finalize the completion

finalize the completion

Overview

In this module, you will finalize the completion of the full assessment of your own community.

Defining the Community

Your community should be within a specifically designated geographic location.

One must clearly delineate the following dimensions before starting the process of community assessment:

• Describe the population that is being assessed?

• What is/are the race(s) of this population within the community?

• Are there boundaries of this group? If so, what are they?

• Does this community exist within a certain city or county?

• Are there general characteristics that separate this group from others?

• Education levels, birth/death rates, age of deaths, insured/uninsured?

• Where is this group located geographically…? Urban/rural?

• Why is a community assessment being performed? What purpose will it serve?

• How will information for the community assessment be collected?

Assessment

After the community has been defined, the next phase is assessment. The following items describe several resources and methods that can be used to gather and generate data. These items serve as a starting point for data collection. This is not an all-inclusive list of resources and methods that may be used when a community assessment is conducted.

The time frame for completion of the assessment may influence which methods are used. Nonetheless, these items should be reviewed to determine what information will be useful to collect about the community that is being assessed. It is not necessary to use all of these resources and methods; however, use of a variety of methods is helpful when one is exploring the needs of a community.