A Toolkit for Volunteer Leaders
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Needs Assessment E-5

We all view life in terms of our own wishes.

Needs assessment is the first step in the program planning process (see module E-4). We use needs assessment techniques to discover what people need. Usually their wants are mixed in with their needs. We will be able to identify the group's priorities when we complete the priority setting session that is described in module E-6.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

When you finish this module you should be able to:

1. Define needs assessment.
2. Identify six techniques for assessing the needs of a particular group.
3. Plan a needs assessment that uses one of the techniques.

A DEFINITION

Needs assessment is: a systematic process for documenting relevant needs.

Every word of this definition is important.

 THREE CRITICAL QUESTIONS

In order to conduct a needs assessment you have to answer three linked questions: Who needs What according to Whom? Who refers to the target group of clients. What refers to their needs. Whom refers to the informants who have reason to know the needs of the target group.

 EXAMPLES OF TARGET GROUPS AND INFORMANTS

NEEDS ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

To determine the needs of a group we may use one or more of the following techniques:

1. group discussion (ask a group what they need and record the answers),
2. brainstorming (see module LT-*),
3. nominal group process (see module E-6),
4. resource inventories (see module E-8),
5. census data (from government census office or from school district office),
6. evaluation results (from previous programs),
7. informal interviews (as people express their needs in your office or on the street),
8. formal interviews (planned questionnaire completed in your office or over the phone) and
9. written surveys.

Examples of 8 and 9 accompany this module. After using any of these techniques the results can be summarized on a sheet of paper that has three columns:

Who -Needs What - According to Whom?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Which technique will you use to assess the needs of a group, organization or community of which you are a member.
2. Why did you choose this technique?
3. Is it the most appropriate technique for your group considering the situation?
4. Should you use more than one technique to be sure of the needs?
5. Do you have the time and other resources to use more than one technique?

EXERCISE:

Do a needs assessment. Work with a partner. Choose a small group or organization to keep the needs assessment as simple as possible. Records the results of your needs assessment. What did you learn form the needs assessment (the process as well as the results).

NEXT STEPS

Now that you have identified the needs (issues) of a group, you are ready to set priorities. Move on to module E-6.

RESOURCE

Etling, A. W. (1994). Needs assessment for extension agents and other nonformal educators. University Park: Cooperative Extension, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.

INSTRUMENTS

Two examples, a phone interview and a written survey, come from the resource listed above. Contact the author for copies: aetling@unl.edu