Learning from Experience: Community Assets and Needs
Categories:
- Learning from experience,
- Community,
- Facilities & organizations,
- Healthcare facilities,
- Workplace,
- Schools,
Assess and understand community assets and needs
How to implement
- Take time from the very beginning to learn directly from residents about their community’s unique features and specific issues.
- Find out if a recent needs or situational assessment has been completed and if other local data exists. What are the gaps? Is more information needed?
- If more information is needed, consider ways to identify community assets and challenges, as well as current programs and resources.
Visit the Tamarack institute to learn more about Using Asset Mapping for Asset-Based Community Development.
Try this: Collaborate with local stakeholders and researchers to collect community data.
- During the early stages of an initiative, consider running a small pilot to explore potential benefits and challenges before scaling up the program.
External Resources
Six Strategic Steps for Situational Assessment
A six-step guide for conducting a situational assessment, from identifying key questions to gathering data and proceeding with planning.
Health Impact Assessment
Provides background information and resources on conducting a health impact assessment (HIA).
Program Evaluation Toolkit
A comprehensive toolkit for planning, conducting and using evaluation.
Evaluation Flash Cards: Embedding Evaluation Thinking in Organizational Culture
Flash cards designed to make key evaluation concepts easily accessible.
Using Asset Mapping for Asset-Based Community Development
This webpage provides users with an introduction to community asset mapping and an example tool and how-to for understanding and utilizing existing strengths in the community.
