A simple systems model for community programs

Abstract

A simple model for general application to the planning and evaluation of community programs is presented. It is based on a systems approach and consists of seven procedural steps: overview, need assessment, goal-setting, resource organization, action, reviews, and outcome statements. Feedback information is used to correct and improve system performance. Two examples of the model in use are given to illustrate both its application and its generality. These concern the management of individual patients in a community-oriented psychiatric ward program and the organization of a comprehensive community development project. The feature common to these applications is the ability of the model to reduce complex endeavors to a few manageable steps, with no loss of comprehensiveness.