Task 4

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Module 2 — Task 4: Define the Goals, Objectives, and Scope of the Assessment

The assessment team should clearly delineate the goals, objectives, and scope of the process. Involvement of the community (as represented on the assessment team) in this task will help strengthen support for the assessment and ensure ownership of the process.

At the completion of this task, the assessment team should have:

Delineated the goals and expected outcomes of the assessment
Described the vision that will guide the process
Described the scope of issues to be addressed by the assessment
Agreed-on definitions for terms likely to be used during the course of the assessment
Establish goals and objectives for the assessment

Definition of the Goals and Objectives of the Assessment

Listen as Susan Sutherland (Delaware County , OH) discusses developing goals and objectives.

Click the following links to skip to each section:

»	Assemble Available Information Pertaining to the Relationships between Health and Environmental Factors
»	Describe the Vision That Will Guide the Process
»	Describe the Scope of Issues to Be Addressed by the Assessment
»	Scope of the Assessment
»	Define Key Terms

Assemble Available Information Pertaining to the Relationships between Health and Environmental Factors

The more thorough the work done to this point, the easier it will be to define goals and objectives. Review Task 1 and consider how agency and community strengths can be used, what barriers must be overcome, what resources are available, and what related efforts may affect the problem. Because each member of the assessment team will bring his or her own priorities and values to the process, establishing consensus among team members about the goals and objectives of the assessment will make later decisions easier.

Describe the Vision That Will Guide the Process

Development of a shared vision for the process will provide focus, purpose and direction throughout the assessment and help people set goals. A vision expresses a statement about the desired future that is held mutually by assessment team members. It provides a concrete picture of the end results of the assessment by illustrating what the community will look like if the process is successful. Additionally, a vision can serve as a means to communicate the goals of the process to others. Further, a compelling vision can serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for completing the process.

Describe the Scope of Issues to Be Addressed by the Assessment

It is important to ground the process in a shared understanding of the scope of environmental health. It is essential to spend time early in the process clarifying the boundaries of the assessment and the kind of issues that will and will not be considered part of “environmental health.” This will help keep the effort focused and reduce frustration and confusion throughout the process.

Scope of the Assessment

Does environmental health just include human health effects from environmental sources? Does it include the health of the environment (ecology)? Does it include health and well-being of the community including quality of life, economic viability/prosperity, and social health? Team members will enter the process with completely different assumptions and opinions.

Define Key Terms

Define terms like health, health status, and environmental health. There is the potential for disagreement among assessment team members about the definition of even basic concepts, such as environment. For instance, “environment” may refer strictly to one’s physical surroundings, or it may include social conditions as well.

? Note: Problems such as homicide, intentional injury, and depression or suicide are examples of health outcomes that may be strongly influenced by one’s social environment. In these cases, living in a high-crime neighborhood represents a major risk factor and may be considered as significant a part of one’s environment as the more traditional considerations of clean water and air.

Questions to Consider:
Why is it important to develop a vision and goals for the assessment process? What role should the PACE EH coordinator play in developing the goals? Why is it important that the team agree upon a shared definition of environmental health?