A Conceptual Framework for Assessing Community Capabilities to Address Resource-Need Alignment

摘要

This paper examines the need for a community capability index as an assessment tool to better align the needs of underdeveloped communities with the resources of aid providers. The development of a community capability index has become more and more important for prioritizing the deployment of increasingly limited resources. In this paper, a survey of current theoretical models is conducted and a proposed framework is developed. A discussion of alternative methods for assessing and measuring the capabilities of a community is presented. A meta-analysis of existing literature in the area is offered, and methods for creating and validating community capability indices are explored. A description of further investigation into resource capabilities is given, and the constructs of these categories are identified. Our findings are: (1) A general model for evaluating community capabilities can be used to support better alignment of resources with needs, (2) A systematic approach for identifying capability constructs can support better insight into prioritizing assistance, and (3) A community capability matrix in the form of a "basic community capability index" (BCCI) can support a relative comparison evaluation along a continuous scaled metric. The framework proposed here is presented as an initial approach for evaluating community distress, prioritizing assistance, and aligning aid resources.