Getting Started

The process of developing the plan for conducting the community assessment is critical. Not only does your plan have to provide a solid foundation for involving key stakeholders from the start, but it will also be your road map throughout the process. A well-articulated plan ensures that your community assessment is thorough, accurate, and efficient. Although it requires an investment of time at the beginning, the community assessment plan will save you time and effort over the long-run. Your first task will be to identify your planning team, preferably to include staff, parent representatives, governing body and policy group representatives, and community partners. Head Start families and the broader community are more likely to trust a process and support the results when the plan behind it is driven by a representative planning team.