receiving Phone Orders Heating and Cooling Systems Driving a Commercial Truck
Operation Switchboard Flooring and Carpeting Operating Farm Equipment
Bookkeeping Roofing Driving Emergency Vehicles
Computer Information Entry Other_________________________
Computer Word Processing Supervision
Other_______________________ Maintenance Writing Reports
Floor Cleaning/Refinishing Filling Out Forms
Child Care Carpet Cleaning Working with a Budget
Infant Care (0-1 yr) Household Cleaning Recording of Activities
Child Care (1-6 yrs) Lawn Mowing and Yard Work Writing Proposals or Grants
Adolescent Care (7-13) Gardening Planning Projects
Taking Kids on Field Trips Tree and Shrubbery Care Supervising Projects
Pre-school Care Other_________________________

Source: Vitalizing Communities, Community Guide , 1999, J. Allen, S. Cordes, and J. Hart, p. 28
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Associational Assets Inventory

Inventory Tool 2

Community_________________
Date______________________ Page ____ of ____

Name of Association Contact Person/Info Misson Audience/Population Program/Services Offered

Examples:
Business Association: Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood business associations, trade groups,…
Charitable Groups/Drives: Red Cross, Cancer Society, United Way, Diabetes Association,…
Youth Groups: 4-H Clubs, Future Farmers, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YMCA, YWCA,…
Civic Events: art fair, health fair, 4th of July, town festival,…

Source: Adaptation of: Vitaling Communities, Community Guide, 1999. J. Allen, S. Cordes, and J. Hart, p.31
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PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

Preassessment Assessment Postassessment
(Exploration) (Data Gathering) (Utilization)

Set up management plan for CA Determine context, scope, Set priorities on needs at all
boundaries of CA applicable levels

Meet with key informant and Prepare and pilot survey or other Decide resource allocation
define purpose of the needs methods
assessment

Identify target population Administer survey or other Develop action plan to implement
methods solutions

Identify major need areas and data Collect data on needs Communicate results to
to collect organization
Determine methodology, how
data will be used, and kinds of
decisions to be made
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Determine methodology, how Analyze all data and determine Prepare written report
data will be used, and kinds of original causation
decisions to be made
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These questions come from the quality of life primary assessment (Raphael, Steinmetz &
Renwick, 1998) and have been used in focus groups, individualized interviews, and
community forums.
For Community Members:
1. What is it about your neighborhood and community that makes life less than good for
you and the people you care about?
2. What are some of the things in your neighborhoods and community that help you and
your family cope or manage when you or your family have problems?
3. What would you like to see added to you neighborhood or community that would help
you cope or manage when you have problems? Are there services you would like to
see? What programs would you like to see?

For Service Providers:

1. What is it about this community that makes life good for the people who live here?
2. What are some of the problems that exist for people who live in this community?
3. How do these issues relate to the mission of your organization?
4. How does your agency attempt to improve the quality of life of community members?
5. Can you give examples of some of the things your agency is doing that are working well?
What is not working well?
6. What are some barriers that keep your agency from carrying out these efforts? What
helps you carry out these efforts?

For Elected Officials:

1. What is it about this community that makes life good for people who live here?
2. What are some of the problems that exist for people who live in this community?
3. How do these issues relate to you as an elected official?
4. How do you attempt to improve the quality of life of community members?
5. Can you give examples of some of the things you have done for the community that
have been successful? What has been unsuccessful?
6. What are some barriers that keep you from carrying out these efforts? What helps you
carry out these efforts?

Source: Adapted from Rapheal, D., Steinmetz, B. & Renwick, R. (1998). How to
carry out a community quality of life project: A manual. Toronto, Canada: University
of Toronto
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Sample Work Plan for Conducting Focus Groups

Activities Responsible Party Timeline Resources
Required
Obtain Health January Focus group
permission to coordinator guidelines from
conduct focus similar
groups. Develop community
or adapt focus assessments
group questions
Recruit and Health February-March List of potential
select focus coordinator participants
group
participants
Select and train Health March Video camera,
focus group coordinator/ monitors, voice
moderators and consultant recorders,
observers cassette tapes an
d players

Secure Health March

appropriate coordinator
space to conduct
focus groups.
Conduct focus Trained focus April Video camera,
groups group moderators monitors, tapes
and observers Gift card
incentives
Analyze and Focus group work May-June Qualitative data
interpret focus group/consultant analysis software
group data
Write a focus Focus group work July
group report group
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Community Needs Assessment

Final Report Checklist

Front Matter
Title
Executive Summary
Acknowledgments (if appropriate)
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Appendices

Introduction and Background

Introduction/Purpose of Community Assessment

Overview of Report/History of Contact Agency
Literature Review
Geographic Map/ Organizational Chart
Definition of community
Description of Community (History, geography, business/commerce, demographics,
recreation, social, cultural, and political environment, community health care system)
Windshield Survey
Background summary

Primary and Secondary Data Collection

Methodology ( may include primary and secondary data collection)

-Qualitative Methods
-Quantitative Methods
Resources/ Assets
Data Analyses: qualitative (in-depth interviews) and quantitative
Lessons Learned
Recommendations to various agencies/future research
Conclusion (Ending summary)

Back Matter

References
Appendices are lettered (A, B, C)
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Other Advice:

Segways or transitions to new sections

Comparisons of community data to give Context
Interpret the data, not just present numbers
Summaries at end of section
Parenthetical APA Referencing
Page numbers
Data sources indicated with tables, figures, etc.
Include N (sample size) in figures and tables
Tables, Figures, and Appendices are referenced in the text
Edit work not just spell check
Format consistent
Active voice whenever possible
Handled sensitive issues
Data (plural): Data are, These data
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General 1-7
Resources

General Resources

Community Assessment Websites

1. Community Toolbox Website Resource

http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/EN/chapter_1003.htm

2. Needs Assessment Strategies for Community Groups and Organizations:

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/communities/tools/assess/

3. Community Profiles Action Plan

http://extension.unh.edu/CommDev/CACPAP.htm

4. Key Informant Interview Examples:

http://www.asthma.umich.edu/media/eval_autogen/key_informant.pdf

5. Needs Assessment Techniques: Using Key Informant Interviews

http://ppa.aces.uiuc.edu/pdf_files/Conducting1.PDF

6. Community Engagement Needs Assessment Fact Sheets

http://www.health.state.mn.us/communityeng/needs/needs.html

7. Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP)

http://www.naccho.org/topics/infrastructure/mapp/upload/mapp_field_guide2.pdf

8. Priority Setting Resources

http://staff.cce.cornell.edu/administration/program/documents/priority_setting_tools.pdf

9. Community needs Prioritization Report

http://www.uwocnj.org/ourwork/communityneeds.html

10. Community needs Assessment Report

http://www.sdfoundation.org/assessment/assessment07.pdf
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