Using Needs Assessment to Build A Strong Case for Funding

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Using Needs Assessment to Build A Strong Case for
Funding

• Anna Li
• SERVE, Inc.

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Purpose

• Why?
• How?
• Lessons learned
• Tips

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Introduction
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Definitions of Need
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Current
Desired
State
State
MEANS
END
END

• the gap or discrepancy between a present state
  (what is) and a desired end state (What should
  be)
• (Kaufman, Witkin Altschuld)

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Definitions of Need

• Needs ¹ Demands ¹ Wishes ¹ Wants

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Definitions of Need

• Need as a verb What is required or desired to
  fill the discrepancy - solutions, means to end

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What is a Needs Assessment?

• a systematic set of procedures undertaken for the
  purpose of setting priorities and making
  decisions about program or organizational
  improvement and allocation of resources. The
  priorities are based upon identified needs.
  (Witkin Altschuld)

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What is NA?

• A tool for determining valid and useful problems
  which are philosophically as well as practically
  sound. (Kaufman English)

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Why Conduct NA?

• Obtain valid and reliable information
• to build a case for funding (example)
• sets criteria for determine how best to allocate
  resources
• to get buy-in from the stakeholders

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Why Conduct NA ?

• Regulations or laws mandates
• Resource allocation and decision-making
• assessing the needs of specific underserved
  subpopulation
• As a part of program evaluation

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Levels of Needs - Stakeholders

• Level 1 service receivers students, teachers
• Level 2 Service providers and policymakers
  teachers, SEAs, LEAs
• Level 3 Resources or solutions buildings,
  facilities, computers

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Three-Phase NA

• Preassessment - Exploration
• Assessment -Data Gathering
• Postassessment- Utilization

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Preassessment

• to investigate what is already known
• to determine the focus and scope of the
  assessment
• to gain commitment for all stages of the
  assessment

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Secondary Data

• archival data and current wisdom
• demographics
• achievement scores
• census data
• current literature

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Data Collection Methods

• Survey
• Interviews
• Group Processes
• Community Forum
• Nominal Group
• Focus Group
• Modified Delphi

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Three Factors

• Time
• Resources (funding and personnel)
• Knowledge

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Content of Technology NA

• skills, knowledge and attitudes
• access to information services
• staff development programs
• Inventory of Hardware and Software
• Technology support staffing

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Content of Technology NA

• networking and telecommunication requirements
• budget and funding resources
• facilities

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Interviews

• structured
• semi-structured
• open-ended
• face to face and telephone
• best for key informants

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Focus Group

• group size 12-
• length of time 40 minutes to 3 hours
• best for information from select or homogeneous
  groups

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Sampling

• Simple Random Sampling
• Convenience Sampling
• Quota
• Interval
• Judgment
• Systematic
• Snowball

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Quota

• Deciding on a fixed number of subjects with
  particular characteristics
• 25 male, 25 female

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Interval

• Selection of subjects in periodic sequence e.g.
  every 10th, or 25th

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Systematic

• Used for a very large sample
• population/sample size n
• Choose every nth

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Judgment Sampling

• Using the knowledge of experts to select a sample
  
• Disadvantage Subjective, could be biased

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Snowball Sampling

• Starting with a small group and using them to
  recruit others

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Sample Size

• Desired accuracy sampling error
• Confidence level 95

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Sampling Size Table
Sampling Error Sample Size Sampling Error Sample Size
1.0 10,000 5.5 330
1.5 4,500 6.0 277
2.0 2,500 7.0 204
2.5 1,600 7.5 178
3.0 1,100 8.0 156
3.5 816 8.5 138
4.0 625 9.0 123
4.5 494 9.5 110
5.0 400 10.0 100
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SEIRTEC Needs Assessment Overview

• Faculty and Staff
• Young Child (K-3)
• Student Questionnaire (4th - 12th)
• Parent Questionnaire
• School Community Questionnaire
• Administrators Supplement
• Technical Supplement

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Assessment

• Determine context, scope, and boundaries of NA
• Gather data on needs
• Set preliminary priorities on needs- Level 1
• Analyze and synthesize all data

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Data Analysis

• statistical analysis
• coding qualitative data by themes or patterns

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ReportingCommon mistakes

• not documenting findings
• not providing findings in useful formats
• not disseminating findings

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Reporting Audience

• Founders
• Agency board
• Administrators
• Public or program/agency users

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Reporting Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussions
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• References

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Postassessment

• Set priorities on needs at all applicable levels
• Consider alternative solutions
• Develop an action plan to implement solutions
• Evaluate the NA
• Communicate results

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Tips

• Ensure broad-based Stakeholder participation
• Choose appropriate means of data gathering
• Recognize core values in the group
• Make NA a participatory process

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Tips

• Do not ignore political factors
• Make NA a decision-making process
• Make NA an on-going process

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References

• Witkin, B. R. Altschuld, J. W. (1995). Planning
  and conducting needs assessments, Sage
  Publications.
• Soriano, F. I. (1995). Conducting Needs
  Assessments, Sage Publications.

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Web Resources

• Http//www.seirtec.org/surveys
• http//www.ties.k12.mn.us/techplan/needs.html
• http//www.nctp.com/articles/assess.pdf