COMMUNITY

ASSESSMENT
TOOLS
Contents

Introduction 2

Types of assessments

Community meeting 5

Asset inventory 8

Survey 10

Interview 13

Focus group 15

Community mapping 18

Recommended stakeholders for Rotary’s areas of focus 20

COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

Introduction
Assessing your community’s strengths, weaknesses, needs, and assets is an
essential first step in planning an effective project. By taking the time to learn
about your community, you can discover the best opportunities for service and
maximize your club’s ability to make an impact.

An assessment not only helps you better understand the dynamics of your
community but also allows you and your project’s beneficiaries to make
informed decisions about service priorities. Even if you’re actively involved
in your community, an assessment can reveal additional strengths and
opportunities for growth. Perhaps you’ll find a new way to address a known
issue, or give residents a chance to point out overlooked challenges. Before
you start an assessment, consider what you want to learn about your
community. An effective assessment will reveal things you did not know
before.

Assessments are the foundation of every humanitarian project, small or

large, because they provide a framework for identifying solutions to a
community’s problems. They also build valuable relationships and
NOT SURE WHERE encourage residents to help make lasting local improvements. Developing
TO START? trust in communities can take time — months, even years. Conducting an
One way to ensure community assessment is critical to creating that trust, and to fostering community
ownership is to encourage local ownership and sustainability.
volunteers to form a Rotary
Community Corps. An RCC is a Conversations with just one or two people aren’t enough to reveal a
team of men and community’s needs. Assessments should be systematic, involve a variety of
women who aren’t Rotarians local stakeholders and beneficiaries, and engage them in a meaningful way.
but who work in partnership
with Rotary clubs to improve While conducting an assessment, also be sure to manage expectations.
their communities. Sponsoring Communities should understand the benefits of partnering with Rotary and
an RCC is a great way to how that partnership requires their involvement, contribution, and
welcome community members ownership.
as true partners in service.
Learn more at
my.rotary.org/rcc.

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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

Types of assessments
You can combine or adapt the following six assessments to best suit your
club’s resources and the preferences of community members:

Community meeting
Asset inventory
Survey
Interview
Focus group
Community mapping

As you determine your approach, consider any available data about the
community. Has the local, regional, or national government recently published
ARE YOU APPLYING FOR
credible findings that could inform your strategy? Have other organizations or
A GLOBAL GRANT? IF
institutions researched the community? Do you notice any gaps in official
SO, YOUR COMMUNITY
statistical data that need to be addressed through formal preliminary research?
ASSESSMENT MUST:
To answer these questions, consider partnering with local experts in your club
or district.
†† Include at least two involved
stakeholder groups that
represent the community
TIPS FOR CONDUCTING ANY ASSESSMENT
fairly
†† Remain open minded. Do not underestimate the community.
Don’t presume you know what it needs or what challenges it faces.
†† Use a formal methodology

†† Choose participants carefully. Consider the makeup of the

†† Assess more than
community and ensure you include a diverse cross-section of relevant
infrastructure
groups (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, religion, income level, vocation).
†† Describe the current
†† Include overlooked or marginalized groups. Women, young
situation in the
people, the elderly, and religious and ethnic minorities are often
community, including
overlooked. Keep the community’s social dynamics in mind, and
assets and needs
provide a forum in which all groups feel comfortable sharing their
views.
†† Explain the connection
between the project and
†† Consider yourself an outsider. Even if you live in the community
community assessment
you want to work with, find a well-connected individual, group, or
The Global Grants
organization that can introduce you to local stakeholders.
Community Assessment
†† Avoid promising a project before your club makes a formal
Results form may be included
decision. But do assure participants that you’ll let them know what
with your application. Find tips
for strengthening your project in your club decides. Invite them to take part in any future activities.
A Guide to Global Grants.
†† Empower stakeholders. Speak with them, not at them, and
encourage them to help inform decisions. Ensure stakeholders are an
active part of any local initiative.
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COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENTS IN ACTION

“When you go into a developing community, the people there will take
whatever help you want to bring. They’re not going to say no to a project.
But that doesn’t mean that my idea of their greatest need is the same as
theirs.” — Mike Wittry, President, Rotary Club of Roatan, Islas de la
Bahía, Honduras

After completing playground projects in Belize, District 5370 — which

includes Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — decided to expand its efforts to
Honduras. The Rotary Club of Roatan helped encourage local
communities to apply for one of two playgrounds.

The village of St. Helene, a 45-minute boat ride from Roatan, had poor
sanitation, a weak economy, and widespread health issues. It lacked
water and electricity, and its school had no books or classroom
materials. But the people there wanted a playground, and they had a
To develop a strong project piece of land to donate.
from the start, ask your district
international service chair to The Canadian Rotarians spent about two weeks building the playground
connect you with regional in St. Helene. The work was just beginning, though: They asked their
experts who have experience local Rotary partners to conduct a community assessment that would
in project planning (from help them learn about the villagers’ priorities.
community assessments to
measurements and Mike Wittry, then president of the Roatan club, and his fellow club
evaluations), along with members started with a community meeting. Although many people
technical expertise in Rotary’s attended, the village council did most of the talking. The others — moms
six areas of focus and Rotary and dads, local elders — sat in the back and nodded. Then the club held
grants. International service smaller focus groups that did not involve the community leaders. Some
chairs can introduce you to people shared the same concerns as the village council, but they also
Rotarians, Rotary alumni, raised other issues. They were open about their struggles and the lack of
community members, and opportunity for themselves and their children.
professionals from other
organizations who are eager to The club also organized a community mapping activity to help understand
support club projects residents’ different perspectives. Participants drew a map of their village
or grants. They are also and highlighted the places that were most important to them. The school
outstanding resources for was important to people with children, and the clinic was important to
finding international partners, as almost everyone. This exercise helped villagers talk about what they had
well as publications and online and didn’t have, and prioritize their needs.
tools that could help improve It also shaped future service efforts: Now Rotarians are taking a holistic
your project. approach in St. Helene through a series of water and sanitation projects.

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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

Community
meeting
A community meeting, sometimes called a town hall or public forum, is
either a formal or informal public gathering that brings together local
residents to discuss issues, voice concerns, and express preferences for
community priorities.

In these meetings, a facilitator leads discussions on issues related to the

community’s strengths and potential challenges and encourages attendees to
participate. The facilitator also directs any questions to subject matter experts.

Consider appointing a respected community member or a

representative from a local organization to facilitate the meeting,
particularly if cultural or language barriers are an issue.

Before organizing a meeting, define your objectives and provide training for
your facilitator. Knowing what you hope to achieve will help you plan and
host a successful meeting.

Advantages of community meetings include:

• Give people of diverse backgrounds a chance to express their views
• Allow participants to build upon one another’s responses
• Can involve a fairly large group of people at one time
• Can help identify respected community leaders to involve in a
project
• Can help discern the significance of a variety of issues
• Can help explore potential solutions

Challenges with community meetings may include:

• Can be difficult to maintain an open, comfortable, relaxed
environment
• Can be difficult to keep the conversation on topic
• May be influenced by social constraints including gender
disparities, power dynamics, cultural norms, etc.
• May be dominated by one or two vocal participants to the exclusion
of others

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COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

TIPS FOR HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING

†† Identify your goals. What insight do you hope to gain from this
meeting? Are there specific issues in the community that you want
to better understand? Design questions that will provoke
constructive answers.

†† Select an accessible location and convenient time. Host the

discussion at a venue that is easy to find and easy to access.
Consider the participants’ schedules when determining a time.

†† Promote the event throughout the community. Be mindful of

cultural values and norms that may affect responses (for example, in
some communities, women may not feel empowered to talk openly
and honestly in the presence of men). Factor in the level of literacy
in the community and how residents normally receive information
(e.g., flyers, radio, announcements at schools or houses of worship).

†† Prepare a list of questions. Keep your questions simple and concise.

If you hear new concerns or the same issues being raised by
participants, follow up on their responses with more questions.

†† Set and follow a schedule. Decide how much time to spend on each
question, factoring in follow-up questions based on issues and ideas
identified during the discussion.

†† Set and state ground rules. Share ground rules with participants
before the meeting to prevent people from monopolizing the forum, to
help engage every member in the discussion, and to keep the
conversation on track.

†† Take notes. Write down ideas, making sure everyone can see the
notes during the discussion. Enlist one or two other people to help
you keep track of the conversation.

†† Be an active listener. Let all participants know that you’re engaged

and interested in what they have to say. Be considerate of their time.

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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

†† Ask participants to elaborate. Ask follow-up questions if you

don’t understand their feedback.

†† Allow for small group discussions. Small groups provide more

speaking opportunities for attendees. Ask each group to record its
notes, and have a designated group member briefly summarize its
discussion for the larger audience. To help make people feel
comfortable participating, consider creating groups composed
entirely of community members who might be less likely to speak
out (e.g., a group of all women, young people, people with
disabilities, ethnic minorities, etc.).

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS

• If certain participants are dominating the conversation, make a
point of asking others for their ideas.
• Watch body language and make adjustments as necessary. Maybe the
facilitator needs a break, or you need to stop someone from speaking
too much. A quick five-minute break can help refocus the discussion.

• Use encouraging body language and tone of voice, as well as words.

For instance, lean forward when people are talking, keep your body
position open and approachable, and be attentive to everyone, not just
those who are most articulate.
• Pay attention to group dynamics. Be aware of emotional reactions
participants may have to others’ comments, particularly if they
appear to be upset, hurt, angry, or defensive. A trained facilitator
should encourage participants to follow ground rules and express
themselves without making personal accusations or embarrassing
others. If participants seem puzzled or confused, revisit the
comments or points that caused the confusion or try to restate them
more clearly.
• Keep the meeting on topic. If you need to refocus the discussion,
summarize the points that have been made and ask if anyone has
additional thoughts about the original question.

FOLLOWING UP AFTER A COMMUNITY MEETING

• Thank participants for attending and sharing their feedback.
• Summarize key findings and outline any action plans moving
forward.
• If a project is identified, consider inviting key stakeholders to assist
with the initiative.

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Asset inventory
An asset inventory identifies the types of resources in a community,
including its physical environment, institutions, services, events — and
especially its people. To conduct the inventory, participants highlight the
individuals, places, and things they find valuable and then document and
analyze their findings. The results can help a community explore how its
assets are connected and how it can use them to create positive change.

Advantages to using asset inventories include:

• Maximize available resources
• Encourage the creation of broad, inclusive networks to effect
change
• Help identify areas of community member interest
• Can be maintained, expanded, and used repeatedly

Challenges with asset inventories may include:

• Data analysis can be time consuming.
• Organizing assets and identifying connections can be difficult.
• Interests, skills, and other nonphysical assets can be easily
overlooked.

TIPS FOR CONDUCTING AN ASSET INVENTORY

†† Determine what you want to inventory, and identify potential

participants.

†† Invite a small, diverse group of community members to conduct the

inventory in one or more sessions.

†† Use strong group facilitators to ensure that all participants have an

opportunity to contribute and that each discussion group stays on task
and on time.

†† Analyze the results. Organize assets by category and document

connections among them.

†† Use available assets to create coalitions and networks to address

community issues.

†† Update and maintain the inventory regularly.

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SUGGESTED INVENTORY QUESTIONS

What is special about your community?

What products are made in your community?

What events take place in your community?

When and where do people gather, and what do they do together?

Include religious, social service, sporting, entertainment, and other
types of gatherings.
Who do you know? What skills do they have? What do they own?
What knowledge might they share with others?
Is there an enterprising spirit in your community, either in
business or civic/cultural activities?
What topics or issues interest a significant number of community
members?
What institutions exist in the community, both private and public?

Who are the formal and informal leaders of the community?

Who do people listen to?

VARIATIONS How does information spread in your community?

What services are provided in your community?

†† Divide participants into Who provides them?
groups by gender, age, or
profession to reveal how What natural resources are found in your community? Which areas
different groups view the have open space?
community.
What skills or knowledge in your community should be passed
down to the next generation?
†† Instead of a broad-based
inventory, choose a specific What businesses exist in your community?
community issue such as
What volunteer activities exist in your community, both formal
education or health and
create an inventory of only and informal?
those assets. How do community members demonstrate that they care for and
trust their neighbors?
†† Incorporate a walk or drive
What utilities and services are available in the community or
around the community to
encourage an expansive institution? What payment or financing systems are in place to pay
approach to identifying for goods and services?
assets. Does a governing body help manage services, create and enforce
rules, and perform other critical functions?
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Survey
Surveys are a popular method of collecting information and opinions. In the
context of a community assessment, a survey can reveal the community’s
perceived strengths, assets, weaknesses, and needs. Surveys can be general
or targeted to specific groups. Try to reach as many people as you can,
focusing on key stakeholders in the community. You can administer surveys
through email, by phone, or in person.

Advantages to using surveys include:

• They can be administered remotely.
• They can be repeated.
• They can be completed anonymously, encouraging candid responses.
• They’re generally inexpensive to administer.

Challenges with surveys may include:

• Identifying prospective respondents and obtaining their personal
contact information can be difficult.
• Emailed surveys are ineffective in places where internet access is
limited.
• Phone surveys may be subject to sample or interviewer bias.
• Response rates for remote surveys are generally low compared with
in-person assessments.
• Written surveys are ineffective with illiterate populations.
• Written surveys don’t allow for follow-up questions.

Types of survey questions

†† Multiple choice questions. Respondents select one or more options
from a list. Multiple choice questions work best when you have a
fixed number of options.

Example:
What do you feel are the most pressing needs in your community
(select two):
{{ Health care
{{ Quality of education
{{ Employment opportunities
{{ Public safety
{{ Other (please describe): ________________
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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

†† Rating scales. Respondents rate their opinion of a statement or set of

statements using a range of feelings or attitudes. To avoid confusion,
try to frame all statements positively rather than negatively. For
instance, use “The number of teachers is sufficient” rather than “The
number of teachers is not sufficient.”

Example:
Please respond to each statement about your school:

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Somewhat Neither Somewhat Strongly
Disagree Disagree Agree or Agree Agree
Disagree
The number of teachers is sufficient.
Our teachers are well-qualified.
Our school provides a safe environment
for our children.
Our classrooms are well-equipped.
I am familiar with my child’s curriculum.
I regularly help my child with homework.
Our school provides nutritious meals.

†† Open-ended questions. Respondents answer questions in their own

words. This format can elicit more nuanced responses, but survey
results aren’t as easily quantifiable and must be individually
analyzed.

Example:
If you could improve one aspect of your community,
what would it be and why?

†† Demographic questions. Demographic information (e.g., gender,

education, income level) can add context to responses that will reveal
trends within a larger population.

Example:
What is your age?
{{ 18-24
{{ 25-34
{{ 35-44
{{ 45-54
{{ 55-64
{{ 65+

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TIPS FOR DESIGNING A GOOD SURVEY

†† Explain why you’re asking the questions. Participants are more

likely to respond if they feel there will be a valuable outcome, such as
the possibility of a future project.

†† Keep it short and simple. If your survey is too long, respondents

may rush their responses or even drop out of the survey before
completing it. Make sure your questions are brief and specific.

†† Make sure your questions are unbiased. Avoid leading questions

such as “Would you like to see a new library in the vacant lot instead
of a playground?” in favor of more neutral wording:
“What would you like to see developed in the vacant lot? a) library
b) playground c) other (please describe).”

†† Conduct a small pilot of the survey. Testing your survey can

reveal whether your questions are clear and specific.

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Interview
Interviews are one-on-one conversations between a facilitator (the interviewer)
and a community stakeholder (the respondent). Interviews allow you to gain a
deeper understanding of the respondent’s ideas and feelings. Unlike surveys,
interviews give the facilitator the freedom to veer off script and ask follow-up
questions. And unlike group assessments, such as community discussions and
focus groups, the respondent has the facilitator’s sole attention and is more
likely to share personal opinions freely.

Advantages to using interviews include:

• They allow the facilitator to follow the flow of conversation and ask
spontaneous questions.
• They encourage the respondent to speak freely and give
spontaneous answers.
• They’re the most accurate and thorough way to obtain qualitative
data from your respondents.
• They’re effective with illiterate populations.

Challenges with interviews may include:

• They’re time consuming.
• They reach only one respondent at a time.
• Conducting a good interview requires practice and some degree of
skill.
• Finding willing respondents for impromptu interviews can be
difficult. (It’s better to schedule phone interviews in advance.)

TIPS FOR DESIGNING AND CONDUCTING A

GOOD INTERVIEW

†† Identify your goals. What insight do you hope to gain from this
interview? Are there specific issues in the community you want to
better understand? Design questions that will provoke constructive
answers.

†† Identify your target respondents. Whose opinions are you interested

in understanding? Will you identify specific individuals to invite to
appointments, or will you seek out random participants in a public
place?

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COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

†† Prepare your interview questions. Keep your questions as

simple and concise as possible. If you have complex questions,
ask them toward the end of the interview. If you have sensitive
questions, be sure to conduct your interview in a private place.
Keep your choice of words at a basic level.

†† Practice. Conduct some mock interviews with your colleagues and

solicit their feedback.

†† Establish rapport. Make your respondent feel comfortable before you

start asking questions.

†† Conduct your interview like a real conversation. It’s best to

have your questions committed to memory so you can ask them
naturally, changing the order and adding impromptu follow-up
questions as needed.

†† Take accurate notes. If you’re recording audio of your

conversation, get the respondent’s consent beforehand.

†† Be an active listener. Show your respondent that you’re engaged

and interested. Be considerate of the person’s time. After all, this
may be the first conversation in a long and productive service
partnership.

†† Ask respondents to elaborate. Simple yes/no answers won’t yield

much useful information. Probe further with follow-up questions and
ask respondents to clarify if you don’t understand. You may want to
prepare specific prompts for drawing out additional information. For
example:
Question: How easy is it to get health care in your community?
Prompts:
{{ Is it easy to get to a hospital in your community? Is it easy to
get medical treatment at the hospital?
{{ Do you visit the hospital for check-ups, or only for emergencies?
{{ In your experience, is medical care affordable? Do you need to
have insurance?
{{ What happens to uninsured people? Where do they go?
{{ Have you or anyone you know gone without medical
treatment due to the cost?

†† Offer to follow up with respondents. Ask your respondents if they’d

like to be contacted about future assessments or community
improvement activities. Be sure to follow through on these
commitments.
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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

Focus group
A focus group is a carefully guided discussion used to determine a target
group’s opinions on a particular idea. It can help you determine how the
stakeholders believe community issues should be addressed.

Conducting a focus group requires careful planning and a skilled discussion

facilitator. Most focus groups consist of six to 12 diverse stakeholders.
Participants are asked a series of carefully worded, open-ended questions on
different issues in the community. This approach promotes self-disclosure.

In a group setting, dialogue tends to evolve and participants build on each

other’s responses. An effective focus group will seem more like a collaborative
discussion than a debate. It’s most effective to conduct a focus group in a
private, comfortable setting, with one facilitator and someone to record
participant responses.

Although you will need to hear from a diverse group of participants, keep
cultural beliefs and community structures in mind. In some communities,
women may not feel comfortable expressing their opinions in front of male
facilitators or other men. Similarly, young people may not feel comfortable
expressing their opinions in front of adults. You may need to host a number of
focus groups with different participants based on occupation, age, gender,
family structure, or other factors.

Advantages to using focus groups include:

• They’re quick and easy to set up.
• Group dynamics can provide useful information that individual
data collection doesn’t.
• They’re useful for gaining insight into a topic that’s not easily
quantifiable.
• They’re effective with illiterate populations.

Challenges with focus groups may include:

• Facilitators are susceptible to bias.
• Discussions can be dominated or sidetracked by a few individuals.
• Analyzing data can be time consuming.
• They provide information about the group, not individual
participants. The participants may not represent the whole
community, so additional focus groups may be necessary.

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PREPARING QUESTIONS
Develop a list of concepts you wish to discuss. These could include issues
your club thinks might exist in the community, ideas for projects, or
people’s perceptions of community resources. Make sure your questions
will help guide the discussion and encourage participants to share their
ideas. Here are some common types of focus group questions:

Opening questions get participants talking and feeling

comfortable. They should be easy to answer.
{{ How long have you worked at the school?
{{ What do you teach/which position do you hold?

Introductory questions get the group thinking about the topic and
focus the conversation.
{{ If you could change three things at the school, what would
you change and why?

Transition questions prepare participants for the in-depth

conversation.
{{ Why do you think 50 percent of girls stop attending the
school after their second year?

Key questions focus on major areas of concern and guide the

majority of the discussion.
{{ What resources and training does the school need to
encourage girls to return after their second year?
{{ What resources and training do families need to send their
daughters back to school after their second year?

Closing questions wrap up the discussion and allow participants to

voice any final thoughts.
{{ Do you know any parents who would be interested in sharing
why they didn’t send their daughters to school after the
second year?
{{ Do you know any parents who want their daughter to return
to school but are unable to send her?

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TIPS FOR CONDUCTING A FOCUS GROUP

†† Select a location that’s convenient, private, and comfortable for a

small group discussion, and choose a time when participants can
attend.

†† If your facilitator is a community member, provide training

beforehand.

†† Arrange for another facilitator to record the focus group session or

take notes on the group’s responses, making sure participants can see
them. Periodically ask the group if the notes are accurate.

†† Invite Rotary Community Corps members to participate in focus

group activities.

†† Invite six to 12 participants, an ideal size for a focus group. Make

sure they’re representative of the community and are willing to
provide feedback.

†† Explain the purpose of the focus group, and state your goals openly.
Establish simple ground rules to promote positive interaction and
VARIATIONS confidence in the process.

†† Hold separate focus groups †† Introduce the main topic, and guide the discussion using your prepared
on the same issue, one with questions. Establish a schedule beforehand, such as 10-15 minutes per
members of your club and question.
another with
representatives from the †† Allow each person time to answer. Listen carefully to the ideas
community. Are the expressed and ask for clarification if needed, but avoid
responses the same or confrontations or debates.
different? Were any
concerns or factors †† Allow participants to respond to comments. Make sure the
mentioned that you had not discussion and comments stay on topic.
previously considered?
FOLLOWING UP WITH PARTICIPANTS
†† Separate groups After completing the focus group, thank participants for their time and input.
according to subgroup Consider how you’ll follow up with them and maintain relationships. Share
characteristics, such as your conclusions with participants and, if appropriate, invite them to be
gender, age, education involved in the project.
or literacy, disability,
ethnicity, etc.

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COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

Community
mapping
Community mapping can reveal different perspectives about a community. It
requires few resources and little time and can be adapted for participants of
virtually any age or educational background.

In this facilitated activity, individuals or groups draw a map of their

community, marking certain points of importance and noting how often they
visit these places. A facilitator leads a discussion about the maps, while
another facilitator records the discussion. A successful community mapping
exercise will get participants to:
• Identify how they use community resources and any barriers to
accessing them
• Compare perceptions of the importance of various community
resources
• Generate ideas for community improvement

Advantages of community mapping include:

• It’s a lively and engaging activity.
• It encourages participants to discuss how they might improve their
community.
• It can be broken up into multiple sessions with different
community stakeholder groups.

Challenges with community mapping may include:

• Analyzing results can be a difficult process, because the
information is gathered in a visual format.
• Drawing conclusions from the maps and determining next steps
may require additional assessment activities.

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 COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

TIPS FOR COMMUNITY MAPPING

†† Keep groups small — ideally no more than 20 participants, divided

into subgroups of four to six.

†† Help each subgroup draw a map based on its own perceptions of the
community. The variety of maps will yield a wealth of information.

†† In the large group, discuss all the maps:

{{ What are the differences between the maps?
{{ Why might the differences be important?
{{ What are the similarities between the maps?
{{ What important aspects of the community are implied by
the similarities?
{{ What are some suggested additions to the community?
How would these places improve the community?
{{ Do the maps indicate any specific activities or projects that
might improve the community?

†† Ask participants to volunteer to join a committee to further analyze the

maps and identify next steps.

WHAT TO MAP

Places of residence

VARIATIONS Places of importance to participants, such as markets, religious

centers, schools, community centers, parks, businesses, fields, water
†† Separate participants into sources, government offices, health clinics, police stations, and
small groups by gender, recreational areas
age, ethnicity, profession,
etc., to encourage diversity Places used for defecation, especially in relation to institutions,
among the maps. areas where people congregate, and water sources

Places where participants spend the most time, using different

†† Have groups tour the
community before colors to indicate daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly visits
drawing their maps.
Places where they enjoy and don’t enjoy spending time, indicated
by different colors
†† Ask participants to identify a
central place in the
Places they’d like to add to the community, indicated by sticky
community to help orient
notes or small squares of paper
everyone’s maps.

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COMMUNITY ASSESMENT TOOLS

RECOMMENDED STAKEHOLDERS
FOR ROTARY’S AREAS OF FOCUS

Peace and conflict prevention/ • Farmers (irrigation) • Access and continuum of

resolution • WASH advocacy associations care structures:
• Victims of violence, refugees, • WASH organizations -- Prevention, primary
or internally displaced people working in the area care, and referral
• Perpetrators of violence systems
• Factions that are at odds with Basic education and literacy -- Transportation
each other • Teachers providers
• Civil society organizations • Parents -- Hospitals
• Schools and educational • Students -- Follow-up and
institutions • Youth who do not attend rehabilitation services
• Local government and law school -- Chronic care support
enforcement authorities • School administrators and palliative/hospice
• School management care systems
When you’re assessing sensitive committees
populations such as trauma victims • Ministries of education Economic and community
or communities in conflict, it is • Adult education institutes development
crucial that you work directly with • Vocational training institutes • Local government authorities
individuals or organizations that • Community and technical • Women’s groups
understand the dynamics of the colleges • Government extension
situation. These collaborations will • Libraries and librarians services
ensure that the assessments are • Job research centers
conducted appropriately, with the Disease prevention and • Entrepreneurs
best possible outcome. treatment & maternal and • Ministries of trade,
child health agriculture, social services,
Water and sanitation • Individual health care women’s empowerment, and
• Community leaders, recipients: vocational services
particularly women -- Pregnant women • Farmers
• Ministries of water, -- At-risk children • Unemployed youth and
sanitation, or environment -- Adults at risk for adults
• Ministries of education, noncommunicable and • Business owners
along with students, teachers, communicable diseases • Banks
headmasters, and parent -- At-risk aging • Cooperatives (agricultural,
associates (WASH in population savings and loan, etc.)
Schools) • Community health centers • Microfinance institutions
• Ministries of health (WASH and hospitals • Vocational training
in health care facilities) • Mobile outreach systems institutions
• District/local government • Community health care • Community colleges
representatives workers • Secondary schools
• Private utility companies • Skilled birth attendants • Universities
• Service providers (hand • Health care professionals • Adult education
pump mechanics, community (nurses, doctors, midwives, organizations
outreach workers, etc.) technicians, specialists, etc.)

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