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needs and assets
(Last Updated on
November 12, 2008
)
The needs of San Juan Island have been assessed and ranked using an established technique. 68 experts (Appendix A) with unique, quantitative knowledge in one of 12 areas were identified and interviewed. Each expert was given the five interview questions (Appendix B) beforehand and encouraged to prepare for their interview.
We have examined the ranked data in several different ways. No matter how we analyze these data, the following general results are supported:
Most pressing needs to address are substance abuse, affordable housing, the high cost of living, and lack of health insurance for many citizens.
Needs easiest to solve are our solid waste problem, our lack of cultural “place”, creating “safe” houses for victims of crime, and an alternative learning program for high school students.
Needs where a solution would create the most impact are the high cost of living, affordable housing, improved land use planning, and assistance to disjointed families.
The interviewers (Appendix C) were trained in facilitation techniques and were particularly trained in removing ambiguities and exploring the depth of the experts’ knowledge. To ensure accurate reporting of needs, each expert was later given the opportunity to review and edit the recorded interview results (Appendix D).
Two interesting themes developed across many interviews. Directly or indirectly, many experts expressed frustration over the lack of a collaborative spirit between organizations and individuals. In addition, many experts spoke to the need for more citizen involvement and awareness. Interestingly, these concerns were echoed in “Asset Mapping” conducted by WSU and the Gates Foundation for our community in May, 2003.
Many detailed results are presented and summarized in the Results section along with the alternative analyses.
These results will be used in a variety of ways. First, the Community Council, who will be issuing a series of “Request for Proposals” (Appendix E) beginning in July, 2004, will use these results to rank received proposals. Second, these results can be used by planners, administrators, and grant writers to optimize the allocation of our Island’s financial and human resources.
Click here to view the entire 2004 Needs Assessment Report
Click here to download a Microsoft Word version of the Report
Click here to download an Adobe Acrobat version of the Report
Click here to download a Microsoft Word version of the most recent 2009 Request for Proposals
Click here to view the Executive Summary of Dr. Annabel Kirshner's Asset Mapping and click here to view the entire report
To view a recent "needs assessment" from the San Juan Island Foundation, click here.
To view a compilation of all prior asset maps and needs assessments upon which this proposal was built, click here.
To view an economic overview of San Juan Island, courtesy of our Economic Development Council (an Adobe Acrobat file), click here
To view a summary of local statistics (part of our baseline data set), click here.
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