A community that is described as having community competence has which of the following characteristics?

A community that is described as having community competence has which of the following characteristics?

• A. The ability to perform their own cross-sectional epidemiological studies
• B. The ability to delegate any community processes to an outside expert such as a community health nurse
• C. The ability to identify their needs, achieve consensus, and plan and implement goals
• D. The ability to predict morbidity and mortality rates for the population or geographic area

Answer: (C)

Community competence is about a community’s ability to act together through shared decision-making, planning, and implementation of solutions. It shows ownersh ip and empowerment when people identify their needs, reach consensus, and develop and carry out goals, with ongoing evaluation and adjustment. This collaborative process builds capacity and sustainability for improving health outcomes. The option describing identifying needs, achieving consensus, and planning and implementing goals best fits this idea because it demonstrates active, collective problem-solving and action. The other statements reflect individual or external tasks rather than the community-driven process: performing cross-sectional studies is a technical data-collection skill; delegating processes to an outside expert signals dependence on others rather than building internal capacity; predicting morbidity and mortality is epidemiologic forecasting, not the community’s collective planning and action.

Community competence is about a community’s ability to act together through shared decision-making, planning, and implementation of solutions. It shows ownersh ip and empowerment when people identify their needs, reach consensus, and develop and carry out goals, with ongoing evaluation and adjustment. This collaborative process builds capacity and sustainability for improving health outcomes.

The option describing identifying needs, achieving consensus, and planning and implementing goals best fits this idea because it demonstrates active, collective problem-solving and action. The other statements reflect individual or external tasks rather than the community-driven process: performing cross-sectional studies is a technical data-collection skill; delegating processes to an outside expert signals dependence on others rather than building internal capacity; predicting morbidity and mortality is epidemiologic forecasting, not the community’s collective planning and action.