[B] “Discussion Topic 2: Community Appraisal “
This Discussion poses one simple question, but does not have a simple answer.
� How is a community appraisal conducted?
� Provide examples to highlight your points.
� 200 WORDS
Your completed responses should follow the conventions of Standard American English
(correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and
unified, as well as original and insightful. Your work should display superior content,
organization, style, and mechanics. When citing sources, please be sure to use APA style
guidelines.
Community Appraisal
Community appraisals are part of surveys with the intentions of gathering local
opinions and needs on issues affecting the society. Common issues gathered in community
appraisals are related to training, local housing, schooling, employment, health, community
facilities, social welfare and culture among others.
The purposes of performing community appraisals are related to resolving issues,
forming a plan of action and in improving services that are already existing (Feldstein &
Jiggins, 2004). In the traditional setup, community appraisals were propelled by the citizen
driven initiatives. In the contemporary world, community appraisals are supported by local
authorities, although the methods vary with the intended application of the models.
The first step of community appraisals is related to forming the steering committee
from the members of the community (Feldstein & Jiggins, 2004), this is accompanied by
developing questionnaire with the issues to be addressed. Village Appraisal for Windows
software can be used for the processes. The third step involves sorting reactions and then
compilation of the findings; this is followed by distributing the reports to the entire
community and local authorities.
Next step is connected to consulting relevant bodies on ways to address the issues
aired by the members of the community in developing action plans and finally in monitoring
COMMUNITY APPRAISAL 2
the development and keep the society informed on the onward motion of the set initiatives
(Feldstein & Jiggins, 2004).
Community appraisals are used by councils in involving the local communities, in the
sense that community appraisals are open to all the individuals willing to participate
(Feldstein & Jiggins, 2004). An example of community appraisals are community oriented
policing in San Diego which facilitates Neighborhood Watch program, Citizen’s Patrol
Groups, DART (Drug Abatement Response Team) and safe Streets Now programs among
others. Disease surveillance and sensitizing the community is also carried out in the form of
community appraisals.
The concept of community appraisals varies with different communities and
jurisdictions. Diverse viewpoints of the community members are gauged in relation to
particular issues.
COMMUNITY APPRAISAL 3
References
Feldstein, H. & Jiggins, J. (2004). What is Participatory Rural Appraisal and Planning?
Uri.edu , 12-31.