1. Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas Promoting Regular Community Assessment, Reporting, and Accountability

2. Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas What do we mean by regular community assessment, reporting, and accountability? Use regular assessment to examine anything from specific areas (education, child health) to the overall conditions and quality of life in the community. Compare the results of regular assessments to those of the previous assessments, and/or to the benchmarks or long-term goals from your strategic plan.

3. Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas Why propose regular community assessment, reporting, and accountability? You propose regular assessment, reporting and accountability because They clarify the state of the issues at hand in the community, making ongoing rational planning possible. They show which, if any, current efforts are bearing fruit and should be continued or strengthened. They show which, if any, current efforts seem to be having less impact than hoped, and need to be watched carefully, changed, or discontinued.

4. Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas Continued… They define the areas – of both community assets and needs – that should be concentrated on. By defining the areas of concentration, they give direction to the initiative, fleshing out the strategic plan, and allowing for changes of emphasis when necessary. By showing progress, and shedding light on what needs to be worked on, they motivate the community, officials, and policymakers to continue the effort.

5. Copyright © 2014 by The University of Kansas Continued… They keep the community vision before the public, so efforts toward change remain supported. They help with maintenance of the effort over time. They can hold the feet of politicians, corporations, agencies, and other policymakers to the fire, pointing out their responsibility for addressing issues when. appropriate, and reminding the public to whom to complain – or protest – when issues are not addressed.