Resources that provide prevention information and practical strategies are powerful tools for promoting health and well-being. At the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, we frequently develop resources to support primary prevention efforts across the province. However, creating a resource involves more than sharing information; it requires ensuring the content is accurate, relevant, and aligned with the real needs of the people it is intended to serve. With every resource we create, we aim to build on strengths, address existing gaps, and reflect the evolving priorities of Saskatchewan communities. To ensure this, we adopt a systematic process, including a strong quality assurance review.

Often, a key starting point in this process is a needs assessment. This crucial step allows us to listen closely to community members, service providers, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders. Through surveys, focus groups, consultations, and other methods, we gather valuable insights into existing strengths and resources, what information is lacking, what challenges people face, and what resources would be most helpful for users to gain the optimum benefits. These findings enable us to create practical, meaningful, and community-driven materials.

Equally important is our commitment to grounding every resource in the latest scientific evidence and best practices. We develop impactful and trustworthy materials by integrating community perspectives with credible research. Whether it is a simple booklet to help parents talk with their children about alcohol, a toolkit to support youth in starting difficult conversations, or resources that assist service providers in preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), our work begins with community input and is strengthened by evidence.

Needs assessments are more than planning tools; they reflect our commitment to equity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. When community voices guide the process, the results are stronger, more relevant, and more likely to create meaningful change. Beyond supporting individual resources, our approach contributes to building long-term community capacity and resilience. We help equip individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and service providers with practical and empowering resources by identifying what matters most to communities and aligning this with current evidence. In this way, resource development becomes a pathway to strengthening prevention infrastructure and fostering health promotion in Saskatchewan.

A recent example of this approach is our ongoing work with the Northern Alcohol Strategy (NAS). In 2024, the FASD Prevention Program conducted a needs assessment to better understand the learning needs and interests of service providers and individuals using the NAS learning platform. Two key priorities emerged:

• How communities can create local solutions to address alcohol-related challenges.
• How service providers can collaborate more effectively to reduce alcohol-related harm.

To ensure our response was grounded in evidence, we completed a comprehensive evidence summary on community-led strategies and a literature review of three collaborative models for preventing alcohol-related harm. These reviews helped us identify best practices, understand what has worked in similar contexts, and explore how to adapt these approaches to meet local needs. These findings are now being developed into practical, accessible learning resources for the NAS platform. Ongoing consultations with the NAS, including sharing preliminary findings, discussing implications, and exploring next steps, help ensure our work remains aligned with their needs.

This example illustrates how needs assessments are the starting point for informed, evidence-based resource development. The result is a range of resources that reflect community priorities and are built on proven approaches. By continuously integrating experience with leading knowledge, we are responding to needs and advancing prevention leadership in Saskatchewan.