Community Assessments: How to assess a community's needs

1. 2015 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION Community Assessments: How to assess a community’s needs

2. #ricon15 Moderator Victor Barnes – Director of Programs & Grants at Rotary International Panelists Past RI Director Philip Silvers, District 5500 (USA) PDG Carolyn Johnson, District 7780 (USA) PDG Francis “Tusu” Tusubira, District 9211 (Uganda) Meet the panel

3. #ricon15 • Identifying community strengths and challenges • Involving the community with assessments and projects • Relationship building, capacity building, and local empowerment Breakout session objectives

4. #ricon15 • Why assess a community? • Leveraging assets to address community needs • Asset-based assessments – Human assets – Organization assets – Physical assets Community Assessments

5. #ricon15 Community Assessment Tools, Sustainability, Monitoring & Evaluation PRID Phil Silvers

6. #ricon15 • Sustainability, a universal requirement of grant funding (foundations, corporations, government, UN) • Sustainability begins with Needs Assessment, a potential Achilles’ heel of TRF grant applications • Old model: outside expert looking in on a village • New Model: Getting to see the world as the beneficiaries see the world • Rotarian Eugene, successful in 17 years of Matching Grants: “But they don’t know what they don’t know” Community Assessments – Critical to Sustainability

7. #ricon15 • Community meetings • Surveys • Interviews • Focus groups • Asset Inventory • Community Mapping • Community Charrette Community Assessment Tools

8. #ricon15 Fact-Finding Phase • “Blue Sky” personal interviews/focus groups with beneficiaries • Focus groups/charrettes with community leaders, government officials, and local professionals • Relevant data from government/NGO sources Analysis/Decision-Making Phase • Expert analysis of the findings and recommendations • Review and vetting by beneficiary groups • Feasibility Assessment: A viable project? Applying Community Assessment Tools

9. #ricon15 • Evaluation Team – indigenous research professional, project leader, data collectors, data entry • Measurable objectives – SMART – Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time-bound Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

10. #ricon15 Engaging Community & Rotarians Working towards successful, sustainable projects and lasting relationships PDG Carolyn Johnson

11. #ricon15 Determine needs in our own communities • Forums to determine opportunities • Develop knowledge, skill, awareness within our clubs • Connect with multiple stakeholders (service organizations) – What is working well – Underserved within the community Begin at home

12. #ricon15 Community need: Raising aspirations • Local knowledge • Consistency, follow-up • Follow-through, monitoring Partnering Organizations early education women’s employment technical skills (trades)

13. #ricon15 Community need: access to school for every child • Identify a process: first & future steps • Minimize barriers • Develop trust, recognition Build partnerships with community leaders hand washing stations school kitchen Bathroom facilities (girls)

14. #ricon15 Community need: effective instruction • Build on existing resources • Involve beneficiaries in the process • Feedback on progress Develop existing resources classroom resources teacher training Ongoing support

15. #ricon15 Involve beneficiaries Work with local leaders Partnerships with NGOs Qualitative & quantitative data Develop existing resources Successful & Sustainable Service

16. #ricon15 Community Assessment: Asset Inventory PDG Francis “Tusu” Tusubira

17. #ricon15 Foundation for Sustainable Development • Needs approach = negative energy • Assets approach = positive energy Identify solutions based on a community’s assets

18. #ricon15 Utilise a Mix of Community Groups & Settings • Mixed: women, men, youth, people with disabilities, leaders (formal and informal)

19. #ricon15 Use thematic areas to focus discussion • Livelihoods • Health • Water and Sanitation • Education • Etc. Address all facets of poverty; give it time!

20. #ricon15 Analyse the information for opportunities How can we exploit the assets we have identified to improve the quality of life in the community? Involve the community in the analysis

21. #ricon15 Examples of asset exploitation Skills Land Infrastructure

22. #ricon15 Audience Questions

23. #ricon15 • Additional resources in the House of Friendship and online at www.rotary.org/myrotary • Breakout session evaluation Conclusion