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The Importance of Community Needs Assessment in Activist Work

Learn about the importance of conducting a community needs assessment (CNA) in activist work and how it empowers communities to take an active role. This presentation at the New York Anarchist Bookfair in 2008 provides background information, tools for conducting a CNA, evaluating and implementing findings, and recommended resources.

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The Importance of Community Needs Assessment in Activist Work

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  1. The Importance of Community Needs Assessment in Activist Work Presented by Radical Reference Volunteer Librarians Heather McCann and Lana Thelen at the New York Anarchist Bookfair, 2008http://anarchistbookfair.net

  2. Community Needs Assessment: Background • Who/what is a community? • Community of location • Community of idea • What is a community needs assessment (CNA)? • A way to assess norms, opinions, needs of a community • Why do it? • To help determine what steps to take • Empowers the community to take an active role • Evaluation of effectiveness of earlier programs • When is a good time for a CNA?

  3. Tools • Before you begin • Describe your community • Determine what you want to know (be specific) • Set up a time line for the CNA • Strategies for collecting information • Think about what methods are going to work for you • Evaluate your resources (time, budget, expertise) • Think about your community,what are the members more likely to respond to? What information do you seek? • Interviews • Community forum/public meeting • Surveys (paper, electronic)

  4. Evaluating, Implementing, and Reevaluating • What themes emerged? • Pull apart the information into universal themes and group together • Write up your findings • Develop a plan of action • What are the resources needed? (Human, group, funding, space, time, etc) • What is a realistic timeline? Step-by-step... • What sort of partnerships can you make with other organizations? Are you duplicating any efforts? • Re-evaluate! How did it turn out? What will you change next time? What can other groups learn from yours?

  5. Resources Worth Mentioning The Community Toolbox http://ctb.ku.eduThe Foundation Center (Grants) http://foundationcenter.orgHunter, D., Bailey, A., & Taylor, B. (1995). The art of facilitation: how to create group synergy. Tucson, AZ: Fisher Books.Soriano, F. (1995). Conducting Needs Assessments: A Multidisciplinary Approach (SAGE Human Services Guides). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.Cahill, C. (2007). The personal is political: developing new subjectivities through participatory action research. Gender, Place and Culture. 14(3), 267-92.

  6. Get in Touch Questions? Don't forget to ask your local librarians for help! Heather McCann heather.lyn.mccann@gmail.com Lana Thelen lanamt@gmail.com http://radicalreference.info/anarchistbookfair/2008/cna

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