Community Assessment & Planning

Community Health Assessment

A community assessment is a systematic process for identifying a community’s health needs and assets. Needs assessments rely on local data to help tell the story of a community’s health challenges and methods for navigating them. Needs assessments use this data to identify discrepancies between a community’s needs and its system capacity that warrant further investigation and investment. This is summarized in the Community Health Assessment (CHA).

Community Health Assessment 2024-2027 (PDF)

Community Health Assessment Summary 2024-2027 (PDF)

Community Health Improvement Plan

The CHA is part of an ongoing broader community health improvement process. After a community assessment is completed, the data is analyzed – with involvement from the community – and used to identify priority issues, develop and implement strategies for action, and establish accountability to ensure measurable health improvement. This is outlined in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP is a community-wide plan informed by and used by department partners.

Community Health Improvement Plan 2020-2024 (PDF)

Strategic Plan

An organizational strategic plan provides the Public Health Department and its stakeholders with a clear picture of where the department is headed, what it plans to achieve, the methods by which it will succeed, and the measures to monitor progress. The Strategic Plan is aligned with the community health improvement process and other important planning and evaluation work.

Strategic Plan 2019-2024 (PDF)

Data used in the Community Health Assessment and other projects comes from a wide variety of data sources. Some data is gathered firsthand by the community health board in the form of community surveys or focus groups. Other data is gathered from data collected by someone else such as the Minnesota Department of Health or healthcare facilities. Some common public health data sources include:

• Census
• County Health Rankings
• Minnesota Student Survey

The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) supports community-driven solutions to expand opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living, helping all people in Minnesota prevent chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Where SHIP Works

• Communities
• Schools and child care
• Workplaces
• Health care

How SHIP Works

Thanks to SHIP, Minnesota communities are:

• increasing access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, local corner stores, emergency food programs, mobile markets and other food retailers
• serving healthier foods and increasing access to physical activity opportunities at schools and child care facilities
• making biking and walking easier in Minnesota towns and cities
• taking steps to make multi-unit housing sites smoke free
• working with small- and mid-sized employers to improve workers’ health and productivity
• working with health care sites to strengthen connections to community to ensure that patients are referred to evidence-based programs in their area
• supporting new moms so its easier for them to breastfeed after they return to work or school
• and more.

SHIP = local leadership, local partners and local expertise

SHIP work is directed by local community leadership teams that bring expertise and connections to the table. The complex, comprehensive nature of this work requires strong relationships, partnerships and expertise at the local level.

Local Resources

PartnerSHIP 4 Health

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The Minnesota Public Health system, along with the rest of the nation, has been working on a new framework of needed skills and abilities (known as foundational capabilities) that every public health agency should be able to offer to their constituents. This framework includes 9 foundational capabilities, including data and epidemiology (see the image below).   The Partnership4Health Community Health Board (comprised of Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, and Wilkin counties) was awarded a grant in May 2022 from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to strengthen and create a public health system for the 21st century using this framework. Our project area is specifically looking at increasing  our public health departments’ capability around data and epidemiology. These innovative projects will be used to explore ways to pilot this framework, as a statewide effort to modernize our public health system. Partnership4Health was one of only 16 grants awarded across the state! 

Increase capacity in data and epidemiology across jurisdictions while building data-sharing and disease reporting relationships across state borders. 

Partnership4Health will build its capacity in data and epidemiology through a shared staff position across four health departments within the jurisdiction. This role will collaborate to support community health board and county needs, and will allow for active data review and necessary surveillance. In addition, a key component to this role will be building ongoing relationships with North Dakota partners on ways to improve data sharing and disease reporting. This approach will help Minnesota explore the right fit for coordination between partners at the state, regional, and local level, and will generate insights about cross-border relationships and coordination. Partnership4Health includes Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, and Wilkin counties

For more information and to read about other awarded projects, visit This Website