1. Assessing Community Needs and Resources
Community Tool Box
Curriculum Module 2
Community assessment is a fundamental task that informs our understanding of the community context and the work of planning for community improvement.
Assessing community needs and resources ensures that we ground the work in what is locally important and resources that are available. The process and products of community assessment are critical to the work.
In this module, we will learn about various methods for community assessment.

2. Understanding and Describing the Community
Learning Objectives:
How community descriptions and needs assessments may be used.
Several methods for obtaining information about the needs and assets of a community.
Orientation and Story
Opening story – Case for seeing community strengths as well as problems
Too often, outsiders come into communities to document what is wrong with our communities. The levels of unemployment, homelessness, failing schools, for example.
It is important to see community problems and needs. It helps us focus our efforts.
But, it is also helpful to lift up a community’s assets. This helps us see what we can build on.
This session is about assessing community needs and resources.
Learning Objectives:
How community descriptions and needs assessments may be used.
Several methods for obtaining information about the needs and assets of a community.

3. “It is better to ask some questions than to know all the answers.”
Transition
“It is better to ask some questions than to know all the answers.”
– James Thurber

4. Community People who share a common: Place Experience Interest
Community refers to people who share a common: place, experience, or interest

5. What is a community assessment?
Collection and interpretation of information that enables communities to prioritize, plan, and act upon needs to improve quality of life
Uses a collaborative approach and seeks community ownership of the process by engaging stakeholders from different sectors
Helps identify community assets for improvement efforts
Assesses community readiness and promising approaches to addressing community problems and goals

6. Pre-Assessment

7. Defining the Community and Geographic Area for the Assessment
Lesson 1.3
Defining the Community and
Geographic Area for the Assessment
For the purpose of community health assessments, community most often refers to a geographic area, such as a city, county or region.
This geographic area typically covers the city/town or county in which the public health department or hospital resides, but it may also cover the entire service area (if this has broader reach than county borders) or a broader area of collaboration.
Arranging assessments that span jurisdictions involves adjusting the geographic parameters or area covered in the community assessment to fit the needs and interests of key stakeholders (e.g., hospitals, local public health agencies, United Way/human service agencies, community centers, and other stakeholders).

8. Defining the Community and Geographic Area for the Assessment
Identify potential uses of the data and let that inform what geographic areas your assessment should include
Identify specific geographic areas of responsibility for key stakeholders
Geographic regions to consider may include: Specific region, county, tribal area, city/town, school district, zip code, census block, MSA, Congressional district, multi-county rural area, particular neighborhoods in urban area, hospital service area, hospital referral region
Identify available/potential data sources for the community health assessment and the geographic areas that they represent

9. Defining the Community and Geographic Area for the Assessment
Potential data sources include:
Census data
BRFSS (CDC Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System) - State-level data, occasionally available at the county level
Hospital records, for hospital catchment area
YRBS (CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey) data representing youth in the school district
City/county law enforcement records (by zip code/precinct)
Department of Education
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) databases
Data from city/town/county planning office
Health Indicators Warehouse,

10. Defining the Community and Geographic Area for the Assessment
Considering the fit of the proposed geographic area with available/ potential data sources, decide upon the scope or geographic area for the assessment, for example:
Specified county or city, hospital service area, etc.
For rural context, this might include multiple counties, with targeted assessments for towns with health disparities
For urban context, this might include one city, with targeted assessments for neighborhoods/census tracts with health disparities
What supplemental data will you need to collect?

11. DIALOGUE -
What geographic area might define “community” in your assessment?

12. Writing a Community Description
Lesson 1.3
Writing a Community Description
Once you determine what geographic boundaries your assessment will include, and what data you may draw upon to inform your assessment, it is important to create a community description.
What is a community description?
A community description is a written analysis that describes the people and situation of a community. It usually includes information about geography, demographics, historical, social and cultural characteristics, and a summary of the community’s problems and strengths. This information is gathered from secondary (existing) data sources, as well as through primary data collection such as through interviews or focus groups.

13. Why should you write a community description?
Lesson 1.3
Why should you write a community description?
Capture unspoken but important community concerns, rules, norms, and practices
Develop a richer understanding of the local context
Gain perspective about the concerns and conditions of the community
Take stock of the strengths that exist, as well as areas for improvement

14. How can you use a community description?
Lesson 1.3
How can you use a community description?
As a reference
To guide your community efforts
To share with others working in the community
As background information for the media
As part of the justification for a grant proposal or request for funding

15. What should you include in a community description?
Boundaries and history
Key stakeholders and leaders
Demographic information
Resources and assets
Concerns
Key allies and opponents

16. How can you use a community description?
As a reference
To guide your work
To share with others
As background information
As justification when requesting funding

17. Basic principles for learning about a community
Be a learner with an open mind
Seek to understand context
Use easy but rich information sources
Rely on more than official sources
DIALOGUE –What other principles would you add? Which of these principles seem particularly important for your situation?

18. Activity - Outline the plan for describing the community
Types of information
Sources of information
Whether sufficient resources to collect the information
Methods used to collect information
Assess the quality of the information
Strengths and problems identified
Activity/ DIALOGUE – Working as a team, outline the plan for describing the community related to your effort.
Types of information that best describe the community (e.g., demographics, assets, problems)
Sources of information (e.g., archival records, people)
Whether there are sufficient resources to collect the information (e.g., time, personnel, financial)
Methods used to collect the information (e.g., review records, talking with people)
Assess the quality of the information (e.g., accuracy, sensitivity, clarity, completeness)
Strengths and problems identified
Be sure to share information with community members and other stakeholders, and ask if it is clear and complete

19. Understanding and Describing the Community
Activity: Working as a team, outline the plan for describing the community
Types of information
Sources of information
Whether sufficient resources to collect the information
Methods used to collect information
Assess the quality of the information
Strengths and problems identified
Types of information that best describe the community (e.g., demographics, assets, problems)
Sources of information (e.g., archival records, people)
Whether there are sufficient resources to collect the information (e.g., time, personnel, financial)
Methods used to collect the information (e.g., review records, talking with people)
Assess the quality of the information (e.g., accuracy, sensitivity, clarity, completeness)
Strengths and problems identified
Be sure to share information with community members and other stakeholders, and ask if it is clear and complete

20. DIALOGUE
What types of information might best describe the community? Why?
What types might be easier to obtain? More difficult? Why?
What sources of information would you trust? Why?
What information-gathering methods might be particularly helpful? Why?
DIALOGUE – Reflect on:
What types of information can help best describe the community? Why?
What types might be easier to obtain? More difficult? Why?
What sources of information would you trust? Why?
What information-gathering methods might be particularly helpful? Why?
Using Community-level Indicators to Document Needs (Goal Attainment)
Community-level indicators (CLIs) are used to measure:
The extent or level of problem/ behaviors/conditions at the local level (e.g., level of violence or unemployment)
The level of positive behaviors/conditions at the local level (e.g., percent of people engaging in regular physical activity; high school students graduating)
Additional Examples of CLI’s
Substance Abuse - Number of arrests for drug possession
Injury Control - Deaths due to unintentional injury
Violence Prevention - Number of reported assaults
Community Safety - Number of pizza delivery services willing to deliver to a particular neighborhood
Criteria for good CLI’s
Accurate – A good measure of the behavior/condition of interest
Sensitive – Detects changes in behavior of varying degree
Feasible – It can be obtained with available resources
CLI’s can help determine the impact of efforts
Number of arrests for drug possession - The prevalence of substance abuse is (likely) decreasing
Deaths due to unintentional injury - More people are (likely) engaging in safe behavior (e.g., seatbelt use)
Number of reported assaults - The neighborhood is (likely) becoming safer
Number of pizza delivery services willing to deliver to a particular neighborhood - The actual/perceived safety in the neighborhood is (likely) increasing

21. Why involve community members?
Lesson 1.1
Why involve community members?
They are the local experts
They deserve opportunities for decision- making
They can fulfill meaningful roles in the work
Without community buy-in, efforts will not succeed

22. How to involve community members
Lesson 1.1
How to involve community members
Identify community members and groups who have a stake in the improvement efforts
Invite members of the community to participate
Assure representation from diverse sectors that can help address community issues, and from populations most affected by them
In addition to public announcements, personally invite community members through connectors – that is, those with trusting relationships and credibility with members of diverse communities (e.g., friends, elders, clergy)

23. How to involve community members
Lesson 1.1
How to involve community members
Make community participation and involvement easier by arranging meetings at times and places convenient for community members, with language and physical access, transportation, child care, and other necessary accommodations

24. How to involve community members
Make community participation and involvement more rewarding by using the "6Rs":
Recognition - Recognize people for their contributions
Respect - Respect people's values, culture, ideas, and time
Role - Give each person a clear and meaningful role through which they can contribute
Relationships - Provide people opportunities to establish relationships and build networks
Reward - Ensure the rewards of participating in the group outweigh the costs
Results - Work to achieve visible results that are clearly linked to important outcomes

25. How to involve community members
Assure open communication of draft plans/findings and opportunities for review and feedback
Arrange for community forums/listening sessions in the community and meetings with staff of key agencies
Establish comment/feedback period for draft plans for assessment
Communicate adjustments in plan based on feedback

26. Ensuring shared ownership
Lesson 1.2
Ensuring shared ownership
Ensure collaboration among key community stakeholders
Make it more likely that efforts will be successful
Community improvement work is not the work of any one sector alone
Building trust and shared ownership helps ensure diverse stakeholders work together effectively over time

27. How to ensure shared ownership
Lesson 1.2
How to ensure shared ownership
Identify key stakeholders in the assessment, and determine their interests in the assessment
Identify human and financial resources needed for the work and secure commitments
Establish a written agreement among key stakeholders specifying roles and responsibilities
Assess the readiness of key organizations/individuals to fulfill their responsibilities, and build capacity as needed
Engage stakeholders from different community sectors
Engage interested members/advocates from populations experiencing the problem
Facilitate a dialogue with key stakeholders about what they would like to see from this process, and what they would like to contribute

28. Assessing Community Needs
Community need: The gap between what a situation is and what it should be

29. Assessing Community Needs
Key Learning
Community Need – the gap between what a situation is and what it should be
Assessing Community Needs
Community Need – Defined: The gap between what a situation is and what it should be.

30. Why should you identify
Lesson 1.4
Why should you identify
community needs?
Data-based decision making: Gathering current and historical data is essential for showing the magnitude of the problem, and trends over time. Access to accurate and sensitive measures of community wellbeing can help groups answer the question, “What are the biggest and most serious issues in our community?” This information can help when it comes time to prioritize issues to address.
Awareness: Data can be used to raise community awareness about:
How serious the problem is; how many people are affected
How well (or how poorly) your community is doing in relation to other communities, or to the state or nation as a whole
How much progress your organization or effort is making in addressing the problem or goal

31. Why should you assess and identify community needs?
Lesson 1.4
Why should you assess and identify community needs?
Credibility: Knowing the facts about the exact numbers of people affected by the issue(s) you are concerned about is essential for assuring effective communications and maintaining credibility
Planning for taking action in the community: Assessing and identifying community needs helps in systematically planning interventions to improve community-level outcomes

32. DIALOGUE: How have community assessments been helpful to your efforts in the past?

33. When should you assess or identify community needs?
Lesson 1.4
When should you assess or identify community needs?
When there has not been a recent assessment conducted
When necessary for compliance or accreditation purposes
When more information is needed to guide improvement planning efforts
When needs are varied, not quite clear, or when people have differing viewpoints about priorities
When you want to convince funders that you are addressing the most important community problems (such assessments may be required for grant funding)
When you want to be sure that you will have community buy- in and support

34. When not to do an assessment:
Lesson 1.4
When not to do an assessment:
When it is urgent to act right now, without delay, such as in a public emergency
When an assessment has been done recently, and needs have not changed
When you feel the community would see an assessment as threatening or wasteful, or when it would be harmful to communities
When there is not readiness to create and implement an improvement plan based on the results of the assessment

35. How to assess community needs:
Lesson 1.4
How to assess community needs:
Indicate how you will listen to the community to better understand the needs/problems that matter to its members.
Some methods of listening to the community include: facilitating listening sessions, public forums, focus groups, and interviews with key informants
Listen and record how community members name and frame community needs/problems, including as:
Lack of/too few of a POSITIVE condition
Presence of/too much of a NEGATIVE condition
Both (if different stakeholders seem to name and respond to different framing)
Problems can be identified through available sources of data but if it doesn’t matter to community members it will be difficult to motivate people to act.

36. How to assess community needs:
Lesson 1.4
How to assess community needs:
Agree on the value and purpose of the information that you will collect, for example:
To give focus to and direct your group’s efforts
To target a particular area, priority group, or issue for your efforts
As part of a publicity campaign that will raise awareness and encourage action
To provide information to potential collaborators and partners
To lend credibility to a grant application
To set a baseline measure (level before intervention) against which you can compare later results in order to assess your initiative’s effectiveness

37. Lesson 1.2
Activity
What uses do you see for information collected through the community assessment?

38. How to assess community needs:
Lesson 1.4
How to assess community needs:
Determine when you want to make the data public
Indicate the kinds of data that will be collected in your community health assessment.
What information is essential to your assessment and planning efforts? Consider the statistics, as well as the qualitative information that you need to know.
When do you want to make this information public? You may want to make the information known right away. Or you might want to wait, perhaps to take advantage of a related public occurrence such as a local, national, or international event in order to draw additional attention to the release of the information.

39. Determine who will find the information
Lesson 1.4
Determine who will find the information
Will it be you? Another staff member?
Brainstorm who in your organization or partner organizations has experience in collecting data and also who might be interested or willing to do so. How will you assure that they have the time required to do the job?
Identify the secondary and primary sources of information to be gathered about community needs
There are a lot of different places where you can find relevant information to assess community needs. Some of the data you need is likely available already, through existing, or “secondary” sources. You also may need to collect some “primary data,” information you will collect yourself to supplement what is available through other sources.
Possible Answers:
Data might be obtained or collected on:
Issues and concerns of importance to community members (e.g., high mortality related to swimming, roadway injuries);
Leading causes of death (e.g., infant mortality, unintentional injuries);
Behavioral risk factors associated with these health outcomes (e.g., use of seat belts, etc.)
Environmental factors associated with these health outcomes (e.g., walkability, traffic, availability/density of liquor stores, etc.)
Environmental quality (e.g., road hazards, etc.)
Social determinants of health (e.g., education, income)

40. Public records (e.g., public health database, hospital records).
Lesson 1.4
Some sources of secondary data (those already available that you obtain) include:
Public records (e.g., public health database, hospital records).
Census data: Demographic information (e.g., number of people, education level, income level) may be available for your community. Many states maintain similar information on websites of state agencies (e.g., state department of health, social/human services, or commerce)
Business or Chamber of Commerce data: e.g., for data on new jobs created in the community
Nonprofit community service agencies, such as the United Way, or non- governmental organizations, generally have records on a variety of different issues (e.g., number of children living in poverty, unemployment). These organizations may have already conducted surveys and found the information you need
School districts for your area or the State Department of Education
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Specialized local, statewide, or national organizations and associations (e.g., state hospital associations, associations of local/county health departments)
Other existing and emerging data sources and resources on the internet: National Center for Health Statistics’ Health Indicators Warehouse , Community Need Index , and MONAHRQ

41. Some primary sources of data (those you collect) include:
Lesson 1.4
If important data you need for your assessment are unavailable, you may consider administering surveys in order to obtain the needed information. Additionally, supplementing the data you find with local peoples’ experience and perspectives can be invaluable.
Some primary sources of data (those you collect) include:
Systematic listening including: facilitating listening sessions, public forums, focus groups, and interviews with key informants
Direct observation or systematic recording of what you see (e.g., counts of number of homeless sleeping in public areas, counts of percentage of youth attempts to buy alcohol for which sales were made)
Surveys (e.g., using selected modules of CDC’s Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System, Youth Risk Behavior Survey)

42. Identify gaps in your knowledge
Lesson 1.4
Identify gaps in your knowledge
Once you have thoroughly reviewed the information you have collected, consider its completeness. Were you able to determine everything you were looking for, or did you not find some important data? Has the information you have found helped you realize there is other helpful information that you should gather?
Brainstorm with others to see if you can obtain any data sources you may have missed. If the information you want just isn’t out there, you may need to collect your own (primary) data. However, this process can be time intensive and you may wish to carefully consider whether the information is critical for understanding.
Compare data for your community with that of other communities or of the state or nation; look for trends in your own community’s data over time.
Use comparisons over time or between groups (communities) to put the information you have found in context, either positive or negative. This can help demonstrate the magnitude of the problem you are facing or put progress in proper perspective for the rest of the community.

43. Activity Activity 2.2 A preliminary listing of community needs
Pair up and discuss with your partner what your current perspective is on the community needs in your area. Make a list of these needs then spend some time discussing them using the questions under (#2):
Reflection:
Are the needs you identified likely to be considered significant by others in your community? Why or why not?
What level of support exists for addressing these needs?
Do you have the information you need to begin the work?
What else is needed? How will you get it?
How will the data help further frame the needs or change their priority?

44. “Every single person has capacities, abilities and gifts
“Every single person has capacities, abilities and gifts. Living a good life depends on whether those capacities can be used, abilities expressed, and gifts given.”
John McKnight
Does no good to talk about problems or needs if we don’t also consider our strengths and resources and how we might use them to address our community needs.
Transition
“Every single person has capacities, abilities, and gifts. Living a good life depends on whether those capacities can be used, abilities expressed, and gifts given.” – John McKnight

45. Identifying Community Assets and Resources
Community asset or resource:
Those things that can be used to improve the quality of community life
Identifying Community Assets and Resources
Defined: Those things that can be used to improve the quality of community life
Include: people, organizations, physical structures or places, businesses, you, everyone
Why identify community assets
Building blocks for community improvement
External resources may not be available
Enables residents to become active agents
When should we identify community assets
We don’t know what assets there are
Talent and experience are underused
Traditional services are unavailable and new ways to build community are necessary
Want to encourage pride and ownership
Want to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones

46. Some Uses for Identified Community Assets and Resources
Tackle a new or renewed project
Stimulate use of assets in community efforts
Target areas for improvement
Bring groups and organizations together
Attract more assets to the area
Coordinate and match assets to needs
Some uses for identified community assets
Tackle a new or renewed project
Stimulate use of assets in community efforts
Target areas for improvement
Bring groups and organizations together
Attract more assets to the area
Coordinate and match assets to needs
DIALOGUE: How might the Rosedale Development Association use identified community assets?

47. Identifying Community Assets
Begin by reflecting on key issues
Decide whether you wish to identify the assets of groups and/or individuals
Identify the assets of groups and/or institutions
Identify the assets of individuals
Identifying Community Assets and Resources (Explain, give examples)
Begin by reflecting on key issues, including:
Size of the community
People available
Time to complete
Money available
Decide whether you wish to identify the assets of groups and/or institutions, or the assets of individuals in the community
What’s important to know?
What’s feasible?
Identify the assets of groups and/or institutions
Brainstorm categories of assets (e.g., CBOs, NGOs)
Begin writing down anything you know
Ask others about what they know
Use other sources of information
Refine and revise the list
Create an assets map (e.g., GIS)
Identify the assets of individuals
Geographic area to cover
Whose perspectives you will seek
How many will you ask, and how will you choose them
Types of questions to ask
Why are you collecting information and how you will use it
Methods to be used (e.g., interviews, surveys)
GROUP ACTIVITY: Make a list of potential community assets for your community.
Dialogue – Reflect on:
What assets may be particularly helpful to address identified needs?
How can you connect the valued assets to the important needs?

48. Some Types of Assets Individuals with particular knowledge and skills
Community-based organizations, NGOs
Schools
Institutions
Businesses
Others?
Some types of assets:
Individuals with skills and knowledge
Community-based organizations, NGOs
Institutions
Businesses
Others?

49. Identifying Community Assets and Resources
Activity 2.3: Creating an Assets Map
In small groups, brainstorm some of the assets in your community. It may be helpful to think within categories. For example,
Institutions (e.g., schools, hospitals)
Non-profit organizations
Public transportation
Faith communities

50. “What people believe, is true.” – Anishinabe Indians
“What the people believe is true.”
Anishinabe Indians
Defined the community, identified needs and resources, consider methods for assessment. When conducting assessments there are many ways of understanding the problems/needs of the community but important component is including community feedback and understanding what community members find to be important.
We may have ideas about how best to act or respond to community needs but a thorough assessment incorporating information from many credible sources will ensure that we truly have a holistic picture of the problems, factors related to it, and concerns from the community that will provide a good basis for guided action.
Accuracy of the assessment and success of our eventual efforts will be more likely to be realized if community is involved and conducting the needs assessment is a good time to involve community if you haven’t already.
Review several methods assessment
Transition
“What people believe, is true.” – Anishinabe Indians

51. Why conduct an assessment?
Basis for guiding action
Useful source of information
Involve community members
Learn what is important to local people
Get valuable feedback
Broader agenda for action
DIALOGUE: Why might it be helpful to identify community needs in your situation?
We may have ideas about how best to act or respond to community needs but a thorough assessment incorporating information from many credible sources will ensure that we truly have a holistic picture of the problems, factors related to it, and concerns from the community that will provide a good basis for guided action.
Accuracy of the assessment and success of our eventual efforts will be more likely to be realized if community is involved and conducting the needs assessment is a good time to involve community if you haven’t already.

52. Quantitative Data
Numbers from different methods to help answer the question: “How many?”
Give a perspective on the breadth of the issue: How many people are affected?
Types of data one can collect—Quantitative and qualitative
Quantitative data
Numbers from different methods (e.g., surveys, observations, records, data from secondary sources like BRFSS and other surveillance mechanisms) to help answer the question: How many?
Give a perspective of the breadth of the issue: How many people are affected (e.g., new or existing cases, amount of behavior or outcome)?
Example: ratio of population to dentist or the amount of children screened with dental decay
Prevalence (existing cases) of Type 2 Diabetes; Incidence (new cases) of people with HIV/AIDS

53. Some Aspects of Surveys (A Quantitative Method)
Uses uniform and close-ended questions to get consistent information of relatively narrow scope
Can collect information from large numbers of people in a short time
Can collect information about difficult to observe behaviors
Some aspects of surveys as a quantitative method:
Uses uniform and close-ended questions to get consistent information of relatively narrow scope
Can collect information from large numbers of people in a short time
Can collect information about difficult to observe behaviors (e.g., smoking status, unsafe sex, intimate partner violence)

54. Qualitative Information
Information from interviews and stories to help answer the question “What does it mean?”
Helps to understand the issue in depth: e.g., Why are so many people affected? (e.g., contributing factors)
Qualitative information
Information from interviews and stories to help answer the question: What does it mean?
Helps understand the issue in depth: e.g., why are so many people affected
Give Example (e.g., identifying barriers to accessing oral health care)

55. Some Aspects of Qualitative Methods
Public forums offer people from diverse backgrounds a chance to express their views
Listening sessions are smaller, more intimate, and provide more depth
Focus groups provide greater depth about a specific, predetermined topic
Interviews provide spontaneous, accurate and thorough communication of a few people’s ideas
Some aspects of different qualitative methods:
Public forums offer people from diverse backgrounds a chance to express their views
Listening sessions are smaller, more intimate, and provide more depth
Focus groups provider greater depth about a specific, predetermined topic
Interviews provide spontaneous, accurate, and thorough communication of a few people’s ideas

56. Public Forums
A public session in which community members discuss important issues and identify and solve problems.
Some types of assessments methods
Public forums
A public session in which community members discuss important issues and identify and solve problems
Give Example

57. Listening Session
A group is gathered to share ideas and experiences about a particular topic or range of topics.
Listening sessions
A group is gathered to share ideas and experiences about a particular topic or range of topics
Give Example (e.g., barrio in Mexico City)

58. Focus Group
A small-group discussion guided by a trained leader, used to learn more about opinions on a designated topic and to guide future action.
Focus groups
Small-group discussion guided by a trained leader, used to learn more about opinions on a designated topic and to guide future action
Give Example

59. Interview
Semi-structured conversations with the purpose of gathering in-depth information on a particular topic.
Interviews
Semi-structured conversations with the purpose of gathering in-depth information on a particular topic
Give Example

60. Observation
Systematic observation of behaviors of interest, and what happens before and after. Observation notes over time or over multiple cases can help you see patterns emerge about how things work.
Observations
Systematic observation of behaviors of interest, and what happens before and after; observation notes over time or over multiple cases can help patterns emerge about how things work

61. Survey
A way of collecting information from a group by asking questions that call for specific answers.
Surveys
A way of collecting information from a group by asking questions that call for specific answers
Give Example
DIALOGUE: What methods would you chose and why?

62. Photovoice
Community members express their opinions about community strengths and needs through the use of photography.

63. Assessment Methods
Activity: 2.4a - Preparing to Conduct Assessments

64. Epictetus, Greek philosopher
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we may listen twice as much as we speak.”
Epictetus, Greek philosopher
Transition
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we may listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus, Greek philosopher

65. USE OF ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
Assessment information can be used in many ways to communicate how you defined your community and what you’ve identified as the problem or need, and to involve the community in beginning to plan for action.
Information gathered in the assessment can also be used to help with conducting a SWOT analysis that can increase your group’s awareness about the context of the problem beyond needs and resources and making clear the environment in which the group will need to function to carry out the work.

66. Conducting a SWOT Analysis
What are the elements of a SWOT Analysis?
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Doing a SWOT analysis to scan the situation—it provides a framework to identify the positives and negatives inside the organization (strengths and weaknesses) and outside in the external environment (opportunities and threats).
What are the elements of a SWOT analysis?
Strengths –
Positive force or attribute that exists within an organization, initiative, or community
Give Example- strong leadership,
Weaknesses
Negative or less positive force or attribute that exists within an initiative, organization, or community
Give Example- limited financial or human resources,
Opportunities
A change or opening outside the organization that allows resources to be used or extended
Give Example– potential for partnership with other influential groups to advocate for policy or system change
Threats
A negative or restraining force outside the organization that would make it more difficult for resources to be used or extended
Give Example– potential policy changes that would limit access to services among a population
In conducting a SWOT analysis it reminds you to build on your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, seize opportunities, and counteract threats.

67. May be categorized by positives and negatives
Positives Negatives
Strengths Weaknesses
Assets Limitations
Resources Restrictions
Opportunities Threats
Prospects Challenges
Categorized in two ways
Positives and Negatives
Positives include: strengths, assets, resources, opportunities, prospects
Negatives include: weaknesses, limitations, restrictions, threats, challenges
Internal and External Factors
Internal factors include: human, physical, and financial resources; activities and processes; past experiences
External factors include: future trends, the economy, funding sources, demographics, physical environment, legislation, local, national, or international events
How to analyze
Create a listing of factors
Use charts to visually represent the analysis
When would you do a SWOT analysis?
When you need to explore possibilities for new efforts
Make a decision about the best path
Make a decision about where change is possible
Adjust and refine plans mid-course

68. Example SWOT Analysis
Here is an example SWOT Analysis (done in MI)

69. Activity: Conducting a SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis Table
POSITIVES
NEGATIVES
INTERNAL
Strengths
Weaknesses
EXTERNAL
Opportunities
Threats
Whole GROUP ACTIVITY: Conduct a SWOT analysis.
Brainstorm and record input regarding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to efforts to address your community problem/goal.
Reflect on:
What are the major weaknesses and threats facing the community (effort)?
How might the positive strengths and opportunities counter the negatives?

70. Creating a Plan for Assessment
Putting It All Together: Assessing Your Community’s Needs and Resources
Creating a Plan for Assessment
Review the Steps
Apply what you learned to your situation
Putting it all together: Assessing Community Needs and Resources
Creating a plan for assessment
Review the steps
Describe the community and what matters to community members and stakeholders, collect and describe the evidence indicating what the problem is and if it should be a priority issue, and then describe the barriers and resources for addressing the issue.
Apply what you learned to your situation

71. Critiquing the Plan for Assessment for …
Clarity
Completeness
Appropriateness
Likelihood of contributing to the goal
Critiquing the plan for assessment for
Clarity
Completeness
Appropriateness
Likelihood of contributing to success

72. “Genius…means little more than having the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.”
William James
“Genius…means little more than having the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.” – William Jones.

73. Closing Dialogue:
What do you take away from today’s conversation?
How will you apply what you learned in your situation?
What adjustments do you think you’ll need to make to have it fit your reality?
The next module focuses on Analyzing Problems and Goals