Needs Assessment Methodologies
Description
Needs
Assessment
Methodologies
Questionnaires
Useful for collecting information from relatively large numbers of people. Questionnaires can be
 qualititative, i.e. ask open questions which can be responded to in a variety of different ways,
easy to design but harder to analyse, or
 quantitative, i.e. use closed questions, i.e. questions that require yes/no answers, box ticking
or scale answers, harder to design but easier to analyse.
http://www.sociology.org.uk/methodq.pdf
http://www.samplequestionnaire.com/category/questionnaire-design
http://www.samplequestionnaire.com/category/research-questionnaire
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife/postgraduate/choosing.asp#Developing
Survey Monkey
Survey Monkey User Manual: This user’s manual guides you through all areas of Survey Monkey. It
takes you from start to finish covering topics such as creating and upgrading accounts, designing
surveys, collecting responses, analyzing data, and managing accounts.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/SurveyMonkeyFiles/UserManual.pdf
Individual
interviews
(face to face or
telephone)
Structured or semi-structured, used for identifying expressed needs (which may or may not also be
felt needs), suitable for small numbers and for gathering qualitative data, time-consuming and
resource intensive, dependent on skills of interviewer and allows for probing and expanding on
issues.
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife/postgraduate/choosing.asp#Qualitative2
http://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/Interview%20Fri.pdf
Focus groups
A qualitative method of needs assessment. A group interview that explicitly uses group interaction as
part of the method to generate data, i.e. people are encouraged to talk to each other and ask
questions, exchange anecdotes and comment on each others' experiences and points of view.
http://www.ucc.ie/hfrg/emmus/methods/focus.html
http://www.frontend.com/design/focus-groups-advantages-limitations.html
Rapid Appraisal
A research method used to quickly identify the health needs and priorities of the target population
without great expense; researchers interview key informants with knowledge of the area e.g.
professionals, including youth workers and health professionals, community leaders, informal
network contacts.
http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/scrcs_00672
6.hcsp
http://www.usaid.gov/policy/evalweb/documents/TIPS-UsingRapidAppraisalMethods.pdf
Field work or
Observation
Where researchers observe a particular group in their own environment and make recommendations
regarding needs based on their observations; dependent on the skills of the researcher; can be
subjective and open to interpretation; may have ethical implications.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/public-engagement/research/toolkits/Methods/Observations.pdf
Draw & Write
Technique
Suitable for assessing the needs of children and young people. Useful for gathering qualitative
information on sensitive subjects. Involves no or few literacy skills, involves drawing pictures on some
aspect of participant’s life or experience and then labelling or describing the drawing. Non–intrusive,
cost effective, can be used with individuals and groups.
http://her.oxfordjournals.org/content/14/3/387.full.pdf+html
http://www.nuigalway.ie/health_promotion/documents/S_Nic_Gabhainn/2002_ja_draw_write_tech
nique_he_1022.pdf
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Needs
Assessment
Methodologies
Open Space
Technology
Description
Open Space Technology (OST) is an approach for hosting meetings, conferences, corporate-style
retreats, and community summit events, focused on a specific and important purpose or task—but
beginning without any formal agenda, beyond the overall purpose or theme. OST has been used in
meetings of 5 to 2,100 people. The approach is characterized by few basic mechanisms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Graphic /Visual
Harvesting or
Recording
a broad, open invitation that articulates the purpose of the meeting;
participant chairs arranged in a circle;
a "bulletin board" of issues and opportunities posted by participants;
a "marketplace" with many breakout spaces that participants move freely between, learning
and contributing as they "shop" for information and ideas;
5. a "breathing" or "pulsation" pattern of flow, between plenary and small-group breakout
sessions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-space_technology#Self-organization
http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?AboutOpenSpace
http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-Openspace.html
Graphic recording involves capturing on large-sized paper- in words, images and colour people’s
ideas and expressions as they are being spoken in the moment.
http://www.slideshare.net/IDEAIreland/idea-graphic-harvesting-training-2010
http://www.theworldcafe.com/pdfs/graphicBenefits.pdf
Also see Mind Mapping http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm
World Café
Methodology
The World Café is a user-friendly method for creating meaningful and cooperative dialogue around
questions that count. As an organizational or social design process the World Café offers a practical way
to enhance the human capacity for collaborative thought. Born out of the worldwide interest in dialogue
methodologies and readily applicable to organizations and communities, it catalyses dynamic
conversations and opens new possibilities for action.
In a World Café dialogue, small, intimate conversations link and build on each other as people move
between groups, cross-pollinate ideas and make new connections around questions that really matter
to their life, work, or community. As this living network of conversations evolves through several rounds
of exploration, knowledge-sharing grows, a sense of the whole becomes more visible, and innovative
possibilities evolve. Because of its unique structure, Café learning enables large groups, often hundreds
of people, to think together creatively as part of a single, connected conversation.
http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/papers/WorldCafe.pdf
http://www.theworldcafe.com/method.html
http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-worldcafe.html
Photovoice
Photovoice is a process in which people – usually those with limited power due to poverty, language
barriers, race, class, ethnicity, gender, culture, or other circumstances – use video and/or photo images
capture aspects of their environment and experiences and share them with others. The pictures can
then be used, usually with captions composed by the photographers, to bring the realities of the
photographers’ lives home to the public and policy makers and to spur change.
Photovoice has three main goals:

To help those who are often unheard gain a voice, enabling them to record and reflect on their
experiences and their communities’ conditions, both positive and negative.
 To encourage critical consciousness. Through choosing, discussing, and reflecting on the subjects of
their photographs, the photographers can come to a clearer understanding of their circumstances
and the economic, social, psychological, and political forces that shape them.
 To bring about change that will improve conditions and enhance lives by reaching and influencing
policy makers.
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter3_section20_main.aspx
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