Developing a scale of community capacity: testing community organizations in Taiwan

Abstract

Summary This study focused on the development of a scale to assess community capacity. The concept of community capacity has become a core concept in governmental community-based programs in recent years. Community capacity is also considered to be the foundation for promoting community health service programs. Although some scholars have engaged in the study of community capacity issues, the discussion pertaining to a community capacity scale remains nascent. Thus, in order to develop a community capacity scale, this research followed a methodology consisting of reviewing relevant literature, conducting expert focus groups and employing the Delphi technique. Finally, the six-dimensional modified draft scale, which consisted of 24 indicators in total was tested in 97 community organizations across seven Taiwanese counties in July and August 2016. The developed community capacity scale includes six dimensions, namely leadership and organization, administrative management, resource mobilization, residents’ participation, collaborative work and network and public relations and initiatives. Each dimension includes four indicators, and each indicator has clear descriptions to aid assessment and evaluation. The tested data was evaluated for its reliability, content validity, criterion validity and examined by factor analysis. The results show that the developed scale is highly reliable, valid and is suitable for professional community work. The scale could be used as a reference tool in developing community service plans and reviewing the effects of community programs. Undeniable, this scale still has limitations in Taiwan context, and the test with a limitation for its sample size and characteristics.