Community Needs Assessment Process

3. Interrelationship Diagram
A third way to help determine what issue to prioritize is to examine the
interrelationships between the core causes of poverty. It helps you to see how
addressing one issue may affect another issue.
Process:
Begin by listing the top 5 or 6 issues in a circle on a piece of paper. Starting with
the first issue, ask whether addressing it will affect the next issue, the third issue,
etc. If it will affect the issue, draw an arrow to the issue. If addressing the second
issue however will affect the first, draw an arrow from #2 to #1.
.
The issue having the most arrows going outward will have the most affect on the
others and therefore might be the one to consider as the first priority.
4. Force Field analysis
A final tool to aid in prioritization takes a look at the various forces that are in play
around the issue. What forces are keeping the situation the same? What forces are
causing it to change?
Process:
The appendix shows a sample force field analysis sheet. List the issue in the center.
On the left side, list all the forces for change and on the right side, list all the forces
against change. For instance the issue area might be “Transportation does not meet
the needs of the low income community.”
Forces for change might include – employers want reliable workforce, families
members will not need to provide transportation, it provides independence for
individuals.
Forces against change might be – need to run buses past ‘normal working
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