What do we mean by needs and resources? ___Needs can be defined as the gap between what is and what should be ___Resources, or assets, can include anyone or anything that can be used to improve the quality of life Why develop a plan for assessing local needs and resources? ___It will help you gain a deeper understanding of the community ___An assessment will encourage community members to consider the community's assets and how to use them, as well as the community's needs and how to address them ___It will help you make decisions about priorities for program or system improvement ___It goes a long way toward eliminating unpleasant surprises down the road ___It allows you to involve community members from the very beginning of the process ___An assessment is a great opportunity to use community-based participatory research, further involving community members and increasing community capacity ___A good plan will provide an easy-to-follow road map for conducting an accurate assessment ___A planning process will give community members the opportunity to voice their opinions, hopes, and fears about the community Who should be involved in developing a plan for assessing local needs and resources? ___Those experiencing needs that should be addressed ___Health and human service providers ___Government officials ___Community leaders ___People whose jobs or lives could be affected by the eventual actions taken as a result of the assessment ___Community activists ___Businesses, especially those that employ people from populations of concern When should you assess needs and assets? ___Prior to planning the initiative ___During implementation of an initiative ___On an ongoing basis How do you develop a plan to assess local needs and resources? ___Recruit a planning group that represents all stakeholders and mirrors the diversity of the community ___Design an evaluation process for the assessment, including the development of the plan ___Decide why you want to conduct the assessment ___Determine what data is already available __ Figure out what other information you need ___Decide what methods you'll use for gathering information Using existing data Listening sessions and public forums Interviews and focus groups Direct, and sometimes participant, observation Surveys Asset mapping ___Decide whom you'll gather information from ___Decide who will collect data ___Decide how you will reach informants ___Decide who will analyze the data and how they'll do it ___Plan whatever training is needed ___Decide how you'll record the results of the assessment and present them to the community ___Decide who will perform what assessment tasks ___Create a timeline ___Present the plan, get feedback, and adjust it to make it more workable Contributor Catie Heaven
