Community Engagement Framework for Community Assessment and Improvement Planning

As the emphasis on community-based public health expands, academics and practitioners are challenged to include the community throughout assessment and improvement planning activities. The volatility of community-based government programs and the emergence of new initiatives further complicate community involvement. Many communities have grown tired of being participants, of strategies focused on assessments that never reach implementation or goals, and of being abandoned when funding ends. A framework that melds lessons learned from previous programs and existing models with Web-based resources and new initiatives provides insights for sustainable and agile community-based solutions. Other implications include ways to align multiple assessment and planning requirements through one framework. This article describes the components and distinctions of a community engagement framework for assessment and planning conceptualized through the experiences of public health practice and academic partners in South Carolina.