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Notes from the Field:
Assessing Community
Using the
Community Capitals Framework
by Kathleen Tweeten, Director, NDSU Extension Center for Community Vitality
The Community Capitals Framework has given community leaders in North Dakota a new way to think about their community. Assessing resources through the Community Capitals Framework allows them to see the breadth and depth of their community and how each of the seven capitals affects the others (cultural, human, social, financial, built, natural and political). They can also more easily identify what’s working and build on those strengths.
Two community assessments based on the Community Capitals Framework were piloted by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development in the fall of 2005. A variety of strategies were used to gather information including an online survey, phone interviews and focus groups. The information was analyzed and presented back to the communities in a written report. The pilot communities and the Community Capitals Framework were also key presentations at the fall North Dakota State Community Development conference.
We have begun the assessment process in one more community, but with a different twist. This is a cooperative effort between the NDSU Extension Service, Center for Community Vitality and the University of North Dakota Sociology Department, where it has become a class project. If the involvement of students in this process works, we would like to use the model to expand the program to other higher education institutions, including our 1994 institutions.
| Notes from the Field is a vehicle for sharing ideas, tools and approaches that community development practitioners can apply to their own work. If you have ideas, tips or approaches you have found useful in your own community development work, along with a URL to additional resources if appropriate, please contact Mary Emery at . |
Return to Inside this Issue (Vol. 28, No. 3, 2006)
Return to Rural Development News Index
North
Central Regional Center for Rural Development
Iowa State University
107 Curtiss Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1050
(515) 294-8321, (515) 294-3180 fax
For questions, comments or concerns about the NCRCRD website, contact
.
Last updated May 12, 2006 .