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I understand that:

___Communities, like people, try to solve their problems

___Analyzing those problems helps in their solution

I have taken into consideration the following criteria for analyzing the problem:

___Frequency of the problem

___Duration of the problem

___Scope or range of the problem

___Severity of the problem

___Legality of the problem

___Perception of the problem

I understand the reasons to analyze the problem:

___To better identify what the problem or issue is

___To understand what is at the heart of a problem

___To determine the barriers and resources associated with addressing the problem

___To develop the best action plan for addressing the problem

I understand how to analyze a community problem:

___State the problem, in general terms

___Give some specific examples of the problem

___Think of some possible reasons or causes

___Find the most probable reason

___Identify some possible solutions

___Choose the best solution

___Implement that solution

___Evaluate the solution

I understand the value of analyzing community problems:

___Analyzing community problems can be hard work

___Real community problems are likely to be complex and hard to solve

___When I look for reasons and underlying causes for significant problems, I'm likely to find more than one

___The problem may not only have more than one reason; it may have more than one solution too

I have taken into consideration the following common criteria for the best possible solution:

___Cost

___Time

___People

___Obstacles

___Impact

I have asked the following questions to measure impact of the problem and its potential solution:

___How many people will be affected/ will benefit?

___For how long will they benefit? How long will the solution last?

___How intensely will they benefit -- what is the extent of impact on their lives?

___Are there any possible unanticipated consequences or side effects?

___What is the community's preference?

___What is the likelihood of success?

I have asked the following questions about the likelihood of success:

___What is the best evidence that this solution is going to work?

___Where has this solution been tried before, and what has been the outcome?

___What does expert opinion say on the probability of this solution being successful?

___Have there been research studies showing that this solution works, or is likely to work?

___Does my situation match others where this solution has been successful?

___Do I have personal direct experience using this kind of solution?

Contributor 
Bill Berkowitz