Assess Needs & Resources

Start by taking stock. Consider the challenges you face. Identify your strengths, assets, and resources. Ask if there are some who face challenges that others do not.

Purpose

The purpose of this step is to understand your current community strengths, resources, needs, and gaps to help you decide where and how to focus your efforts. The guidance here will answer questions like:

  • What questions do we have about the health of our community?
  • What data will help us answer those questions?
  • Where do we find data?
  • How do we move WITH data to action?

Our Top Tools

These are our favorite tools for this step. You can find additional relevant tools in each key activity as well.

Shortcut

Looking for a quick primer on this step? Take this 2-page Shortcut with you to share with your partners. Use it to discuss where you are in your work and what challenges you face.

Explore All Steps to Move Your Community Forward

Assess Needs & Resources

Assess Needs & Resources

Start by taking stock. Consider the challenges you face. Identify your strengths, assets, and resources. Ask if there are some who face challenges that others do not.

Learn More

Assess Needs & Resources

Start by taking stock. Consider the challenges you face. Identify your strengths, assets, and resources. Ask if there are some who face challenges that others do not.

Learn More

Focus on What's Important

Focus on What's Important

Decide which problem(s) to tackle. Without focus, all issues seem equally important. Taking time to set priorities will ensure that you direct your community’s resources to the most important issues.

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Focus on What's Important

Decide which problem(s) to tackle. Without focus, all issues seem equally important. Taking time to set priorities will ensure that you direct your community’s resources to the most important issues.

Learn More

Choose Effective Policies & Programs

Choose Effective Policies & Programs

Evidence matters. Selecting and implementing policies and programs that have been shown to work in real life and that are a good fit for your community will maximize your chances of success.

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Choose Effective Policies & Programs

Evidence matters. Selecting and implementing policies and programs that have been shown to work in real life and that are a good fit for your community will maximize your chances of success.

Learn More

Act on What's Important

Act on What's Important

Move to action. Since there are no “one size fits all” blueprints for success, communities build on strengths, leverage available resources, consider unique contexts, and respond to unique needs.

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Act on What's Important

Move to action. Since there are no “one size fits all” blueprints for success, communities build on strengths, leverage available resources, consider unique contexts, and respond to unique needs.

Learn More

Evaluate Actions

Evaluate Actions

Ongoing evaluation of your efforts helps you know if what you’re doing is working the way you intended and achieving the results you desire.

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Evaluate Actions

Ongoing evaluation of your efforts helps you know if what you’re doing is working the way you intended and achieving the results you desire.

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Work Together

Work Together

Working together is at the heart of making meaningful change. Every community is different, and as a result, efforts to improve health will vary. However, there is one constant we know: when people work together with a shared vision and commitment to improve health and ensure everyone has fair and just opportunities to thrive, it can yield better results than working alone.

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Work Together

Working together is at the heart of making meaningful change. Every community is different, and as a result, efforts to improve health will vary. However, there is one constant we know: when people work together with a shared vision and commitment to improve health and ensure everyone has fair and just opportunities to thrive, it can yield better results than working alone.

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Communicate

Communicate

Effective communication throughout each step in your journey to create a healthy and equitable community is essential for your efforts to be successful. What you say, how you say it, and to whom can motivate the right people to take the right action at the right time. How will you get your most important messages to the people who influence your work?

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Communicate

Effective communication throughout each step in your journey to create a healthy and equitable community is essential for your efforts to be successful. What you say, how you say it, and to whom can motivate the right people to take the right action at the right time. How will you get your most important messages to the people who influence your work?

Learn More