Community Needs AssessmentsCommunity Needs AssessmentsWhat a good one can get for youWhat a good one can get for you
What a bad one can do to youWhat a bad one can do to you
Prepared for:Prepared for:
The United Way of Wisconsin’sThe United Way of Wisconsin’s
Midwinter InstituteMidwinter Institute
February 2009February 2009
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How do you get your information?How do you get your information?
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How do you get your information?How do you get your information?
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The Most Important Thing to Know…The Most Important Thing to Know…
• Understanding the signals in your communityUnderstanding the signals in your community
– Where to look for informationWhere to look for information
• What are you looking for?What are you looking for?
– How do you ask the right questions?How do you ask the right questions?
– To whom do you ask these questions?To whom do you ask these questions?
– How do your reach out to get honest answers?How do your reach out to get honest answers?
– How can you tell an “answer” from an “ANSWER!”How can you tell an “answer” from an “ANSWER!”
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A Community Needs Assessment Should Be…A Community Needs Assessment Should Be…
• A custom research tool, designed specifically for your A custom research tool, designed specifically for your community community
• Each community has its own characteristicsEach community has its own characteristics
• StrengthsStrengths
• WeaknessesWeaknesses
• Economic conditionsEconomic conditions
• HistoryHistory
• PeoplePeople
• Make sure your CNA is designed along with your Make sure your CNA is designed along with your community and for your communitycommunity and for your community
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A Community Needs Assessment A Community Needs Assessment Shouldn’tShouldn’t Be… Be…
• A cookie-cutter projectA cookie-cutter project
– You get answers to someone else’s questionsYou get answers to someone else’s questions
• Something done by a marketing companySomething done by a marketing company
– They specialize in messages, look, and feel, and not They specialize in messages, look, and feel, and not informationinformation
• Held hostage by getting favorable informationHeld hostage by getting favorable information
– How can you act on community needs if your information How can you act on community needs if your information isn’t real?isn’t real?
• Something awarded to the lowest bidderSomething awarded to the lowest bidder
– Sometimes low bid is a bad thing…look behind the curtainSometimes low bid is a bad thing…look behind the curtain
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What a Community Needs Assessment Should Consist ofWhat a Community Needs Assessment Should Consist of
• Multiple phase research programMultiple phase research program
– Qualitative and QuantitativeQualitative and Quantitative
• Example:Example:
– Phase IPhase I—Secondary Data Analysis—Secondary Data Analysis
– Phase II—In-depth Interviews of Community Phase II—In-depth Interviews of Community LeadersLeaders
– Phase III—Quantitative Study of the ResidentsPhase III—Quantitative Study of the Residents
– Phase IV—Service Provider ResearchPhase IV—Service Provider Research
• Focus GroupsFocus Groups
• Quantitative-type studyQuantitative-type study
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Isn’t Research Something Just Short of Voodoo? Isn’t Research Something Just Short of Voodoo? (Not that there’s anything wrong with voodoo…)(Not that there’s anything wrong with voodoo…)
• Helping everyone understand not just what Helping everyone understand not just what the information is, but what it meansthe information is, but what it means
• Correctly interpreting the informationCorrectly interpreting the information
– Scientific rigorScientific rigor
– Statistical significance versus directional Statistical significance versus directional analysisanalysis
– You You cancan make the information say what you make the information say what you want it to…but what does that get you?want it to…but what does that get you?
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Isn’t Research Something Just Short of Voodoo? Isn’t Research Something Just Short of Voodoo? (Not that there’s anything wrong with voodoo…)(Not that there’s anything wrong with voodoo…)
• The correct presentationThe correct presentation
– How will your audience “hear” and “read” the How will your audience “hear” and “read” the results?results?
– Making sure a presentation isn’t just a data Making sure a presentation isn’t just a data dumpdump
• Did it lead you to other areas of research?Did it lead you to other areas of research?
• Did it statistically confirm something you Did it statistically confirm something you already had numbers on?already had numbers on?
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Groups a Community Needs Assessment Should ReachGroups a Community Needs Assessment Should Reach
• Community LeadersCommunity Leaders
– Elected officialsElected officials
– Corporate and Non-profit executives or board membersCorporate and Non-profit executives or board members
– Spiritual leadersSpiritual leaders
– Leaders in educational institutionsLeaders in educational institutions
– Leaders in the area of diversityLeaders in the area of diversity
• The General PublicThe General Public
– Listening to what’s happening on the streetsListening to what’s happening on the streets
– Hearing from the silent majorityHearing from the silent majority
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Groups a Community Needs Assessment Should ReachGroups a Community Needs Assessment Should Reach
• Service ProvidersService Providers
– Representing the breadth of service in the communityRepresenting the breadth of service in the community
– The lead individuals “where the rubber meets the road”The lead individuals “where the rubber meets the road”
• The “Kitchen Cabinet”The “Kitchen Cabinet”
– The central group responsible for coordination of The central group responsible for coordination of servicesservices
– Leaders from the organizations tasked with carrying out Leaders from the organizations tasked with carrying out recommendations recommendations
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Don’t You Think I Know My Community? Don’t You Think I Know My Community?
• You may know the people, but you may not the You may know the people, but you may not the communitycommunity
• You don’t know what you don’t knowYou don’t know what you don’t know
• Research…the ugly, bad, and good of research Research…the ugly, bad, and good of research and data collectionand data collection
– ““Everybody says…”Everybody says…”
– ““Word on the street…”Word on the street…”
– Aisle conversationsAisle conversations
– Secondary dataSecondary data
– Primary researchPrimary research
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Community Needs Assessment-Timeline Community Needs Assessment-Timeline
• 1 week1 week——Project definition meeting to Secondary Data Analysis to Project definition meeting to Secondary Data Analysis to In-depth Interview instrument preparationIn-depth Interview instrument preparation
• 2 weeks2 weeks—Execute In-depth Interviews—Execute In-depth Interviews
• 2 weeks—Analysis and report preparation2 weeks—Analysis and report preparation
• 1 week—Quantitative study survey instrument preparation1 week—Quantitative study survey instrument preparation
• 2 weeks—Execute Quantitative study2 weeks—Execute Quantitative study
• 2 weeks—Analysis and report preparation2 weeks—Analysis and report preparation
• 1 week—Focus Group or Service Provider study instrument 1 week—Focus Group or Service Provider study instrument preparationpreparation
• 2 weeks—Execution of either option2 weeks—Execution of either option
• 1 week—Analysis and report preparation1 week—Analysis and report preparation
• 2 weeks—Consolidated analysis and report preparation2 weeks—Consolidated analysis and report preparation
• TOTAL—Up to 16 weeksTOTAL—Up to 16 weeks
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Can’t We Just Do This Ourselves? Can’t We Just Do This Ourselves?
• The differences between self-conducted The differences between self-conducted CNA’s and Third-Party conducted CNA’sCNA’s and Third-Party conducted CNA’s
– Relative costsRelative costs
• Staff time, training and opportunity costsStaff time, training and opportunity costs
• Expenditure on outside consultantExpenditure on outside consultant
• Cost of lost time on other projectsCost of lost time on other projects
– Real costsReal costs
• Going it alone…Going it alone…
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Can’t We Just Do This Ourselves? Can’t We Just Do This Ourselves?
• Going it alone…Going it alone…
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Putting Together the Right Team Putting Together the Right Team
• United WayUnited Way
• ChamberChamber
• City/CountyCity/County
• K-12 + CollegesK-12 + Colleges
• Health careHealth care
• Human Service providerHuman Service provider
• Community FoundationCommunity Foundation
• Utility/BankUtility/Bank
• Faith-based organizationFaith-based organizationShare the cost and the information…
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Who Benefits From a Community Needs Assessment?Who Benefits From a Community Needs Assessment?
• Your entire service area—but how?Your entire service area—but how?
– A body of research designed specifically for your A body of research designed specifically for your communitycommunity
– A body of research held, owned and maintained by the A body of research held, owned and maintained by the communitycommunity
• Looking forwardLooking forward
• PrioritizingPrioritizing
• ProgrammingProgramming
• BudgetingBudgeting
• Grant writingGrant writing
• Areas that may need further researchAreas that may need further research
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What Deliverables Should You Get from a What Deliverables Should You Get from a Community Needs Assessment? Community Needs Assessment?
• Individual reports from each phaseIndividual reports from each phase
• Consolidated report at the conclusion of the projectConsolidated report at the conclusion of the project
• Data setsData sets
• ConclusionsConclusions
• Actionable recommendationsActionable recommendations
• Multiple report presentations in the communityMultiple report presentations in the community
• Crosscuts of the dataCrosscuts of the data
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A Community Needs AssessmentA Community Needs Assessment
• Understand there’s a needUnderstand there’s a need
• Gather the right stakeholdersGather the right stakeholders
• Select the right form, format and research organizationSelect the right form, format and research organization
• Stay involved through the entire processStay involved through the entire process
• Understand that some findings may be uncomfortableUnderstand that some findings may be uncomfortable
• Make sure the community knows what you plan to do Make sure the community knows what you plan to do with the informationwith the information
• Follow throughFollow through
• Repeat regularlyRepeat regularly