Description
Community needs assessments involve value-based judgments regarding preferred or desired situations in a community, including specific problems that need to be addressed; some determination of priority for local needs follows identification. In most instances, this entails the collection of first-hand information from relevant audiences.
Steps
There are a variety of needs assessment techniques, the appropriateness of which vary with the situation. Over time, a combination of techniques may be the best approach. Five commonly utilized approaches for gathering new information on the needs of community residents are:
1. Key informant approach
The key informant approach to needs assessment is one that assumes certain individuals are knowledgeable of the community and target population. It further assumes these individuals are in positions to accurately articulate needs and to assist in program planning. Key informants are often interviewed utilizing a semi-structured format.
Focus: Individuals most likely not in the target population.
Sources of Data: Interview responses and comments.
2. Community forum approach
The community forum approach to needs assessment is one that relies on self-selected individuals to articulate and assess the needs and service patterns of the target population. Public meetings are announced and all interested parties are invited to express concerns and beliefs about the needs and services of the community.
Focus: Content and meaning of statements of forum attendees.
Sources of Data: Notes or recordings from the public meetings.
3. Survey approach
This approach to needs assessment utilizes the technique of collecting data from a sample of the target population and extrapolating to the entire population. Data is collected with interviews or questionnaires.
Focus: Individuals in the target population.
Sources of Data: Questionnaires, interview schedule forms
4. Social indicators approach
This needs assessment approach is based upon inferences from descriptive statistics found in public sectors and reports. An analogy might be the Wholesale Price Index as an indicator of the condition of the economy.
Focus: Usually geographic tracts or other political entities (townships, census tracts, voting wards, etc.).
Sources of Data: U.S. Census Reports, political agency records
(Department of Human Services, Social Security, county records, etc.)
5. Nominal group process approach
An idea-generating strategy to gather individual’s ideas in a face-to-face non-threatening situation. This process is intended to maximize creative participation, since input from all members is important. The process takes advantage of each person’s knowledge and experience and is useful in generating and clarifying ideas, reaching consensus, prioritizing, and making decisions on alternative action.
Focus: Content and meaning of expressed statements of those attending
Sources of Data: Notes or recordings from public meetings.
Pros and Cons
Often more academic than other processes, community needs assessments require a minimal amount of public involvement and participation. This can be a logistical simplification for planning departments (over other character identification processes), but also means that many public views and values may not be captured. The more quantitative and practical focus of this process also makes it more suitable for identifying concrete needs of a community (such as jobs, open space, daycare, or low-income housing) than it is for identifying aspects of community character that already exist.
The philosophical approach of the process has benefits and drawbacks. As epitomized by Appreciative Inquiry, many processes focus primarily (or solely) on positive aspects of the community. Community needs assessments are not necessarily negative, but they have a less optimistic connotation than AI and other processes. On the flip side, needs assessments may be more realistic and practical; since nearly all communities have needs, regardless of their strengths, it is important to address those aspects as well. It is difficult for needs assessments to capture elements of character (positive or negative) that do not qualify as specific community needs; trivial and quirky aspects of a community are likely to be lost.
Examples
- “Conflict resolution programs for rural Nevada: An exploratory community needs assessment,” Dayle K. Read, n.d.
- “2002 Community Needs Assessment,” Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs, 2002
- “Marion County community needs assessment,” Terry F. Pettijohn, 1991
- “Community needs assessment survey of the Tonawandas,” Carolyn E. Tasa, United Way of the Tonawandas, Inc., 1986