Specific Module 5
You have to get to know its
Introduction to The
Community and
Community Assessment
 Understanding and Describing
the Community
 Know the Community
Community Defined
 The word ‘community’
originated from the Latin
word communis which
means common, public,
general or shared by all or
many. It later develop into
its
Latin translation communi
tatem which translates
into community, society,
or fellowship.
  Community is defined in
the dictionary as a unified
body of individuals such
as:
   a. people with common interest
living in a particular area
   b. a group of people with a
common interest or characteristic
living together within a larger
society
   c. a body of persons of common
and especially professional
interests scattered through a
larger society
 While we traditionally
think of a community as
the people in
a given geographical
location, the word can
really refer to any group
sharing something in
common. This may refer
to smaller geographic
areas -- a neighborhood, a
housing project
or development, a rural
area -- or to a number
of other
possible communities
within a larger,
geographically-defined
community.
 In a sociological point of
view, the simplest
definition of a community
is “an aggregation of
families and individuals
settled in a fairly compact
and contiguous
geographical area, with
significant elements of
common life, as shown by
behaviors, manners,
customs, traditions and
modes of speech.
Examples of Community
1. The Muslim Community
in Quiapo District, Manila
2. The Scientific Community
3. The Business Community
4. The LGBT+ Community
5. The Riders Community
6. The PLM Community
Understanding the
Community
Understanding the community
entails understanding it in a
number of ways. Whether or not
the community is defined
geographically, it still has a
geographic context -- a setting
that it exists in. Getting a
clear sense of this setting may be
key to a full understanding of it. At
the same time, it's important to
understand the specific
community you're concerned
with.
people -- their culture,
their concerns, and relationships --
and to develop your own
relationships with them as well.
The following are common
Aspects on how to describe the
Community. But Community
Description can be as creative
as you’re capable of making it.
The more important thing is that
you capture the
important information depending
on the purpose why you
are making the description.
Aspects of Community
Descriptiom
1. Physical Aspects - Every
community has a physical
presence of some sort. Most
have a geographic area or
areas they are either defined
by or attached to. If the
community, is one defined by
its population, then its
physical properties are also
defined by the population:
where they live, where they
gather, the places that
are important to them. The
characteristics of those places
can tell you a great deal about
the people who make up the
community. Their self-image,
many of their attitudes, and
their aspirations are
often reflected in the places
where they choose -- or are
forced by circumstance or
discrimination -- to live, work,
gather, and play.
2. Demographics - the facts
about the population that you
can find from census data and
other similar statistical
information. Some things you
might like to know, besides
 the number of people in
the community:
 Gender
 Racial and ethnic background
 Age
 Marital status
 Family size
 Education
 Income
 Employment and Location
3. Community History - The
long-term history of the
community can tell you about
community traditions, what
the community is, or has been,
proud of, and what residents
would prefer not to talk
about. Recent history can
afford valuable information
about conflicts and factions
within the community,
important issues, past and
current relationships among
key people and groups -- many
of the factors that can trip up
any effort before it starts if
you don't know about
and address them.
4. Community Leaders, formal
and informal -  Some
community leaders are
elected or appointed –
Barangay Officials,
Chairman, Kagawad, Mayors,
Councilors. Others are
considered leaders because of
their activities or their
positions in the community --
community activists,
corporate CEO's, college
presidents, doctors, clergy.  know what they are, who
Still others are recognized as
leaders because, they are
trusted for their proven
integrity, courage, and/or care
for others and the good of
the community.
5. Community Culture, formal
and informal - This covers the
spoken and unspoken rules
and traditions by which the
community lives. It can include
everything from community
events and slogans -- “Matira
matibay sa Barrio Dalisay” -- to
norms of behavior -- turning a
blind eye to alcohol abuse or
domestic violence -- to
patterns of discrimination and
exercise of power.
6. Existing Groups - Most
communities have an array of
groups and organizations of
different kinds -- service clubs
(Lions, Rotary, etc.), faith
groups, youth organizations,
sports teams and clubs,
groups formed around shared
interests, the boards of
community-wide
organizations, as well as
groups devoted to self-help,
advocacy, and activism.
Knowing of the existence and
importance of each of these
groups can pave the way for
alliances or for understanding
opposition.
7. Existing Institutions - Every
community has institutions
that are important to it, and
that have more or less
credibility with residents.
Colleges and universities,
libraries, religious institutions,
hospitals -- all of these and
many others can occupy
important places in the
community. It's important to
represents them, and what
influence they wield.
8. Economics- Who are the
major employers in the
community? What, if any,
business or industry is the
community's base? Who, if
anyone, exercises economic
power? How is wealth
distributed? Would you
characterize the community as
poor, working, class, middle
class, or affluent? What are
the economic prospects of the
population in general and/or
the population you're
concerned with?
9. Existing Institutions - Every
community has institutions
that are important to it, and
that have more or less
credibility with residents.
Colleges and universities,
libraries, religious institutions,
hospitals -- all of these and
many others can occupy
important places in the
community. It's important to
know what they are, who
represents them, and what
influence they wield.
10. Economics- Who are the
major employers in the
community? What, if any,
business or industry is the
community's base? Who, if
anyone, exercises economic
power? How is wealth
distributed? Would you
characterize the community as
poor, working, class, middle
class, or affluent? What are
the economic prospects of the
population in general and/or
the population you're
concerned with?
Community
Needs Assessment
 Community assessment is
the process of identifying
the strengths, assets,
needs and challenges of a
specified community.
Assets refer to the skills,
talents and abilities of
individuals as well as the
 resources that local
institutions contribute to
the community. Local
institutions may include
political, religious,
educational, recreational
and youth organizations;
community, civic and
service groups; local
businesses; nonprofit
organizations and
volunteer groups.
 Community Needs
Assessments seek to
gather accurate
information
representative of the
needs of a community.
Assessments are
performed prior to taking
action and are used to
determine current
situations and identify
issues for action. Needs
assessments establish the
essential foundation for
vital plannA community
needs assessment
provides community
leaders, workers and
volunteers with a
snapshot of local policy,
systems, and
environmental change
strategies currently in
place and helps to identify
areas for improvement.
With this data,
communities can map out
a course for improvement
by creating strategies to
make positive and
sustainable changes in
their communities.
 A community assessment
identifies the strengths
and resources available in
the community to meet
the needs of community
members. The assessment
also focuses on the
capabilities of the
community, including its
citizens, agencies, and
organizations
Needs and
Resources Defined
Needs can be defined as the gap
between what is and what should
be. A need can be felt by an
individual, a group, or an entire
community. It can be as concrete
as the need for food and water or
as abstract as improved
community relationship. It is
helpful to categorize the gaps
based on these four types of
community needs: perceived
needs, expressed needs, absolute
needs, and relative needs.
 Perceived needs:
perceived needs are based
on what individuals
feel their needs are. The
standard may change
based on each
individual’s point of view.
It’s important not to
dismiss perceived needs
as merely opinion. Taking
into account the feelings
and concerns of
community members
should be an essential
component of your
assessment.
 Expressed needs: defined
by the number of
individuals who
sought help. Individuals
may have felt a need and
acted upon it. Be mindful
of the false assumption
that all people with needs
seek help.
 Absolute needs: needs
deemed universal,
including those for
survival (i.e. food, wat
based er, safety, and
clothing).
 Relative needs: needs
rendered necessary on
equity. The standard
may vary based on
population differences.
Resources, or assets, can include
individuals, organizations and
institutions, buildings, landscapes,
equipment -- anything that can be
used to improve the quality of life.
Community Resources are
resources in an area that
accommodate satisfy some
requirements for those around
them. These resources may
include people, sites or buildings,
and population assistance. Public
schools, parks, community centers
are some of the examples of
community resource
Resources, or assets, can include
individuals, organizations and
institutions, buildings,
landscapes, equipment --
anything that can be used to
improve the quality of life.
Community Resources are
resources in an area that
accommodate satisfy some
requirements for those around
them. These resources may
include people, sites or buildings,
and population assistance. Public
schools, parks, community centers
are some of the examples of
community resources.
Guidelines in Conducting
Community Assessment
 1. Form a planning
group that represents
all stakeholders and
mirrors the diversity
of the community
 A truly representative
planning group is not only
more likely to come up
with a plan that produces
an accurate assessment
but is also a signal to
community members that
they are part of the
process. They are more
apt to trust that process
and support whatever
comes out of it
2. Design an evaluation process
for the Assessment
Why is this step here, at the
beginning of the planning process,
rather than at the end? The
answer is that evaluation should
start at the beginning of an effort,
so that you can monitor
everything you do and be able to
learn from and adjust any part of
the process -- including planning --
to improve your work. That's the
purpose of evaluation: to make
your work as effective as possible.
3. Decide why you want to
conduct the assessment
The reasons for an assessment will
affect from whom and how you
gather information, what is
assessed, and what you do with
the information you get. It's
obviously important to start
planning with a clear
understanding of what you're
setting out to do, so that your plan
matches your goals.
4. Determine what data is already
available
It's important that make sure that
whatever data exists is timely. The
chances are that if it's more than
six months to a year old, it's out of
date and no longer accurate. Even
census data, which is extensive
and generally reliable, is a
snapshot of a particular time.
Since a full census is a once-a-
decade event, census information
may be as much as ten years out
of date. There are updates in
between, but only to selected
categories, and not every year.
5. Figure out what other
information you need
This is the time to finalize the
questions you'll ask your
informants, as well as the
questions you hope to answer
with the assessment. Those
questions will depend on your
purposes. In most cases, you'll
want to find out what is important
to members of populations of
concern or those who might
benefit from or be affected by any
action you might take as a result
of the assessment. You will
probably also want to hear the
opinions of the people who serve
or work with those people --
doctors, human service staff and
administrators, teachers, police,
social workers, advocates, etc.
6. Figure out what other
information you need
Before you start, take careful
stock of your resources -- people,
money, skills, time -- to be sure
you can do all you plan to. An
assessment can be conducted with
volunteers and lots of (free)
legwork, or it can require
statistical and other expertise,
professional consultation, and
many paid hours. Don't plan an
assessment that you don't have
the resources to carry out.
7. Decide what methods you'll
use for gathering information
Each community is different, and
so you might use any one or any
combination of these and other
methods detailed in this chapter,
depending on what you're looking
for and who can help.
8. Decide what methods you'll
use for gathering information
Using existing data. This is the
research you might do to unearth
the information in census and
other public records, or to find
information that's been gathered
by others.
Listening sessions and public
forums. Listening sessions are
forums you can use to learn about
the community's perspectives on
local issues and options. They are
generally fairly small, with specific
questions asked of participants.
They can help you get a sense of
what community members know
and feel about the issue, as well as
resources, barriers, and possible
solutions. Public forums tend to be
both larger in number of
participants and broader in scope
than listening sessions. They are
gatherings where citizens discuss
important issues at a well-
publicized location and time. They
give people of diverse
backgrounds a chance to express
their views, and are also a first
step toward understanding the
community's needs and resources.
A good public forum informs the
group of where the community is
and where the members would
like to go.
9. Decide what methods you'll
use for gathering information
Interviews and focus groups.
These are less formal than fora,
and are conducted with either
individuals or small groups (usually
fewer than ten, and often as few
as two or three.) They generally
include specific questions, but
allow room for moving in different
directions, depending on what the
interviewees want to discuss.
Open-ended questions (those
which demand something more
than a yes or no or other simple
answer), follow-ups to interesting
points, and a relaxed atmosphere
that encourages people to open
up are all part of most assessment
interviews. A focus group is a
specialized group interview in
which group members are not told
exactly what the interviewer
wants to know, so that they will
be more likely to give answers that
aren't influenced by what they
think is wanted.
10. Decide what methods you'll
use for gathering information
Direct, and sometimes participant,
observation. Direct observation
involves seeing for yourself. Do
you want to know how people use
the neighborhood park on
weekends? Spend a few weekends
there, watching and talking to
people. If you regularly join a
volleyball game or jog through the
park with others, you're a
participant observer, becoming
part of the culture you want to
learn about.
11. Decide what methods you'll
use for gathering information
Surveys. There are several
different kinds of surveys, any or
all of which could be used as part
of a community assessment.
Written surveys may be sent to
people in the mail, given out at
community events or meetings,
distributed in school, or handed to
people on the street. People may
also be surveyed by phone or in
person, with someone else writing
down their spoken answers to a
list of questions. Many kinds of
surveys often have a low return
rate, and so may not be the best
way to get information, but
sometimes they're the only way,
or can be given in situations where
most people complete them.
12. Decide whom you'll gather
information from
For the same reason that you've
put together a planning group that
represents all the different sectors
of the community concerned or
involved with the assessment, you
should try to get information from
as broad a range of people and
groups as possible. The greater
the variety of people that supply
your data, the better perspective
you'll have on the real nature,
needs, and resources of the
community.
13. Decide whom you'll gather
information from
This brings up an important point.
Your plan should make sure that
the assessment includes the
opportunity for all points of view
to be aired. You may not like what
some people have to say, but if
you don't know that there are
people with differing opinions, you
only have half of the information
you need.
14. Decide who will collect data
Will you use a participatory
research process, whereby
community members gather data
themselves or in collaboration
with professionals? Will you hire
an individual or a group to gather
information? If you choose neither
of these, then who will do the
work of interviewing, surveying, or
carrying out whatever other
strategies you've chosen to find
information?
15. Decide who will collect data
These are important questions,
because their answers can affect
the quality and quantity of
information you get. Individuals in
the community may be more
willing to be interviewed and/or to
give honest and detailed answers
to people they know or can
identify with, i.e., other
community members.
Participatory researchers may
need training to be able to do a
good job. You may need an
experienced researcher to put
together a survey that gets at the
issues you're most concerned
with. A combination of several
types of data gatherers may work
best. It's worth spending some
time on this issue, so that you can
assemble the crew that's right for
your community and your plan.
16. Decide how you'll reach your
informants
These are important questions,
because their answers can affect
the quality and quantity of
information you get. Individuals in
the community may be more
willing to be interviewed and/or to
give honest and detailed answers
to people they know or can
identify with, i.e., other
community members.
Participatory researchers may
need training to be able to do a
good job. You may need an
experienced researcher to put
together a survey that gets at the
issues you're most concerned
with. A combination of several
types of data gatherers may work
best. It's worth spending some
time on this issue, so that you can
assemble the crew that's right for
your community and your plan.