The Community Themes and Strengths Assessment answers the questions:
"What is important to our community?" "How is quality of
life perceived in our community?" and "What assets do we have
that can be used to improve community health?" This assessment results
in a strong understanding of community issues and concerns, perceptions
about quality of life, and a map of community assets.
The information gathered during this phase will feed into the Identify
Strategic Issues phase of the MAPP process (the other three assessments
will also provide important sources of information). By including Community
Themes and Strengths in the MAPP process, two benefits are gained. First,
community members become more vested in the process when they have a sense
of ownership and responsibility for the outcomes. This occurs when their
concerns are genuinely considered and visibly affect the process. Second,
the themes and issues identified here offer insight into the information
uncovered during the other assessments.
Recommended Participants and Roles:
- Subcommittee — designs and
prepares for the Community Themes and Strengths Assessment, oversees
the information-gathering process, and compiles results.
- MAPP Committee — oversees
subcommittee activities and provides recommendations for gaining broad
community participation.
- Broad Community Involvement —
is included to gather the thoughts, opinions, and concerns of community
residents — an especially important component of this phase.
A Step-by-Step Overview of the Community Themes
and Strengths Assessment:
- Prepare for the Community Themes and Strengths Assessment by establishing
a subcommittee to oversee the activities. Identify necessary resources
and individuals. Determine the most effective approaches to gather information
from a cross-section of the community. These might include community
meetings, focus groups, windshield surveys, individual discussions or
interviews, and surveys.
- Implement activities that gather community themes and strengths and
engage the community in the MAPP process. Use open-ended questions that
elicit opinions, thoughts, and issues. Also, gather feedback on quality
of life issues and community assets. Meetings or discussions should
be held in accessible places and at times that facilitate broad participation.
- Compile the results. Be sure to list issues, potential solutions,
and assets.
- Sustain community involvement and empowerment throughout the remainder
of the MAPP process.
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