Support Resources for Assessing the Community
1. Gather and assess information on the community and the issue(s) that the improvement initiative will be working to address.
Information may include:
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- Existing data sources (e.g., community assessments). Pay attention to where there are marked differences in outcomes for specific groups (e.g., related to ethnicity, income, gender, where people live).
- Additional quantitative data (e.g., surveys, observation, small area analysis).
- Qualitative data (e.g., interviews, listening sessions, focus groups, community meeting feedback).
- Identify and assess community concerns, needs, and assets. Methods may include community mapping, surveys, focus groups, town hall meetings and so on.
Key Resources
- Toolkit: Assessing Community Needs and Resources
- Developing a Plan for Assessing Local Needs and Resources
- Collecting Information About the Problem
- Gathering and Using Community-Level Indicators
- Developing Baseline Measures
- Conducting Interviews
- Conducting Surveys
- Qualitative Methods to Assess Community Issues
- Using Public Records and Archival Data
- Conducting Public Forums and Listening Sessions
- Conducting Focus Groups
- Conducting Concerns Surveys
2. Identify social determinants that produce marked differences in outcomes (inequities) for specific groups
This may include:
- Differential exposures and opportunities (e.g., to stress, support networks)
- Differential vulnerabilities and capabilities (e.g., education)
- Differential consequences (e.g., access to quality services, discrimination)
Key Resources
3. Establish a process to guide how decisions will be made (e.g. choosing a priority goal, deciding a shared vision and objectives).
This may be through unanimous, consensus, majority rule, or executive decision-making.
Key Resources
- Developing and Using Criteria and Processes to Set Priorities
- Developing and Using Criteria and Processes to Set Priorities: Some Methods
4. Determine the priority goal of the initiative by analyzing and prioritizing the evidence gathered.
This evidence may include:
- Community-level indicators showing the size or frequency of the issue
- Differences in outcomes related to ethnicity, income, gender, where people live, and so on
- Importance of the goal to the community
- Alignment of the goal with the purpose and resources of the initiative