Engaging the Community in Actively Creating Positive Change

This is a continuation of the Tuesday November 3rd, 2009 Post. There are several ways to engage your community in discussion about what their concerns are in order to help define their goals. I personally like to engage groups in listing what they see as strengths and weaknesses of the community followed by an informal community assessment survey.

The type of survey would depend on the dynamics of the community. The actual facilitation and meeting with concerned citizens could follow a windshield or door to door survey. A survey can be mailed out or distributed door to door. By utilizing a survey questionnaire to inventory the community you will likely discover talents and abilities of individuals or even group organizations which can be utilized to advance the goals of the community.

Another benefit of the survey is that it encourages inclusion and participation by diverse groups and cultures in affairs of the community.

A survey could be designed to ask questions such as:

1) What do you like most about your community?

2) Do you possess skills you would be willing to share which you believe would benefit your community such as experience in areas of education (teaching/administration), planning, arts, recreation, finance, construction, health care, banking, technology, etc.?

3) What are your hobbies or interests?

4) Have you ever served on a board or run for local office?

5) Do you have ideas about how you would like to see your community improve, or development interests you would like to share with the community?

6) Do you have special concerns about the health, safety, or welfare of your community?

7) Could you be available to meet with members of the community to discuss the above concerns?