University of Colorado
REACH 2012
CONDUCTING A COMMUNITY
ASSESSMENT & POLICY SCAN
Angela G. Brega, PhD
Program Evaluator
Overview & Acknowledgments
Overview
 Objectives of Community Assessment & Policy Scan
(CAPS)
 Review the recommended process
 Provide guidance on reporting your results
Acknowledgments
 Venice Ng & Cory Sedey-Seitz
 UCLA REACH 2012 Team
Community Assessment & Policy Scan

Required component of your projects
 Due

60 days from execution of subcontract
Objectives
 To
evaluate the current state of “PSE” in your community
 Policies,
Systems, and Environmental factors that influence
nutrition, physical activity, and ultimately obesity
 Provides
a foundation for identifying areas to target in
your final Work Plans
Refresher: Definitions

Policy: Laws, regulations, rules, protocols, and
procedures that influence health-related behavior.
Taxes on tobacco products
 Affordable Care Act – menu labeling provisions


Systems: Features of an organization, institution,
system that influence health behavior
District-wide school physical activity policies
 National School Lunch Program in state school system


Environment: Physical, social, or economic factors that
influence people’s behaviors


Availability of healthy food and safe walking paths
Categories can overlap.
Conducting Your CAPS

Community Health Assessment aNd Group
Evaluation (CHANGE Tool)
 CDC

Provides a snapshot of PSE factors in your
community
 Strengths
and weaknesses
 Weaknesses

represent areas for PSE improvement
Follow some of the recommended steps
 Suggesting
a simplified process
Selected CHANGE Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Assemble the Team
Develop Team Strategy
Review CHANGE Tool Process
Gather Data
Review Gathered Data
Step 1. Assemble the Team

Kelly Moore’s webinar on coalition building


http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/PublicHealth
/research/centers/CAIANH/REACH/Pages/ResourceLibrary.aspx
Coalition should participate in this work
Partners from different sectors will bring different skills,
knowledge, and perspectives to the process
 Develop buy-in from your coalition partners

First opportunity to work together – accomplishment
 Shared understanding of the problems
 Awareness of opportunities to improve PSE
 Build a strong foundation for implementing Work Plans

Step 2. Develop Team Strategy

Work with coalition to identify best approach to
collecting and reviewing community data

Should coalition work as a whole or “divide & conquer”



Decide on decision-making process


Divide the assessment by sector
If coalition is divided, each subgroup should includes 2+ people
collecting/reviewing data and reporting back to the full group
100% agreement, majority rules
Define what is meant by “community”
County, city, town, zip code, school district, etc.
 Jurisdiction wide; not just the American Indian population

Step 3. Review CHANGE Tool Process

Review the process of conducting the Community
Assessment and Policy Scan with coalition
 Early

meeting of the coalition
Steps
 3a.
Review CHANGE Sectors
 3b. Review Assessment Process
 3c. Review Excel Workbooks
Step 3a. Review CHANGE Sectors
1.
2.
Community-At-Large Sector
School Sector

3.
Worksite Sector

4.
Preschool, elementary/middle/high school, afterschool programs
Any place of employment
Community Institution/Organization Sector

Childcare settings, churches, senior centers, YMCA,
colleges/universities, boys and girls clubs, etc.
Step 3b. Review Assessment Process

Assessment of 4 sectors in your community
 Community-At-Large
Sector
 School Sector (≥3 sites)
 Worksite Sector (≥3 sites)
 Community Institution/Organization Sector (≥3 sites)
Identification of Sites
 Identify sites that involve a higher concentration of
American Indians or that serve Native people
 Community organizations – specific or varied types
Step 3c. Review Excel Workbooks

Excel Workbooks for each Sector

Developed as of the CHANGE Tool
Guide your assessment
 Outline the questions to ask


Colorado REACH 2012 team has revised
Limited the number of questions to be asked
 You are welcome to add additional questions



Appendix C of the CHANGE Tool provides recommendations
Each Workbook contains
Demographics
 Physical Activity
 Nutrition
 School Sector Workbook also contains District spreadsheet

Step 4. Gather Data

Complete Excel workbook for each sector
 Complete

one workbook for each site assessed
Approaches to collecting data
 Key
informant interviews
 Online data sources
Key Informant Interviews


Key informants are people in your community who
have expertise in PSE factors
Interviewing key informants can:
 Provide
knowledge and documentation
 Point you to other resources and informants
 Make connections with key stakeholders
 Can

become partners in implementation of Work Plan
Not a formal interview
Identification of Key Informants


Coalition members can assist in identification
Other organizations/programs can help
Community Transformation Grants
 Other programs focused on PSE efforts


Who is likely to have expertise?
Department of Transportation
 Health Department
 State Legislature, City Council, Mayor’s Office
 School Board, school principal



Appendix to Slides: Suggested starting places
Appendix B of CHANGE Tool
Online Data Sources

Provide information in specific areas
 Demographic
data
 Policies

Suggested resources
 You
may know of others – we would be happy to hear
about them!
 Ensure
data are up-to-date
Community at Large: Demographics

Census Data
 http://www.census.gov/2010census/
 Population
Finder – Areas within
 http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/ind
ex.xhtml
 Community

Facts
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
 http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/#app/
 Find
Your County
Other Sectors: Demographics
School Sector
 School
District Demographics System
 http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sdds/index.aspx
 School
District/School websites
 State Department of Education website
 Key informants
Worksite and Institutional/Organizational Sectors
 Worksite
or organization websites
 Key informants
Policy & Other Websites

CDC Chronic Disease State Policy Tracking System

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/CDPHPPolicySearch/Default.aspx


ENACT Local Policy Database

http://eatbettermovemore.org/sa/policies/


State-level, health-related policies with status (e.g., enacted)
Nutrition and physical activity at multiple levels (city, county,
school district)
Community Garden Locator

http://www.communitygarden.org/learn/what-is-acommunity-garden/find-a-community-garden.php

Locate community gardens in area, including at schools
Completing Workbooks

Complete Excel workbook for
 Community-at-Large
Sector
 Each site from the other sectors

For each question, rate policy & environment
 Has
policy been developed
 Has implementation happened

Don’t leave items blank
 All
questions are required
 99 if not applicable
Rating Scale
Example
Step 5. Review Gathered Data
Review Data with Sector-Specific Subgroups
 Discuss findings related to each item
 Decide on final scoring – Enter into workbooks
 Identify strengths and weaknesses in sector
 Review
 %s

the “Module Score Summaries”
combine the ratings for all applicable items
Take detailed notes
 Why
did you decide on the scores you chose
 What was the rationale for the areas you identified as
strengths and weaknesses
Step 5. Review Gathered Data
Review Data with Whole Coalition
 Subgroups present their findings to the coalition
 Coalition decides on any refinements to scoring
 Enters

changes
Identify strengths and weaknesses in community
 Review
the “Module Score Summaries”
 What areas should be targeted for improvement?

Take notes regarding findings and decisions
Consultant Assistance


Involving a consultant in conduct of the CAPS
Consultant can conduct and write up the scan
 Coalition
should review all results with the consultant
and identify areas to target in the Work Plan

Consultant should follow the process outlined here
 Can
go beyond this, but must include these elements at
a minimum
Reporting Your Results
Report Outline
Introduction
II. Community Assessment and Policy Scan Methods
I.
A. Sites
reviewed
B. Data collection process and sources

Key informants and other resources
C. Coalition
review and decision-making process
Report Outline (cont.)
III.
Findings
A. Sector-Specific
Findings
Community-at-Large Sector
 School Sector
 Worksite Sector
 Community Institution/Organization Sector
In each sector, describe:
 Demographics
 PSE factors related to physical activity & nutrition




B.
What policies are in place?
What PSE approaches have already been implemented?
What weaknesses did your coalition identify?
Across all sectors, where were the greatest needs identified?
Report Outline (cont.)
IV.
Conclusions
A. Discuss
the implications of your Community Assessment
and Policy Scan
B. What PSE strategies would address the weaknesses
your coalition identified?
C. Provide initial thoughts on how your Work Plan could be
refined to address these areas
V.
Appendices
A. Copies
of your final workbooks
B. Copies of other data gathered
Resources

CDC CHANGE Tool
 http://www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram/tools
/change/downloads.htm

Sector-Specific Excel Workbooks
 Will

be uploaded to UCD REACH 2012 website
REACH Kick-off Training
7th & 8th
 Come prepared with thoughts and questions
 May
 What
has worked well?
 What barriers are you facing?
Contact Information

Tim Noe – Co-Principal Investigator


Kelly Moore – Co-Principal Investigator


Angie.Generose@ucdenver.edu
Angela Brega – Program Evaluator


Kelly.Moore@ucdenver.edu
Angie Generose – Project Manager


Timothy.Noe@ucdenver.edu
Angela.Brega@ucdenver.edu
Venice Ng – Evaluation Specialist


Venice.Ng@ucdenver.edu
Cory Sedey-Seitz – Professional Research Assistant

Cory.Sedey-Seitz@ucdenver.edu
Questions?
Appendix
Identification of Key Informants
Possible Starting Places
Community-at-Large Sector

Government: Director of specific programs
 Parks
and recreation
 Community and economic development
 Health department
 Transportation

Community Assembly Groups
 Farm
or neighborhood representatives
 City district representation
 Community food groups

Minority Health Council: Chairman, Project
Coordinator
School Sector

District:
 Superintendent
 program
coordinator
 Chairperson of health services or School Board
 Food service director

School:
 Principal
or Administrator
 School nurse
 Director of child nutrition
 PE Instructor
Worksite Sector




Owner/CEO
General manager
Board member
Human Resources Director or benefits coordinator
Institutional/Organizational Sector





Community center/Community action organization:
Director, program staff
University/College: Senior administration, Professor
Church: Pastor
Head Start Agency: Executive Director
Food bank/Youth center/Family center: Director of
programs