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The Capacity Inventory

 

This copyright material may be reprinted with the following attribution: "Reprinted with permission of John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, pp. 19-25, from Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets, Evanston, IL: Institute for Policy Research (1993)."

 

Hello. I'm with (local organization's name). We're talking to local people about their skills. With this information, we hope to help people contribute to improving the neighborhood, find jobs or start businesses. May I ask you some questions about your skills and abilities?

 

Part I -- Skills Information

 

    Now I'm going to read to you a list of skills. It's an extensive list, so I hope you'll bear with me. I'll read the skills and you just say "yes" whenever we get to one you have.

    We are interested in all your skills and abilities. They may have been learned through experience in the home or with your family. They may be skills you've learned at church or in the community. They may also be skills you have learned on the job.

     

     

      Health


        Caring for the Elderly ________
        Caring for the Mentally Ill ________
        Caring for the Sick ________
        Caring for the Physically Disabled or Developmentally Disabled ________

      Now, I would like to know about the kind of care you provided.

        Bathing ________
        Feeding ________
        Preparing Special Diets ________
        Exercising and Escorting ________
        Grooming ________
        Dressing ________
        Making the Person Feel at Ease ________

         

       

      Office

        Typing (words per minute) ________
        Operating Adding Machine/Calculator ________
        Filing Alphabetically/Numerically ________
        Taking Phone Messages ________
        Writing Business Letters (not typing) ________
        Receiving Phone Orders ________
        Operating Switchboard ________
        Keeping Track of Supplies ________
        Shorthand or Speedwriting ________
        Bookkeeping ________
        Entering Information into Computer ________
        Word Processing ________

         

       

      Construction and Repair


        Painting ________
        Porch Construction or Repair ________
        Tearing Down Buildings ________
        Knocking Out Walls ________
        Wall Papering ________
        Furniture Repairs ________
        Repairing Locks ________
        Building Garages ________
        Bathroom Modernization ________
        Building Room Additions ________
        Tile Work ________
        Installing Drywall & Taping ________
        Plumbing Repairs ________
        Electrical Repairs ________
        Bricklaying & Masonry ________
        Cabinetmaking ________
        Kitchen Modernization ________
        Furniture Making ________
        Installing Insulation ________
        Plastering ________
        Soldering & Welding ________
        Concrete Work (sidewalks) ________
        Installing Floor Coverings ________
        Repairing Chimneys ________
        Heating/Cooling System Installation ________
        Putting on Siding ________
        Tuckpointing ________
        Cleaning Chimneys (chimney sweep) ________
        Installing Windows ________
        Building Swimming Pools ________
        Carpentry Skills ________
        Roofing Repair or Installation ________

         

       

      Maintenance


        Window Washing ________
        Floor Waxing or Mopping ________
        Washing and Cleaning Carpets/Rugs ________
        Routing Clogged Drains ________
        Using a Handtruck in a Business ________
        Caulking ________
        General Household Cleaning ________
        Fixing Leaky Faucets ________
        Mowing Lawns ________
        Planting & Caring for Gardens ________
        Pruning Trees & Shrubbery ________
        Cleaning/Maintaining Swimming Pools ________
        Floor Sanding or Stripping ________
        Wood Stripping/Refinishing ________

         

       

      Food


        Catering ________
        Serving Food to Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________
        Preparing Meals for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________
        Clearing/Setting Tables for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________
        Washing Dishes for Large Numbers of People (over 10) ________
        Operating Commercial Food Preparation Equipment ________
        Bartending ________
        Meatcutting ________
        Baking ________

         

       

      Child Care


        Caring for Babies (under 1 year) ________
        Caring for Children (1 to 6) ________
        Caring for Children (7 to 13) ________
        Taking Children on Field Trips ________

         

       

      Transportation


        Driving a Car ________
        Driving a Van ________
        Driving a Bus ________
        Driving a Taxi ________
        Driving a Tractor Trailer ________
        Driving a Commercial Truck ________
        Driving a Vehicle/Delivering Goods ________
        Hauling ________
        Operating Farm Equipment ________
        Driving an Ambulance ________

         

       

      Operating Equipment & Repairing Machinery


        Repairing Radios, TVs, VCRs, Tape Recorders ________
        Repairing Other Small Appliances ________
        Repairing Automobiles ________
        Repairing Trucks/Buses ________
        Repairing Auto/Truck/Bus Bodies ________
        Using a Forklift ________
        Repairing Large Household Equipment (e.g., refrigerator) ________
        Repairing Heating & Air Conditioning System ________
        Operating a Dump Truck ________
        Fixing Washers/Dryers ________
        Repairing Elevators ________
        Operating a Crane ________
        Assembling Items ________

         

       

      Supervision


        Writing Reports ________
        Filling out Forms ________
        Planning Work for Other People ________
        Directing the Work of Other People ________
        Making a Budget ________
        Keeping Records of All Your Activities ________
        Interviewing People ________

         

       

      Sales


        Operating a Cash Register ________
        Selling Products Wholesale or for Manufacturer (If yes, which products?) ________
        Selling Products Retail (If yes, which products?) ________
        Selling Services (If yes, which services?) ________
        How have you sold these products or services? ________
          Door to Door ________
          Phone ________
          Mail ________
          Store ________
          Home

       

      Music


        Singing ________
        Play an Instrument (Which one?) ________

         

       

      Security


        Guarding Residential Property ________
        Guarding Commercial Property ________
        Guarding Industrial Property ________
        Armed Guard ________
        Crowd Control ________
        Ushering at Major Events ________
        Installing Alarms or Security Systems ________
        Repairing Alarms or Security Systems ________
        Firefighting

      Other


        Upholstering ________
        Sewing ________
        Dressmaking ________
        Crocheting ________
        Knitting ________
        Tailoring ________
        Moving Furniture or Equipment to Different Locations ________
        Managing Property ________
        Assisting in the Classroom ________
        Hair Dressing ________
        Hair Cutting ________
        Phone Surveys ________
        Jewelry or Watch Repair ________

      Are there any other skills that you have which we haven't mentioned?

       

      Priority Skills


        When you think about your skills, what three things do you think you do best?
        Which of all your skills are good enough that other people would hire you to do them?
        Are there any skills you would like to teach?
        What skills would you most like to learn?

         

     

    Part II -- Community Skills

     

      Have you ever organized or participated in any of the following community activities?
        Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts ________
        Church Fundraisers ________
        Bingo ________
        School-Parent Associations ________
        Sports Teams ________
        Camp Trips for Kids ________
        Field Trips ________
        Political Campaigns ________
        Block Clubs ________
        Community Groups ________
        Rummage Sales ________
        Yard Sales ________
        Church Suppers ________
        Community Gardens ________
        Neighborhood Organization ________
        Other Groups or Community Work? ________

      Let me read the list again. Tell me in which of these you would be willing to participate in the future.

       

     

    Part III -- Enterprising Interests and Experience

     

     

      Business Interest


        Have you ever considered starting a business? Yes _____No _____
        If yes, what kind of business did you have in mind?
        Did you plan to start it alone or with other people? Alone _____Others _____
        Did you plan to operate it out of your home? Yes _____No _____
        What obstacle kept you from starting the business?

       

      Business Activity


        Are you currently earning money on your own through the sale of services or products?Yes _____No _____


        If yes, what are the services or products you sell?
        Whom do you sell to?
        How do you get customers?
        What would help you improve your business?

         

     

    Part IV -- Personal Information

     

      Name
      _____________________________

      Address
      _____________________________

      Phone
      _____________________________

      Age
      _____________________________

      Sex: F_____ M_______

       

       

Click here to see the next pages of the Capacity Inventory document.
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