Services

We offer several services and products based on the Community Tool Box and related research and development. If you would like more information, please contact us at the KU Work Group.

 

Online Documentation and Support System

Our team has been evaluating community health initiatives since 1990.  Based on this extensive experience, we have developed an Online Documentation and Support System (ODSS) to make this work easier and more likely to be successful.  In collaboration with foundations and governmental agencies (e.g., CDC), we have developed dozens of customized online systems for a variety of initiatives (e.g., to prevent violence; promote healthy living; promote system change in state health departments).

The Online Documentation and Support System (ODSS) includes supports for: a) documenting changes in communities and systems (e.g., new or modified programs and policies related to the effort); b) entering community-level indicators (e.g., rates of childhood immunizations); c) displaying trends and discontinuities in events to see what factors may be associated with increases/decreases in the pace of community change (e.g., change in leadership); d) analyzing the contribution of how the initiative is aiding population-level improvement (online pie charts, online time series graphs, etc.);  and e) online and print reporting about the initiative and its impact. 

Working in combination, these resources help form a unique and powerful infrastructure for supporting and evaluating community initiatives.


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Customized Community Workstations

We develop tailored online WorkStations for local, national, and global initiatives. WorkStations provide quick access to tools, shared materials, success stories, online documentation and support, troubleshooting guides, and online guidance. Clients have used customized WorkStations as a comprehensive solution to helping communities address the challenges they face.

We have the capacity to activate customized WorkStations that help support and evaluate change efforts in communities and systems.


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CTB Curriculum

The KUWG has developed a training curriculum based on the CTB (http://ctb.ku.edu) that outlines 16 competencies for promoting community health and development. These competencies include: creating and maintaining coalitions and partnerships, assessing community needs and resources, analyzing problems and goals, developing a framework or model of change, developing strategic and action plans, building leadership, developing an intervention, increasing participation and membership, enhancing cultural competence, advocating for change, influencing policy development, evaluating the initiative, implementing a social marketing campaign, writing a grant application for funding, improving organizational management and development, and sustaining the project or initiative. Each of these 16 field-tested modules features participant guides and adaptable facilitator guides and PowerPoint slides. These modules can be delivered both in person and online via interactive webinars.

KUWG staff members are experienced trainers in each of these learning modules. The KUWG can also use a “train the trainer” approach so that community leaders can also facilitate the trainings. After training is provided, some support materials remain available to participants via the Community Tool Box.


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Other KU Work Group Services

The Tool Box is a service of the Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas. Established in 1975, the Work Group has developed widely-used capabilities for: a) community evaluation and community-based participatory research and b) Building capacity for community health and development. The KU Work Group provides a variety of services including community research and evaluation and technical assistance and training, and consultation for community and national initiatives and related funders and support organizations.

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