Community needs assessments are so common in public health that they’re sometimes seen as routine. A requirement. A checkbox. Something we do because it’s expected.

But when we strip away the buzzwords and templates, the purpose remains deeply meaningful:

A needs assessment is an opportunity to stop assuming and start listening.

Community health needs assessments are the foundation of effective public health strategy. But too often, they rely solely on existing data sources — datasets that miss the very voices most impacted by inequities.

Here’s how to design an equity-centered, mixed-methods assessment using the five steps of the Insight to Impact Roadmap.

In my work, I see the same pattern over and over: community engagement is the backbone of effective public health, and small missteps can stall great work.

The good news: once you spot these patterns, you can turn stagnant outreach into steady, trusted participation that moves health outcomes.