1. Community Assessment

2. Why do a community assessment? Assessment is part of a process of understanding a community and producing change Assess Alternatives Action Re-assess

3. What is a community assessment?  (internal/external) to the community that will impede it’s progress? Strengths – What resources (physical, human, financial) does the community have which may be used to support it’s goals?  Weaknesses – What problems are present which would keep the community from reaching it’s goals?  Opportunities – What opportunities (internal and external) are there that may/should be taken advantages of?  Threats – What are the threats (internal/external) to the community that will impede it’s progress?

4. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Use strengths to take advantage of opportunities Use strengths to eliminate or lessen threats Increase knowledge and/or skills to take advantage of opportunities Increase knowledge and/or skills to eliminate or lessen threats

5. Community can be sliced several ways to see different components the community sphere

6. Slice

7. Utilities Commercial & Wholesale Production Manufacturing Agriculture Physical Infrastructure Education Social Services Communications Tourism Spiritual Community Civic & Social Organizations Health Financial Labor Economic Development Retail & Service Businesses Government Community Slice 1

8. Ethnic Cultural Racial Local Coordinating Team Occupation Sex Old–timers & Newcomers Community Roles Socio- economic Class Age “Part of Town” or Community Area of Residence Religious Affiliation or Non- affiliation Community Class Family History Slice 2

9. Education – access – quality Local Coordinating Team Health – access – quality Housing Values Social Justice Social Environment “Community Spirit” Jobs Growth Economic Development Historic Preservation/ Community Revitalization Environment Slice 3 Community

10. Community Capitals Model Cornelia Butler Flora North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Jan Flora, Iowa State University, 2004.

11. Community Reconnaissance Inventory vs. Assessment

12. Community Needs Maps Crime Apathy Vacant Houses and Lots Vacant Houses and Lots Welfare Recipients Welfare Recipients Unemployment Drop- outs Drop- outs Teen Parents Drugs

13. Community Assets Maps Care and Concern Schools Space for Gardens People’s Skills, Talents, Resources, and Knowledge Churches Libraries Parks Youth and Retirees

14. How do we do a community assessment  Observation  CABWA  Document analysis  Public records analysis  Content analysis  Interviews  Key informant interviews  Focus groups  Asset mapping  Events  Task force/advisory group  Issues open house  Community forum/town hall meeting  Surveys  Community opinion surveys  Community needs assessments  Delphi Surveys

15. Data does not always equal usable information. It can tell us what is, but not the why.

16.  Data concentrates on symptoms, not root causes  In our community assessment, we want to gain an understanding of root causes

17. We want to invest our time and resources in working with others to deal with root causes to the extent possible.