Community Needs Assessment toolkit

A 12-month timeline that works

• Months 1–2: form the CNA team, confirm scope and board involvement
• Months 3–5: pull secondary data — ACS, county health, education, housing and labour
• Months 4–7: primary data — resident surveys, focus groups, partner and staff input
• Months 8–9: analysis, prioritisation and validation with the tripartite board
• Months 10–12: write the report, brief the board and feed findings into the community action plan

Data sources to build on

• U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey five-year estimates by county
• Your own client records and unmet-request data
• County health rankings, school data and local labour statistics
• Partner referral data from housing, health and workforce agencies

Turning findings into the plan

Each prioritised need should tie to a service strategy, a measurable outcome in the CSBG performance framework, and a named owner. The statewide dashboard in this hub shows the same county indicators the assessment relies on, so agencies and CAAA are working from one picture.