ADDING THE METRICS TO MEASURE IMPACT

Asset-Based Approaches to Community Development

Deborah Puntenney, Ph.D.Northwestern University, ABCD Institute

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ABCD Pr inc ip les : Asset -based (bu i l t on pos i t i ves , s t rengths ,

opportuni t ies ) ,

Relat ionship dr i ven (centered on people in the ne ighborhood working together) , and

Place based ( loca l l y focused) .

ABCD Pract ices : Asset mapping (fi nding a l l the good th ings) , and

Asset mobi l i z ing (connect ing the good th ings for pos i t i ve purposes) .

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)

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ABCD—Perspective Matters

E M P T Y G L A S S : C O M M U N I T I E S A R E F U L L O F P E O P L E W I T H N E E D S A N D D E F I C I E N C I E S

F U L L G L A S S : C O M M U N I T I E S A R E F U L L O F P E O P L E W I T H I D E A S , S K I L L S , A N D C A PA C I T I E S

W H E R E YO U L O O K D R I V E S W H AT YO U S E E

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SIX TYPES OF COMMUNITY ASSETS

Actors :

Ski l l s and ta lents o f LOCAL PEOPLE.

ASSOCIATIONS–the network o f re la t ionsh ips they represent .

INSTITUTIONS, agenc ies , and pro fess iona l en t i t ies .

Contex t :

PHYSICAL ASSETS and in f ras t ructure– land , bu i ld ings .

ECONOMIC ASSETS– loca l economy, product ive capac i ty.

CULTURAL ASSETS–ways o f knowing , ways o f be ing .

ABCD—Types of Community Assets

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The most community role. An advocate connects the community’s vision and the policies that support the vision or get in the way, advocating positive change.

Actor/producer is a critical role for a resident. An actor/producer is a fully engaged individual who helps define and implement community ideas as part of sustainable change.

Participant is an entry-level community role. A participant is someone who gets involved, but leaves the defining the vision and developing ideas to others.

An advisor can have little power and the role can be an empty one. Authentic advisors have decision-making power.

Some people have been victimized, but the role of victim can also be a choice; a victim will never have power.

VICTIM

ADVISOR

CHANGEADVOCATE

ACTORPRODUCER

PARTICIPANT

Empowering Co-Producers of Health5

Neighborhood Health StatusImprovement Initiative

Launched by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation in 2008

Supports communities to organize residents around the social determinants of health

Assumes residents must be at the table for sustainable change

Long-term funding; long-term goals

Uses an ABCD, grassroots approach

Provides evaluation coaches to communities

CBPR used to create logic model for outcomes and measures

Ongoing measurement builds as projects gain sophistication

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Neighborhood Health StatusImprovement Initiative

Current Neighborhood Health Status Improvement grantees

Community characteristics from a needs perspective

HOPE–RochesterOur Town Rocks–

DundeeSTEPS–Ovid/

Interlaken/LodiSOAR–Clyde/Savannah

High povertyLarge health

disparitiesLow incomePoor health outcomes

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MANY factors influence health outcomes.

Good health not solely the result of genetics and good medical care

In County Health Rankings model, physical, social, economic factors represent about 50% of explanatory factors that drive health outcomes.

Health care and health behaviors explain the other 50%.

What Drives Health Outcomes?8

AB CD APPLICATION IN NHSI I GRANTS

Assessment (fi nd ing asse t s ) .

Plann ing (engag ing asse t s fo r d iff erent ro les ) .

Doing (mob i l i z ing asse t s toward p lan imp lementa t ion) .

THREE QUESTIONS :

What can we do ourse l ves ( l oca l as se t s ) ?

What can we do w i th some he lp and suppor t (par tnersh ips ) ?

What i s i t rea l l y someone e l se ’ s j ob to do (po l i c y ) ?

Asset-Based Community Development in the NHSII Grants

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Our 0pportunities for better health begin where we live, work and play

Place Matters—

NHSII pays attention to the physical, social, and economic environments

Authentic neighborhoods

Resident- driven

Grassroots

Asset-based

Partnerships

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NHSII Logic Model and Measures11

Change in Environment, Exposures, & Experiences

Change:Social: Social cohesion, civic engagement, and collective efficacy

Physical: Clean, safe and healthy neighborhood living conditions

Economic: Opportunities for self sufficiency, learning, and jobs

Cultural: Prevailing community norms, customs, and processes

Measures, 1-2 years of implementation:Outputs: e.g., activities undertaken, participants involved

Outcomes: E.g., Number of blocks in neighborhood that showed no evidence of trash, debris, or litter increases [block observations].E.g. Sense that residents can have a positive influence on their community increases [survey]. E.g., Degree of comfort with neighbors increases [survey].

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Change in Attitudes, Feelings, and Understanding

Change:Hope for the future

Feelings of cohesiveness and connection

Feeling safe

Feeling empowered, capable, and in control

Feeling different health and lifestyle choices are possible

Measures, 3-6 years of implementation:Outputs: e.g., activities undertaken, participants involved

Outcomes: E.g., Percentage of residents that feel it is safe for kids to play outside increases [survey]. E.g. Percentage of residents that feel they can count on neighbors increases [survey]. Percentage of residents that feel the neighborhood is improving increases [survey].

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Change in Behavior

Change:NutritionPhysical activitySubstance abuseTobacco useEducational attainmentEmployment

Measures, 3-6 years of implementation:Outputs: e.g., activities undertaken, participants involved

Outcomes: E.g., Percentage of residents that eat no fruits/vegetables decreases [survey]. E.g. Percentage of residents that do not smoke increases [survey]. Percentage of residents that participate in physical exercise for 5 or more days in the past week increases [survey].

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Change in Medical Conditions that Precede Disease

Change:ObesityHigh blood pressureHigh cholesterolStress levelsLow birth weight babiesElevated blood lead levels in children

Measures, 10-15 years of implementation:Outputs: e.g., activities undertaken, participants involved

Outcomes: E.g., Percentage of residents that are obese decreases [survey]. Percentage of residents that are overweight decreases [survey]. E.g. Percentage of residents told they have high blood pressure decreases [survey]. Percentage of babies born with low birth weight in neighborhood decreases [survey].

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Change in Health Status

Change:Angina/coronary heart diseaseDiabetesStrokeAsthmaSTDsHIV/AIDS

Measures, 10-15 years of implementation:Outputs: e.g., activities undertaken, participants involved

Outcomes: E.g., Years of potential life lost decreases relative to Monroe County [YPLL]. E.g., Percentage of residents that report their health status as excellent or very good increases [survey].

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How the Evaluation is Conducted

• Evaluation coaches work with residents, project teams, and ABCD TA starting in the planning year to define outputs and outcomes in the short-, medium-, and long-term.

• Evaluation coaches work with project teams to design data gathering instruments for project tracking, and design and implement their baseline data gathering protocol.

• Evaluation coaches work with project teams to implement ongoing data gathering, and share data with the community. Protocols include observation, surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews, and monitoring.

• Evaluation coaches work with project teams, ABCD TA, and Program Officer to use results to revise both individual projects and the overall funding NHSII program.

• Evaluation coaches help develop reports, articles, presentations using the findings for individual projects, and all projects collectively.

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Evaluation Partners

• Ann Young, AGTY Partners, and Eileen Flanagan are contracted by the foundation to work on the long-term evaluation.

• Evaluation coaches have worked with project teams to identify secondary data sources specific to each project; these include:• City of Rochester and Rochester Police Department• Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency• Dundee Central School District• Yates Economic Development Commission• Keuka Housing Council

• Evaluation coaches work with the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to develop data sharing relationships with:• New York State Department of Health• Monroe County Department of Public Health• Yates County Department of Health• Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency

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Evaluation Challenges

• Finding data sources that provide neighborhood level data.

• Getting agreement from data sources to share.

• Getting agreement from data collectors to add neighborhood level questions.

• Maintaining ownership across the community, i.e., not creating “survey fatigue.”

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