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Community Description (AutoRecovered)

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6 views

Community Description (AutoRecovered)

Uploaded by

liberalstudies
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Community Needs Assessment

What is a community?
A community can be any group sharing something in common
What do we mean by understanding and describing the community?
 You must understand the community's physical and geographic contexts --
the setting in which the community exists
 You must understand the community's people, culture, and web of
relationships
 Explore all dimensions of the community -- physical/geographical,
demographic, social, cultural, political, and economic
 A community description puts together the information you've gathered in a
form that creates a picture of the community that you can use to provide a
context for your community assessment and to see the results of whatever
actions you take to bring about change
Why make the effort to understand and describe your community?
 It will give you a general idea, even before an assessment, of the
community's strengths and the challenges it faces
 It will capture unspoken, influential rules and norms
 It will give you a feel for the attitudes and opinions of the community when
you're starting work on an initiative
 It will help to ensure the security of your organization's staff and participants
 It will give you enough familiarity with the community to allow you to
converse intelligently with residents about community issues, personalities
and geography
 It will enable you to talk convincingly with the media about the community
 It will allow you to share information with other organizations or coalitions
that work in the community so that you can collaborate or so that everyone's
work can benefit
 It will provide background and justification for grant proposals
 It will give you insight into the context of the community so that you can
tailor interventions and programs to its norms and culture, and increase your
chances of success

When should you make an effort to understand and describe the


community?
 When you're new to a community and want to be well informed before
beginning your work
 When you've been working in a community for any length of time and want to
take stock
 When you're feeling like you're stuck in a rut and need a fresh perspective
 When you're considering introducing a new initiative or program and want to
assess its possible success
 When a funder asks you to, often as part of a funding proposal
Whom should you contact to gather information?
 Elected officials
 Community planners and development officers
 Chiefs of police
 School superintendents, principals, and teachers
 Directors or staff of health and human service organizations
 Health professionals
 Clergy
 Community activists
 Real estate agents, housing advocates, and others knowledgeable about the
real estate situation in the community
 Presidents or chairs of civic or service clubs -- Chamber of Commerce,
veterans' organizations, Lions, Rotary, etc.
 People without titles, but identified by others as "community leaders" or
"natural helpers"
 Owners or CEO's of large businesses (these may be local or may be large
corporations with local branches)
How do you go about understanding and describing the community?
 Be prepared to learn from the community
 Be aware that people's speech, thoughts, and actions are not always rational
 Don't assume that the information people give you is necessarily accurate
 Beware of activities that may change people's behavior
 Take advantage of the information and facilities that help shape the world of
those who have lived in the community for a long time
 Network, network, network
 Gather information using:
o Public and other records and archives
o Individual and group interviews and conversations
o Surveys
o Direct and participant observation

Examine:
o The community's physical and geographical characteristics, including
infrastructure
o Community demographics
o Community history
o Community government and politics
o Community institutions
o Community groups and organizations
o Economics and employment
o Social structure

Create a community description that you can use as a reference.


The description can take a number of forms, and can include, drawings, photos,
maps, charts, video, audio, animation, or any other feature that you're capable of
including and that helps paint an accurate and compelling picture of the
community.
Continue over time to gather information and update your community description
as the community changes and develops

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