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Community Needs Assessment

Three Hills Community Needs Assessment

Community needs assessment is a systematic method for reviewing the issues and service needs of a community. Such assessment leads to agreed priorities, resource allocation, and community partnerships with sponsors and funding agencies to improve services and reduce inequalities within a community. Assessment may also include a review of existing services available to a community and their awareness of these services. Community needs assessment may also involve Health Needs Assessment; a recommended public health tool to provide evidence about a population on which to plan services and address health inequalities. These assessments provide opportunities to engage communities and enable them to contribute to targeted service planning and resource allocation. They also provide an opportunity for cross-sectoral partnerships that function to work and develop creative and effective interventions to revitalize rural communities.

This project serves to assist the “Social Wellness” committee in the town of Three Hill’s to develop and implement a Community Needs Assessment. The project aligns a U of C at RDC independent research study student who will work collaboratively with the community and their stakeholders to develop and conduct a community need assessment. The student will assist stakeholders in the development of a needs assessment instrument that will address knowledge needs identified through a collaborative stakeholder knowledge sharing process (structured and facilitated Knowledge Café). An aim of the assessment will be to inform the development of an outcome and engagement plan for the community. In addition to a community-based instrument to identify needs, the student will conduct interviews and focus groups with key community informants that will help to identify possible health and social wellness needs within the community.

Advisory Team:

  • Kevin Peters - Community Needs Assessment Committee – Three Hills
  • Jack Ramsden - Three Hills CEO
  • Three Hills Social Wellness Committee Members: Jack Ramsden - Town CAO, Susan Friesen - Town Councilor, Tracey Gorr - Director of Finance and Administration, Alana Frere - Health and Wellness Coordinator, Kevin Peters - Social Wellness Committee Representative, Marion Shadlock - Three Hills Senior Outreach Executive Officer, Weldon Wilson - Social Wellness Committee Representative, Yvonne Wilson - Family Resource Worker, Norm Campion - Manager of Recreation and Community Services, Harold Leo -Three Hills Town Council Representative, Lewis Frere - Social Wellness Committee Representative, Kevin Edwards - Social Wellness Committee Representative
  • Scott Oddie - RDC Rural Health Research Chair
  • Tristin Laramee - RDC Psychology Research Student  

Current Status:

A Knowledge Café with 45 community stakeholders was held on November 29th to better identify knowledge needs and develop a relevant assessment instrument and methods. No project learning and/or impact to report at this time.

For more information contact: Dr. Scott Oddie or phone 403-342-3310.