Conducting a Community Forum

Creating a community forum and encouraging good communication is the key to mobilizing a community and keeping members involved. The process of conducting a community forum and discussion could involve the following steps:

Involve the media Present both quantitative and qualitative data Lead a community discussion

On the basis of information collected during Step 2: Conducting a Community Health Assessment, it is important to convene a community forum to engage stakeholders and members of the community. A community forum is a venue for not only building commitments and involvement from the community-at-large but also encouraging a collective discussion for determining community concerns, discussing possibilities and setting priorities. Creating a community forum allows for public dialogue and exchange to:

• Examine community data to understand current policies, practices, and environmental factors related to healthy eating and active living
• Identify community programs and policies already addressing obesity
• Assess the community’s capacity and perspectives in addressing obesity
• Determine priorities, consensus, and community goals for an action plan