Preparing to Engage the Community
Each community has different needs and goals. As you prepare for this process – whether you are approaching a county board, coalition, or other group to bring this issue to the forefront, or whether they have reached out to you to initiate this process – there are several things to consider.
Who are you presenting to/working with, and what are their goals?
- For example, an aging task force consisting of health department representatives might benefit from basic information to help them reinvigorate their members; a coalition engaged in strategic planning or priority setting may benefit from a step-by-step evaluation of the “aging-friendly characteristics” of their community.
Why does your community want to undertake this process?
- Evaluating the aging-friendly characteristics can be used for several purposes: as part of a needs assessment; to prioritize future community action; to inform strategic planning; to raise awareness and spur action; among others. Agreeing on the main goal(s) of the process will help streamline and facilitate the effectiveness of the process.
Is now the right time?
- In order to be successful, this process should be planned with consideration to the needs and priorities of the community. For example, if the community has recently conducted a needs assessment, the key stakeholders and coalitions may be suffering from “assessment burnout.” Conversely, if your community is approaching a period of strategic planning or has identified an urgent need to assess and address issues of aging, this process may provide key information.
Have they identified a champion?
- A leader who will own this process and drive change (e.g., encouraging goal setting; following up to ensure that next steps are accomplished; tracking and evaluating the outcomes) will help streamline and facilitate the effectiveness of this process. This should probably not be you. The Family Living Educator’s role here is to educate, facilitate, even catalyze, and plant the seeds that the champion can then nurture into community-level change. This is not necessary, but may prove important for effecting change and supporting long-term success.
Are the right people at the table?
- You and the aging-friendly champion may wish to involve additional stakeholders to inform the group’s evaluation of the aging-friendly environment of the community, depending on the group and their goals. Consider who else needs to be involved in order to get the best picture of what the community is succeeding at, where there is opportunity for growth, and how the community should go about making change. Here are some resources and best practices:
- County Health Rankings suggestions for building and sustaining partnerships
- Coalition startup, building, assessment, and sustainability tools from CoalitionsWork
- Community Toolbox from the University of Kansas
