META-ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY

REVIEW SURVEYSJosh Hightree

Background

How did I get involved with this project? Center for Resilient Rural Communities

Funded attendance at Aberdeen Community Review

Funded research over summer and current term

Would like to understand issues in rural Idaho Support from Jon Barrett, Lorie Higgins,

Mike Field, Andy Kliskey (CRRC Director)

Meta-analysis of what?

Community Reviews (CR’s) include:Pre-review surveysVisits to the community

○ Listening sessions○ Three focus areas with teams○ Tours, meetings, meals, discussions

Community Review Report to summarize

Surveys were quantitative and extensive

Analysis Statistics

26 of 31 communities had

surveys analyzed

Geographically well distributed 74 questions on average per survey

Each survey customized to community 212 unique questions on Likert scales

Open ended questions excluded

Forming “Meta-questions” Within survey compressions

Average “Number of banks” & “Quantity of banks” into a “Number / quality of banks”

Average similar questions (Elementary & High School education to make K-12)

Multiple survey compressionsCombine “Quality of library” and “Condition

of library” from different surveys into “Quality of library”

Meta-question Statistics

Condensed 212 questions to 67 meta-questions

Excluded questions with <6 communities

15 communities on average for each 3500 respondents on average for each

meta-question

Challenging Areas – See handout

Challenging Area Themes Recreational Opportunities

Teens and Adults

Jobs variety and quality

Vocational or post-secondary training opportunities

Strength Areas

Strength Area Themes

Social CapitalFriendliness / neighborliness of residentsFire protection (volunteer based)Involvement of churches in communityLibraryBanks? Ambulance?

Health careExcluding Mental Health

Population / Remoteness Correlations

Population Themes

Smaller communities lacked manufactured / built capital

Smaller communities possessed greater social capital

There were “cliffs” where impacts seemed to escalateShown on handout as > or < population

Temporal Correlations

Temporal Correlations

Perceived sliding of educational quality

Housing availability and condition both down, with condition shifting in ~2005

Surprisingly few other correlations Supports the use of averages of the 14

years to find themes

Spatial Correlations

Relatively little correlation throughout the stateSupports the state-wide nature of the

themes

Spatial differences driven by Remoteness / PopulationHowever, central Idaho is more remote

Questions

Methodology?

State-wide Trends?

Population Correlations?

Spatial or Temporal Correlations?