The Needs Assessment Used with permission of: John R. Slate, Ph.D.

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The Needs AssessmentUsed with permission of
John R. Slate, Ph.D.
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Terms to be Know

• Assessment - an on-going process formative
• Evaluation - occurs at the conclusion of the
  unit/program summative
• Needs - the discrepancy between what is and what
  ought to be.

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A Needs Assessment is ...

• the systematic appraisal of the type, depth, and
  scope of a problem.
• sometimes called an organizational review.
• an end product.
• sometimes the first step in a formative
  evaluation.

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Purpose of Conducting a Needs Assessment

• To discover weaknesses or problem areas in the
  current situation which can be remediated.
• To project future conditions to which a program
  will need to adjust.
• To provide a basis for setting objectives for
  curriculum or program development.

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Needs Assessments and Research Methodologies

• Quantitative - used to measure the precise extent
  between the existing condition and the desired
  condition.
• Techniques creation of databases on program
  attendance, census data, closed-ended survey
  questions, surveys, test scores

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• Qualitative - used to enhance the utility and
  accuracy of the condition by capturing a more
  complete portrayal of events and participants.
• Techniques on-site observations, interviews,
  archival and historical document review,
  videotaping

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Questions to be Considered
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Questions on the minds of the sponsor(s) . . .

• What needs attention?
• What should our program(s) try to accomplish?
• Where are we failing?

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Questions the evaluator might pose . . .

• What are the goals of the organization or
  community?
• Is there agreement on the goals from all groups?
• To what extent are these goals being met?

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• What do the clients perceive they need? What
  problems are they experiencing?
• What do staff perceive they need? What problems
  are they experiencing?
• What are the areas in which the organization is
  most seriously failing to achieve goals?

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• Where does the organization need to plan special
  programs or revise old programs?

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Problems Encountered in Conducting a Needs
Assessment

• Definition of need - Exactly what is a desired
  set of conditions?
• Five types of desired states ideals, norms,
  minimums, desires, and expectations
• Urgency
• Values underlying needs are not clearly
  articulated

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• Reported as group trends
• What about individual differences?

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What happens after the needs assessment?

• Allocation of money or personnel to meet high
  priority needs
• Program planning or revision

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Where do you start in conducting a needs
assessment?

• Personnel experience
• Professional
• Media
• New policies or standards

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Beware when . . .

• determining clientele.
• identifying participants.
• selecting needs assessment techniques.

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Remember . . .

• the very best (i.e., most thorough) needs
  assessment will utilize mixed methodology
  (quantitative and qualitative methodologies).