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Evaluating community capacity
Author(s) -
Gibbon Marion,
Labonte Ronald,
Laverack Glenn
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2524.2002.00388.x
Subject(s) - capacity building , psychological intervention , ranking (information retrieval) , set (abstract data type) , strengths and weaknesses , promotion (chess) , scale (ratio) , computer science , data science , psychology , geography , medicine , political science , machine learning , social psychology , economic growth , nursing , economics , cartography , politics , law , programming language
The aim of the present study was to examine the convergence of two approaches used to assess community capacity in health promotion interventions. One was used to examine women and men in rural communities in Fiji, and the other to study women only in rural communities in Nepal. Both approaches used a set of ‘capacity domains’, a ranking scale and a means of visually representing the findings. The experiences of using each approach, and the strengths and weaknesses of using rating scales and the ‘capacity domains’ to assess community capacity are discussed. The use of visual representations of community change, in particular the ‘spider web’ approach, are also discussed. The capacity building ‘domains’ presented in this study are robust and capture the essential qualities of a ‘capable community’. ‘Parallel tracking’ of the domains allows programmes themselves to be viewed as a means to the end of building community capacity. These approaches provide a useful new dimension to programme evaluation.