Needs
Assessment
Five Points of Entry
Transform Existing
Program
• Identify existing project or activity
• Examine for learning opportunities
• Exchange resources & ideas
• Example:
Canned Food Drive
Standard Curriculum
• Identify specific content and skill
• Area supports learning
• Look for additional learning
opportunities
• Example:
• Learning Citizenship through
discussion with elected officials
Theme or Unit
• Begin with broad theme or topic
• Identify specific content and skill area
• Select a service application
• Example:
Childhood obesity
Cancer
Student-Identified
• Identify student skills, talents and interests
• Students define problem, need
• Students lead implementation
• Example:
Transform empty lot into playground
Community-Identified
• Community request assistance
• Adults, students and community
partners identify learning opportunities
• Example:
• Tutoring
“Most people are mirrors, reflecting
the moods and emotions of the
times. Some people are windows,
bringing light to bear on the dark
corners where troubles fester.”
Sydney J. Harris
Types of Needs Assessments
•
•
•
•
Surveys
Focus Groups
Door-to-Door Canvassing
Interviews
Focus Groups & Interviews
Survey
Focus
Group
Interview
Population
Wide crosssection of
people
Group
discussion
One-on-one
conversation
Types of
Questions
Multiple
choice,
Ratings,
Rankings,
Open-ended
10 – 15 open-ended
questions
Demographics Optional: Name, age, race/ethnicity, contact
information
Recording
information
Survey
Instrument
Notes
Designing Questions
• Design questions that help
respondents consider their ideal
community
• Include questions that provide an
opportunity for respondents to
identify the challenges of reaching
the ideal and reflect on the needs of
the community
Tips for Success
• Ask a variety of people, even those
you don’t know to get a more wellrounded picture of the needs
• Be prepared to explain what the
survey/focus group/interview is
about, why it is important, and how
the results will be used in a few
short sentences
• Try to be unbiased