Community Readiness for Community Change

Community readiness is important as are the models and tools developed and implemented to assess readiness. The model’s key components include a set of survey questions consisting of open-ended questions about the community’s attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, etc. about an issue (e.g. substance use, HIV/AIDS)

• A small number of interviews of key respondents using this survey.  Scoring of the completed interviews using scales provided for each dimension of community readiness;
• Calculation of readiness scores on 5 dimensions using the interview scores; Use of these final readiness scores to develop a plan for action. General sections include how to conduct a community readiness assessment, benefits of using the community readiness model, and dimensions of community readiness. Just like with individual change, we must use appropriate actions and techniques to move our communities forward in addressing an issue. Matching a community intervention to the community’s level of readiness is key to achieving success. If your community is not ready for your efforts, failure is much more likely.