Process of Community Diagnosis

1.      Collecting background information of various communities

2.      Selecting a target community

3.      Initial Planning:

-   Establishing the Community diagnosis survey objectives,

-   Scope of the survey (how much detailed information is needed? how big area should it cover? E.g. Ward level, VDC level, district level),

-   Selection of appropriate indicators

-   Selecting appropriate time of the year (seasonality might affect results)

-   Identifying resources (human resources, financial resources, etc.)

4.  Sampling: Selection of study population from reference population; probability and non-probability sampling (usually we use probability sampling methods in community diagnosis survey)\

5.  Developing tools and techniques:

-   Household questionnaire

-   Anthropometric instruments (weighing machines, salter scales, MUAC tapes etc.)

-   Observation checklist

-   Key-informant interview guidelines (e.g. for interviewing HF in-charges, school teachers, local leaders, traditional healers etc.)

-   In depth interview guidelines (patients visiting health facility)

-   FGD guidelines (e.g. with FCHVs, representatives from mothers groups etc.)

6.  Entry to the community, Rapport Building, Social Mapping

7.  Data collection

8.  Data entry and processing: Data validation, Data sorting and sequencing, summarizing, coding, aggregation, computing etc.

9.  Data analysis and Interpretation: Descriptive and Inferential analysis, in community diagnosis we usually perform descriptive analysis (frequency, ratio, proportions, percent, etc.) Data can be displayed in the form of sentences, tables, graphs, charts.

10. Need identification: Determining observed needs and felt needs, and then finalizing the real needs of the community and ultimately identifying the necessary measures to solve them.

11. Prioritizing needs with community people:

Not all needs can be met. There are certain to be used to prioritize the health needs of the community, which are listed as follows:

-  Equity
- Burden of disease (Magnitude, severity)
- Cost effectiveness
- Community interest
- Existing capacity
- National Priority
- Sustainability
- Time for evaluation

Need prioritization score table

Needs	Magnitude	Severity	Cost effectiveness	Community interest	National priority	Feasibility	Sustainability	Time for evaluation	Total score
1
2
3
…..

12. Conducting Micro-Health Project and evaluation

13. Dissemination: Community presentations, final report sharing to community and concerned authorities

14. Follow up

It is important to realize that Community Diagnosis is not a one-off project, but is part of a dynamic process leading to health promotion in the community. Therefore community diagnosis should be conducted at regular intervals to allow the health status of the community to be continuously improved.