Task 1 - Determine Community Capacity

In order to be successful in the PACE-EH process it is imperative to first understand the community in which the process will be conducted to define if the capacity exists to conduct a community-based environmental health assessment and to solicit involvement from key community members.  ICHD first developed an asset map for Island County to identify what resources existed within the community and to better understand what institutions, social structure and organization existed that could contribute to the social network that binds the community together.  The map was developed through community networking and investigating phone books, social organization literature and documentation from other public agencies.  The map identified 114 local institutions and 57 citizens organizations comprising businesses, parks, healthcare, legal system, media, libraries, schools, transportation, social services, colleges, service organizations, charitable agencies, interest clubs, and faith communities.

Once the asset map was developed a set of questions was applied to the social, political and institutional structures identified in the map to determine what unique attributes exist in the community that could lend themselves to conducted a successful community outreach and engagement process.  The answers derived from the questions assisted in Task 3, assembling a community team.

In addition to the development of an asset map, two surveys were administered to assess the existing capacity (both internal to and external to the public health agency) to undertake a community-based environmental health assessment: one administered to environmental health staff and one administered across the community.  The survey given to environmental health staff was applied in order to measure the familiarity with the Ten Essential Environmental Health Services considering the relationship of these services to the PACE-EH process.  The community-based survey was accomplished by partnering with an undergraduate Research Methods in Developing Countries class at the University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine who accomplished the survey as a class assignment in survey methodologies.

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