Running head: Capstone Prospectus 1. Capstone Prospectus

Transcription

1 Running head: Capstone Prospectus 1 Capstone Prospectus Janet Prell September 15, 2015 PUAD 5361 Dr. Allan Wallis University of Colorado-Denver School of Public Affairs

2 Capstone Prospectus 2 My Capstone project is a client-based research effort for Foothills United Way (FHUW). FHUW s Community Resilience Director, Amy Hardy, will be the client contact person as well as third reader for the project. Dr. Allan Wallis of the University of Colorado Denver s School of Public Affairs will be first reader for the project and Dr. Danielle Varda, also of the University of Colorado Denver s School of Public Affairs, will be second reader for the project. This project will involve implementing a survey instrument and collecting secondary data to assess community needs in a designated geographical area of Boulder County, Colorado. Additionally, the project will provide FHUW with results of the data collection efforts and an overview of the current situation regarding identified issues. FHUW is a non-profit organization operating in Broomfield and Boulder Counties, Colorado. FHUW works with community members, local government agencies, and donors to identify community needs and match resources and services to those needs. Currently, FHUW is a partner in the Peak to Peak Health and Human Services Task Force (Task Force). The Peak to Peak region is a geographic sub-area of western Boulder county (and a small part of neighboring Gilpin County) that includes the mountain communities of Allenspark, Bar K Ranch, Coal Creek, Eldora, Glendale (Boulder County), Gold Hill, Jamestown, Nederland, Rollinsville, Sugarloaf, Sunshine, Ward, and other small neighborhoods. The Task Force is a collaborative group of individuals representing residents, non-profit organizations, units of local government, and other interested parties that conducts strategic planning for human services in the region.

3 Capstone Prospectus 3 The Peak to Peak region of Boulder County, for geographic and cultural reasons, is a difficult area in which to assess the needs for human services and provide adequate support for those services (A. Hardy, personal communication, August 13, 2015). The Four Mile Fire of 2010 and the Flood of 2013 caused devastating effects for residents in the region that included loss of life, pets, housing, vehicles, residential bridges, access to groceries, and other critical features of daily life (A. Hardy, personal communication, August 13, 2015). In the wake of these natural disasters, formal and informal community leaders of the Peak to Peak region organized the Task Force to address gaps in human services. To implement its strategic planning, however, the Task Force needs empirical data that adequately describes the region geographically and demographically as well as articulates needs in three primary areas of concern: health care, transportation, and housing. FHUW wants this project to illustrate a picture of the health care, transportation, and housing needs in the Peak to Peak region and capture data that can be used to further the Task Force s strategic planning. The problem presented by this project is: what are the gaps in services, specifically related to health care, transportation, and housing, in the Peak to Peak region? The research question this project seeks to answer is: what is the current status of health care, transportation, and housing needs in the Peak to Peak region? To answer this research question, the project will accomplish the following: map the Peak to Peak region using a Geographic Information System (GIS) as provided by ICON Engineering, an engineering firm in Centennial, Colorado.

4 Capstone Prospectus 4 develop a description of the Peak to Peak region that includes geographic boundaries, names of towns and neighborhoods, and general demographic information. define what is meant by health care, transportation and housing needs or gaps in services in collaboration with the client. construct and implement a mixed methods survey instrument that includes interviews of key informants (local formal and informal leaders) and a survey of area residents concerning health care, transportation, and housing needs. summarize the status of health care, transportation, and housing needs in the Peak to Peak region using primary and secondary data collected. I am currently conducting a literature review on community needs assessments and rural studies of the three identified issues. In conjunction with the literature review, I am researching samples of key informant interviews and community surveys. There is existing literature on Community Health Needs Assessments, in which I have found several sample interview and survey formats. There is limited literature on needs assessment surveys for transportation and housing issues so I have contacted individuals with the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and other transportation authorities, the Colorado Division of Housing, and several authors who have conducted needs assessments in these areas in the hopes of obtaining sample interview and survey materials. Once I have constructed the survey instrument, I intend to contact key informants, as identified in collaboration with Ms. Hardy, to set up face-to-face interviews. Key informant interviews provide an opportunity to move beyond statistics, ask open-ended

5 Capstone Prospectus 5 questions, and obtain information on the key informant s feelings, attitudes, and perceptions; I anticipate these interviews will add context to the data collected in the paper survey and from secondary sources (Varda, 2013). Potential key informants include leaders of the Nederland Area Seniors, Teens Inc., area schools, regional faith organizations, the Nederland Food Pantry, fire districts, police and marshal departments, town governments, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, Columbine Family Care, Simpson Dentistry, the Nederland Community Center, or the Allenspark Old Gallery (community center). Simultaneously, I intend to contact directors of regional organizations to obtain permission to offer paper-based surveys, pencils, and collection containers in their lobbies or other appropriate locations in the hope of collecting a number of resident surveys that is sufficient to represent a valid statistical study. In addition to my own efforts encouraging survey participation, I anticipate asking Ms. Hardy and these directors, who have extensive contact with community members, for assistance in encouraging residents to fill out the survey. Possibilities for survey distribution sites include the Nederland Community Center, Nederland Town Hall, Mountain Midlife Breakfasts and Dinners, Nederland Community Library, Ward Town Hall, the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center, the Old Gallery in Allenspark (a community center), or other locations and events as identified in collaboration with Ms. Hardy. While awaiting survey results, I will collect data from secondary sources. A key source of secondary data for the region will be the U.S. Census Bureau, but I anticipate other sources will include Boulder County government agencies, Colorado state

6 Capstone Prospectus 6 government agencies, the Nederland 2014 Housing Survey, the 2014 Healthy Kids Colorado survey, and other sources as identified in collaboration with Ms. Hardy. After completed surveys are received and interviews conducted, the data will be analyzed. The primary and secondary data will be brought together to illustrate the current situation in the Peak to Peak region for health care, transportation, and housing needs. I anticipate meeting with Dr. Wallis, Dr. Varda, and Ms. Hardy throughout the project to solicit additional ideas to effectively complete the project. My time line for this project is as follows: August 28, 2015: Memorandum of Understanding and reader agreement forms provided to Dr. Wallis. Prospectus draft submitted. Phone conversation with Dr. Wallis on August 31, 2015 regarding draft Prospectus. September 4, 2015: Final Prospectus submitted. Draft of GIS regional mapping completed. September 8, 2015: Draft literature review submitted to Dr. Wallis for review. September 11, 2015: Draft survey instrument submitted to Dr. Wallis for review. Phone conversation with Dr. Wallis on September 14, 2015 to discuss literature review and survey instrument. Submit draft survey instrument to client. September 14 September 25, 2015: Receive final approval from Dr. Wallis on survey instrument. Receive final approval from client on survey instrument. Contact location directors to request permission to display surveys and supporting materials. Contact key informants to set up interviews.

7 Capstone Prospectus 7 Prepare materials for survey to include copies, writing utensils, and collection boxes. September 16, 2015: Peak to Peak Task Force meeting: provide drafts of GIS map and initial collection of demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. September 25, 2015: First Draft of Project due to Dr. Wallis. September 25 - October 23, 2015: Conduct face-to-face interviews with key informants. Distribute surveys in key locations and at events with writing utensils and collection boxes provided. Key informants may be asked to hand out surveys to individuals in their organizations and/or neighborhoods. Surveys will be available for resident input from September 25 through October 23, 2015 (surveys will be periodically retrieved from collection boxes during this time). Begin tabulations of returned surveys. October 21, 2105: Peak to Peak Task Force meeting: provide update on project. October 23, 2015: Retrieve final completed surveys from collection boxes. Continue tabulations of returned surveys. Continue collection of secondary data. October 30, 2015: Complete data analysis. Second Draft of Project due to Dr. Wallis. November 6, 2015: Final draft submitted to all readers. November 7 20, 2015: Meet with readers, incorporate feedback, finalize project. November 18, 2015: Peak to Peak Task Force meeting (tentative). November 30 December 11, 2015: Formal presentation of project (TBD).

8 Capstone Prospectus 8 December 16, 2015: Peak to Peak Task Force meeting: present final project if desired by client.

9 Capstone Prospectus 9 References Varda, D. (2013). Overview: analytic methods topic II: qualitative methods. Lecture Notes: Research-Analytic Methods. Denver, CO: Author.