Community Assessment

Community Assessment: the participatory process of involving community members as well as equal partners in identifying the needs, strengths (resources) and weaknesses (obstacles or limitations) of their community. Assessments are conducted with the goals of identifying and developing a shared understanding of community concerns and of laying a foundation for joint problem-solving by community members.

Components of Community Assessment

  • Visioning community well being and what that well-being will bring to individuals and the community as a whole
  • Defining community
  • Identifying burning issues and current concerns
  • Reviewing community history to identify how the population typically addresses community needs or problems
  • Documenting the perception of need by affected populations
  • Conducting an inventory of human, organizational, institutional and material resources in the community
  • Identifying the strengths and resources available to effectively address burning issues
  • Identifying the barriers or obstacles to effectively addressing issues
  • Identifying skills and knowledge needed to enhance problem-solving capabilities
  • Identifying points of intervention for bringing about change
  • Ongoing monitoring of community perceptions, strengths, and weaknesses to ensure that community work remains relevant over time

Community Health Promotion Guide Main Page



See also > Center for Health Promotion > Health Promotion and Chronic Disease