The process of assets mapping, an innovative approach to community building from the social science literature, focuses on the documentation of a community’s assets for the purpose of incorporating and building on existing resources as part of a strategic planning process for community improvement. “Assets” are defined in this context as the skills, talents, programs, projects, and financial resources that individuals, community organizations, and local institutions possess. This process forms a pooled listing of resources that can be analyzed by their level of integration to further collaborative efforts. The purpose of this session will be to describe how a local community coalition focusing on teenage pregnancy prevention adopted and utilized this tool within their program planning process. A survey that captured the “assets” around the coalition’s goals and objectives was developed and sent to all member agencies (n=34). Data from completed surveys (71% response rate) were analyzed by classifying the “assets” into the following major categories: activities for teens specific to pregnancy/sexually transmitted disease prevention, activities addressing the underlying causes of teenage pregnancy, and resources available to pregnant or parenting teens. The activities within each classification were diagrammed into concept maps to demonstrate relationships and level of collaboration between the agencies’ and coalition activities in the four areas. The “assets maps” have been used by the coalition in program planning decisions. This poster session will emphasize the development and use of the tool, steps in analysis, and its impact on health planning within a collaborative effort.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to describe the assets mapping process and its application to health planning and collaborative efforts. Participants will be able to identify at least one advantage to using assets mapping for program planning within a collaborative efforts.
Keywords: Community Assets, Community Health Planning
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.