1. Community Readiness Model
Developed by Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research (Colorado State University)
Originally developed for community alcohol and drug abuse prevention efforts
Since then, has also been used for issues as varied as:
Intimate partner violence
Child abuse
Transportation issues
HIV/AIDS
Head injury
Suicide
Animal control issues

2. Assumptions About “Readiness”
Not intended as a judgment – informs decisions on strategies to meet the community where it is
Issue-specific and multi-dimensional
May vary across dimensions and in different segments of a community
One stage of readiness is not necessarily better than another; rather, the point of identifying stages is to better inform the development of appropriate strategies.

3. Dimensions & Stages of Readiness
Community Efforts
Knowledge of Efforts
Leadership
Community Climate
Knowledge of Issue
Resources
Dimensions
Community Efforts: to what extent are there activities, programs, and policies that address the issue? [note: if talking about prevention, focus question on that, keeping in mind that it’s an entire continuum – include environmental as well as individual focused efforts]
Community knowledge of efforts: to what extent do community members know about local efforts, and are the efforts accessible to all segments of the community?
Leadership (formal and informal): to what extent are appointed leaders and influential community members supportive of the issue? [one way to look at it: people who are connected to the issue b/c they care, vs. someone in a formal position but who may not feel as connected to the issue]
Community Climate: what is the prevailing attitude of the community toward the issue? Helplessness? Responsibility and empowerment? [also gets into community norms]
Community knowledge of issue: to what extent do community members know about the causes of the problem, consequences, and how it impacts your community? [this one could also related to community norms: “Hey, we work hard and we play hard,” etc.]
Resources related to issue: to what extent are local resources – people, time, money, space – available to support efforts?
Stages [the scoring sheets use these stages, one sheet for each dimension]
No Awareness: issue is not recognized by community or leaders as a problem (or it may truly not be an issue)
Denial/Resistance: some community members recognize that it is a concern, but little recognition that it might be occurring locally
Vague Awareness: most feel there is a local concern, but there is no immediate motivation to do anything about it
Preplanning: clear recognition that something must be done, and there may even be a group addressing it, but efforts are not focused or detailed [seems like where a lot of grantees might currently be]
Preparation: active leaders begin planning in earnest; community offers modest support of efforts
Initiation: enough information is available to justify efforts; activities are underway
Stabilization: activities are supported by administrators or community decision makers; staff are trained and experienced
Confirmation/Expansion: efforts are in place; community members feel comfortable using services, and they support expansions. Local data are regularly obtained [ex: Yakutat’s monthly reporting efforts, collaborative: schools, law enforcement, health clinic]
High Level of Community Ownership: Detailed and sophisticated knowledge exists about prevalence, causes, and consequences. Effective evaluation guides new directions. Model is applied to other issues [Susie noted she’s never seen a community at an 8 or 9; also note, once this is reached, now you can really use the model to tackle the next issue]
Note: if not all of the pieces in place, really need to revert to earlier level – has to be really solid, consistent (basis for SPF: making sure whatever efforts take place are based on data).
Also: always round down; so if you scored, say, a 4.5, call it a 4 – you’re really not quite ready to tackle things at the level of 5 yet

4. What Readiness Assessment Can (& Can’t) Do
What it Can Do:
Help identify resources – and obstacles
Identify types of efforts best suited to stage of readiness
This is one of the critical pieces of telling your community’s story – along with needs, resources, and gaps, readiness is important to know, but sometimes harder to measure; this is a tool to help make “community readiness” a little less fuzzy.
What it Can’t Do:
Make people do what they don’t believe in
Tell you exactly what you should do

5. Steps in the Process Develop list of questions
Identify “key informants” to interview
Schedule and conduct interviews
Decide who will conduct scoring
Use scoring tool to score each dimension
Share and discuss results
Use results to inform capacity building and strategic planning

6. 1. Develop list of questions
Start with questions created by Tri-Ethnic Center
Adapt to fit community’s needs
Make changes carefully – questions are closely tied to scoring tool
Pilot test questions
Note: questions in bold are not supposed to be changed – will want to consider whether the other ones are needed/helpful
Some groups have developed a little introductory script: what this is for, confidentiality, how the info will be used, etc.

7. Step 1: Group Exercise
Determine issue to focus on for youth-related interviews (10 minutes)
Go through interview questions:
Are there any (non-bold) you would get rid of? (10 minutes)
Are there any for which you would revise the wording? (10 minutes)
Are there any you don’t see, that you would like to add? Which dimension do they best fit under? (10 minutes)

8. Minimum of 4-6 individuals (per focus area)
2. Identify Key Respondents
Minimum of 4-6 individuals (per focus area)
Key Respondents:
Knowledgeable about a community but not necessarily leaders or decision makers
Involved in community / know what’s going on
Aim for diverse representation, such as:
Schools
Local/tribal governments
Youth, elders
Law enforcement
Faith-based community
Community at large
Industry representative
Health/medical field, including mental health
Note about professionals involved in the issue:
- readiness level higher than community at large
- community at large is generally the audience in which you want to make change
- decide how professionals can best be involved: key interviewee vs coalition member, partner, etc.
- decision makers, and those who want to affect change, may be different people

9. Step 2: Group Exercise Select 4-6 key respondents each for:
Focus 1: Youth alcohol use
Focus 2: Adult heavy and binge drinking
For multi-site grantees: If doing in each community separately, select 4-6 respondents for each community, per focus area

10. 3. Conduct Interviews
Contact in advance to make sure those identified are willing to discuss the issue
Each interview will take minutes
Can ask for clarification when needed, and use prompts provided
But avoid discussion with interviewee
Record or write responses as they are given
Don’t add your own interpretation or second-guess what you think interviewee “meant”

11. 4. Decide who will conduct scoring
Ideally two people:
Independently go through scoring process
Both scorers meet to discuss, working toward consensus

12. Decision: Who will your scorers be?
Step 4: Group Exercise
Decision: Who will your scorers be?

13. 5. Use scoring tool for each dimension
Working independently:
Both scorers read through each interview in its entirety before beginning to score it
Read through applicable score sheets for each dimension
Go through each dimension, highlighting interviewee statements that correlate to scoring sheet statements
Select scoring sheet statement that scorer believes best reflects what was stated during interview (doesn’t have to be a whole number)
Complete “Individual Scores” section of scoring sheet

14. 5. Use scoring tool for each dimension
Working together:
Discuss scores, with goal of achieving consensus
Consider items missed, or differing interpretations of interviewee statements’ fit on scoring sheet
Once consensus reached, complete “Combined Scores” section of scoring sheet
Complete remainder of scoring sheet: “Calculated Scores” and “Overall Stage of Readiness”
Write down any impressions or qualifying statements that may relate to your community’s score.

15. Step 5: Group Exercise Individually (20-30 minutes):
Read through sample interview
Read through scoring sheets for each dimension
Score the interview
As a group (however long it takes!):
Share scores; identify differences
Discuss to reach a consensus
Use one or more of the “sample” interviews for this exercise: service provider, clergy, and/or community member. (Only the first section of the interview has been filled out, for purposes of the exercise.)

16. 6. Share and discuss results
Are the scores across dimensions all about the same?
If not, which dimensions need to be raised so that readiness is at about the same level across the board?
Consider the broad types of appropriate strategies for increasing readiness levels
Use this information, along with needs assessment findings, to inform next phases in SPF (Capacity Building, Strategic Planning)
All dimensions are used to obtain an overall community readiness score, but the individual dimensions are more telling when making decisions about where and how to develop strategies

17. Appropriate Strategies
Level 1 – No Awareness
Goal: Raise awareness of the issue
Possible Strategies:
One-on-one visits with others
Visit existing small groups
Phone calls to friends and potential supporters
Note: some of these strategies may appear redundant across levels, such as “media” – think of it as media shaped around the current readiness level. So, if community is at a level of denial, messages might be shaped around education about, say, direct consequences of alcohol use, whereas if the community as at a level 6, the media might be shaped more around specific upcoming strategies.

18. Level 2 – Denial / Resistance
Appropriate Strategies
Level 2 – Denial / Resistance
Goal: Recognition that this issue exists in this community.
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Distribute fliers and brochures
Put information in church bulletins, club newsletters, etc.
Low intensity but visible media (“media” as defined in your community)

19. Level 3 – Vague Awareness
Appropriate Strategies
Level 3 – Vague Awareness
Goal: Community knows it can make positive changes
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Hold special events: potlucks, dances, etc.
Conduct informal surveys to see how people feel about the issue (ex: perceptions survey)
Publish editorials/articles and creative media consistent with community visibility

20. Appropriate Strategies
Level 4 - Preplanning
Goal: Develop concrete strategies
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Continue using media: newspaper articles, posters
Conduct assessment of what’s already going on in the community (i.e., resources assessment)
Hold focus groups and listen to ideas

21. Appropriate Strategies
Level 5 - Preparation
Goal: Gather pertinent information
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Gather and present local data (tell the story)
Conduct informal surveys to see how people feel about the issue
Increase media exposure (radio, newspaper, etc.)
Presenting local data: local stats, local stories, emotional cost to the community, consequences to the community, future impact on the community, financial cost, etc.)

22. Appropriate Strategies
Level 6 – Initiation
Goal: Provide community-specific information
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Begin training community providers / people
Conduct public forums to gather ideas
Sponsor larger community events

23. Appropriate Strategies
Level 7 - Stabilization
Goal: Stabilize efforts or establish programs
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Maintain business/other support for efforts
Introduce new programs and identify support
Increase/further develop media exposure
Utilize evaluation to improve efforts

24. Level 8 – Confirmation and Expansion
Appropriate Strategies
Level 8 – Confirmation and Expansion
Goal: Expand and enhance services
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Expand community awareness through speaker bureaus, events, media, etc.
Track and report trends from data analysis
Continue to survey and solicit public opinion
Use evaluation to improve efforts and provide feedback to community and partners

25. Level 9 – High Level of Community Ownership
Appropriate Strategies
Level 9 – High Level of Community Ownership
Goal: Maintain momentum, grow and use what’s learned
Possible Strategies:
Continue strategies from previous stage
Diversify funding resources, identify new resources
Maintain and expand local business support
Continue to track data trends for grant writing
Begin work on related issues