Helping the Community Analyze and Prioritize Issues Handout   Page 1 of 1

Helping the Community Analyze and Prioritize Issues

Different ways to discuss community issues before setting priorities

Some of the following suggestions may provide appropriate ways to discuss the issues your community has

identified as important. Depending on your list, select one or two ways to look at the choices you need not use

all of them.

1.

Urgency

2.

Level of interest or need: men/women/girls/boys, other differences

3.

Resources   achievable with locally available resources

4.

Cause effect analysis

5.

Scope/complexity   time involved, outside resources, etc.

6.

Risk

7.

Links to other projects, other organizations working on the issue, sources of support/information

Possible Ranking Criteria

Often ranking is done by using the criterion,  Which is most important?  Though useful to know, it may be that

the most important items are not ones within the power of the group or community to address. A second ranking

using one of the suggestions below might bring to the top of the list more achievable project ideas.

Which can we do within a year?

  complex vs. simple

  short term vs. long term

Which can we do with our own resources?

Which will benefit the most people?

Which might bring the biggest impact?

How (physically) can items be ranked?

Traditional methods of decision making (whatever means are culturally known and appropriate).

Voting

  Physically placing votes (stones, corn kernels, etc.)

  Voting by raising hands

  Secret ballot

Sampling various subgroups

Discussion to reach consensus

56