Task 3 - Assemble an Assessment Team

Once armed with a list of desired participants for the assessment team the next task was to solicit community interest in completing an application to join the assessment team.  An application was developed to communicate the applicant’s environmental health expertise, community interests and stakeholder representation if selected to the team.  A number of methods were used to solicit interest including advertisements in the local media and a significant number of presentations at social organization events.  ICPH staff presented a conceptual community-based environmental health assessment process at any community organization event that would put us on their agenda.  Some of the outreach was successful while others gleaned little interest.

The outreach to the community solicited close to fifty applications from community members desiring to participate in the PACE-EH process.  Applicants each received an interview from a committee comprised of the project coordinator, a member of the Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB) and a local Board of Health representative.  Team members were chosen based upon the expertise they could bring to the assessment, their willingness to contribute time and energy to the project, their willingness to respect alternative opinions and what stakeholders’ interests they represented within the EHAT matrix as compared to other members.  The selection process yielded an assessment team comprised of twenty-six members representing a broad spectrum of the community.  Each of the team members was appointed specifically by the Island County Board of Health.

ICPH spent a significant amount of time and resources in assembling the EHAT.  Through the interview and selection process a community-based assessment team was formed and comprised of individuals that were in a position to offer extensive expertise on many environmental health issues and significant hours of dedication towards solving priority problems within the community.  The EHAT members were purposely chosen to represent the demographic and stakeholder interests of the community and did not serve on the group as token representatives of existing environmental health programs or agencies.  EHAT had representation from 21 of the 22 identified community interests derived during the “characterization of the community” task.  Each member was dedicated to the project goals and made a commitment of time and energy for a minimum of three years following their appointment.

Previous Task                                                Next Task