This theory-based, field-tested survey instrument assesses a community's resilience across multiple domains (Connection and Caring, Resources, Transformative Potential, Disaster Management, and Information and Communication), explores participants' personal relationship to their community, and queries standard demographics. The CART survey design encourages the addition of items to address specific concerns for a sponsoring organization and/or the community of being assessed. Survey results provide a snapshot of strengths and challenges that are meaningful for the particular community and for organizations participating in the process.
Overview
CART
Pfefferbaum, R. L., Pfefferbaum, B., & Van Horn, R. L. (2011, 2013 May). Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) Survey. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Terrorism and Disaster Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Request information by email at: tdc@ouhsc.edu. Versions of the survey instrument are available in the online CART manual at the Terrorism and Disaster Center website at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center: http://www.oumedicine.com/psychiatry/research/terrorism-and-disaster-center (see Interventions: Community Resilience)
Administration
Varies by question. Core community resilience items use a 5 point scale:
1=Strongly Disagree
2=Disagree
3=Neither Disagree Nor Agree
4=Agree
5=Strongly Agree
| Domains | Scale | Sample Items |
|---|---|---|
| Connection and Caring | People in this community feel like they belong to the community. People in this community are committed to the well-being of the community. | |
| Resources | This community has the resources it needs to take care of community problems (resources include money, information, technology, tools, raw materials, and services). People in this community are able to get the services they need. | |
| Transformative Potential | People in this community work together to improve the community. This community develops skills and finds resources to solve its problems and reach its goals. | |
| Disaster Management | This community actively prepares for future disasters. This community can provide emergency services during a disaster. | |
| Information and Communication | This community has mechanisms for routinely providing accurate information to residents about local issues. This community has a person(s) who is trusted to deliver accurate information to its residents in time of need or crisis. |
Training
basic statistical calculations
Parallel or Alternate Forms
Optional questions are available to address a variety of issues. Sponsoring organizations and communities can add questions in accordance with their specific interests.
Psychometrics
| Internal Consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the CART Survey instrument dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Constructs | CRI sample (Fall 2008) | CCC sample (Spring 2009) |
| Connection and Caring | 0.81 | 0.85 |
| Transformative Potential | 0.80 | 0.69 |
| Resources | 0.92 | 0.87 |
| Disaster Management | 0.85 | 0.84 |
Pfefferbaum, R.L., Neas, B. R., Pfefferbaum, B., Norris, F.H., & Van Horn RL (2013). The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): Development of a survey instrument to assess community resilience. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 15(1), 15-30.
Pfefferbaum, R.L., Neas, B. R., Pfefferbaum, B., Norris, F.H., & Van Horn RL (2013). The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): Development of a survey instrument to assess community resilience. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 15(1), 15-30
| Validity Type | Not known | Not found | Nonclincal Samples | Clinical Samples | Diverse Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convergent/Concurrent | x | ||||
| Discriminant | x | ||||
| Sensitive to Change | x | ||||
| Intervention Effects | x | ||||
| Longitudinal/Maturation Effects | |||||
| Sensitive to Theoretically Distinct Groups | x | ||||
| Factorial Validity | x |
Pfefferbaum, R.L., Neas, B. R., Pfefferbaum, B., Norris, F.H., & Van Horn RL (2013). The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): Development of a survey instrument to assess community resilience. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 15(1), 15-30.
| Not Known | Not Found | Nonclinical Samples | Clinical Samples | Diverse Samples | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predictive Validity: | x | ||||
| Postdictive Validity: | x |
Difficult to assess criterion validity given the absence of other validated instruments measuring the resilience of a community to disasters. Further studies are needed to determine the range of scores needed for a community to be deemed resilient.
Translations
| Language: | Translated | Back Translated | Reliable | Good Psychometrics | Similar Factor Structure | Norms Available | Measure Developed for This Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Spanish | x | x |
Population Information
Data from four field test samples were used to refine the survey instrument: (1) an initial mixed sample involving faith-based groups in two rural communities (n = 81), representatives of multiple community agencies (e.g., fire, hospitals, mental health, police, public health, schools) in a city of approximately 25,000 residents (n = 48), and community college social work students in a city of 1.5 million people (n = 44) which together created the total sample (N = 173); (2) a sample of affiliated volunteer responders from the Phoenix, Arizona, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program (N=225); (3) a sample consisting of residents in five poverty neighborhoods in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana (N=352); and (4) a community sample (drawn to be random, with oversampling in neighborhoods identified as particularly vulnerable) from Abilene, Texas (N=453).
| Population Type: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pros & Cons/References
1. Instrument is theory-based, field-tested, and evidence-informed. 2. It is one of a limited number of available measures of community resilience. 3. The instrument permits the identification of community strengths and challenges based on perceptions of community members.
1. In that the instrument measures the perceptions of community members, it does not provide an externally-based, objective measure of a community’s resilience.
Pfefferbaum, R.L., Neas, B.R., Pfefferbaum, B., Norris, F.H., & Van Horn RL (2013). The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): Development of a survey instrument to assess community resilience. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 15(1), 15-30. Pfefferbaum, R.L., Pfefferbaum, B., & Van Horn, R.L. (2011, 2013 May). Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): The CART Integrated System. Oklahoma City, OK: Terrorism and Disaster Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Pfefferbaum, R.L., Pfefferbaum, B., Van Horn, R.L., Klomp, R.W., Norris, F.H., & Reissman, D.B. (2013). The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART): An intervention to build community resilience to disasters. J Public Health Management Practice, 19(3), 250–258. Pfefferbaum, R.L., Pfefferbaum, B., Van Horn, R.L., Neas, B.R., & Houston, J.B. (2013). Building community resilience to disasters through a community-based intervention: CART© applications. Journal of Emergency Management, 11(2), 151-159.