Learning Journal Community Development 3 (COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT)

Before beginning a community development effort or creating a strategic plan, an assessment should be performed to determine what assets are present for development and what liabilities exist that need to be addressed in order for desired improvements to occur.

WHAT IS ASSESSMENT IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT?

• Community development assessmments are comprehensive reviews of the community aimed at supporting a host of initatives, programs, and projects.
• Assessment is basically a process of asking and answering questions about key factors that influence the community's potential for planned growth and development.

HOW DO ASSESSMENT?

• Data-Collection Methods
• (Research and read, observe, and listen, use a camera, one on one interviews, community meetings, focus group meetings, questionnaires and opinion surveys)
• Identifying the factors to be considered
• (Physical infrastructure; transportation, weather and geography) (Social infrastructure; quality of health, safety, quality of schoo system) (Economic development infrastructure; low cost of living, quality and competitiveness of public utilities, availability of water and waste systems) (Human infrastructure; desire for development, competitive wage rate/salary rates, quality of workforce)

THE ASSESSMENT REPORT

• Report provides an analysis of each of the developments factors.
• Report should include a SWOT analysis.
• Report provides a section on possibilities.
• Report would include appendices of statistical data that support the findings including opinion surveys, demographic data, and other evidence on which the findings are based