Community Needs Assessment
Prepared by Alan Vandehaar, Iowa State University Extension

Determining the needs of the community is an essential factor in both new and established community education programs. To establish relevant programs that will fulfill local citizen needs, it is imperative that a Comprehensive Needs Assessment be carried out.

One definition of needs assessment is
The systematic process whereby needs are identified and documented.

Key words in the definition
Systematic – ensure an organized and methodical approach.
Needs – focus on uncovering needs in which objectives can be accomplished through programming.
Documented – there should be logical and objectively defensible reasons why needs are identified as needs.

Those concerned with developing programming will find needs assessment is an on-going process. It is not a one-time event. Citizen needs will likely change over time, and new needs will arise.

Why is a needs assessment important for a community education program? Some reasons include the following:
•To identify real issues in the community
•To give legitimacy to the program as a “community” program
•To assist citizens to become involved in discovering needs and determining programs.

There are a variety of needs assessment techniques. The situation should determine which technique(s) are selected. Over time, a combination of techniques may be the best approach.
Click on a community assessment techniques for more details on the following:
•Key Informant Approach
•Community Forum Approach
•Survey Approach
•Social Indicators Approach
•Nominal Group Process Approach
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References:
Butler, L.M. and R.D. Howell. 1980. Community Needs Assessment Techniques, Corvallis, OR: Western Rural Development Center.
Johnson, D.E., et al, 1987 Needs Assessment Theory and Methods. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press

Needs Assessment – KEY INFORMANT APPROACH

Definition: 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 a position 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.

Advantages –
•Quick and inexpensive.
•May not require development of questionnaire or interview schedule.
•Utilizing well-informed people who can effectively express their ideas.
•Contact in the planning process may help provide legitimacy for later implementation.

Disadvantages –
•Information often general and impressionistic.
•Information will not represent a cross section of community in statistical sense.
•Key informant perspective often will have social class or occupational bias.
•Number of informants may be too small to complete meaningful internal comparisons.

Needs Assessment – COMMUNITY FORUM APPROACH

Definition: 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 in which all interested parties are invited to express concerns and beliefs about the needs and services of the agency’s clients.
Focus: Content and meaning of expressed statements of those attending the forums.
Sources of Data: Notes or recordings from the public meetings.

Advantages –
•Inexpensive and easy to arrange.
•Input comes from several segments of the community.
•Those whose ideas are a part of the assessment have some interest and motivation for the program.
•Citizens helpful in later planning and program stages may be identified.
•May have public relations as well as planning benefits.

Disadvantages –
•Finding convenient sites for those with transportation needs.
•Those attending most likely not a cross section of target population.
•Forums may become grievance sessions by those having narrow concerns or “axes to grind”.
•Public meetings may heighten expectations beyond what the public may reasonably be expected to deliver.
•Data not in a form to be systematically analyzed for planning purposes.

Needs Assessment – SURVEY APPROACH

Definition: This approach to needs assessment utilizes the technique of collecting data from a sample of the target population and making generalizations to the entire population. Data is collected by interviews or questionnaires.
Focus: Individuals in the target population.
Sources of Data: Questionnaires, interview schedule forms.

Advantages –
•Provides comparable information about individuals.
•Provides a scientific base to generalize to the entire target populations.
•A fairly large quantity of data can be collected on a broad range of variables.
•Can obtain behavior as well as opinion indicators.
•Useful to integrate and expand findings of other approaches.
•Permits a variety of data collection and data analysis techniques.

Disadvantages –
•May be difficult to obtain materials to select representative sample.
•Necessitates relatively high completion rate if generalization advantages are to be realized.
•Preparing questions that validly elicit need may not be easy.
•May be more expensive than other approaches.
•May require more technical skills than other approaches if there is to be full realization of data.

Needs Assessment – SOCIAL INDICATORS APPROACH

Definition: 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 geographical 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.).

Advantages –
•Data may already be gathered and summarized.
•Often have information on entire population.
•The inferential statistics may not be necessary.
•Lower costs.
•Can utilize multiple data sources.
•Not obtrusive to target population.
•Has possibilities for routine updating.

Disadvantages –
•Indicators often are indirect and remote.
•Validity of indicators is unknown or weak.
•Standardization of measurements may be lacking.
•The potential for the ecological fallacy is greater.
• Unit of analysis is not the individual.
•Available information may be dated.

Needs Assessment – NOMINAL GROUP PROCESS (NGP) APPROACH

Definition: 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 of group members. Input from all members is important. The process takes advantage of each person’s knowledge and experience. This approach 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 the NGP session.
Sources of Data: Notes or recordings from the public meetings.

Advantages –
•If well organized, a group can move toward group conclusions.
•Can be used to expand on survey data.
•Motivates all participants to get involved because they are personally affected.
•Generates many ideas in a short time, and allows for a wide range of individual thoughts and concerns.
•Gives all participants equal opportunity to express opinions and ideas in a non-threatening setting.

Disadvantages –
•For large groups, it takes adequate preparation by sponsoring organization.
•May be some overlap of ideas from unclear working or inadequate group discussions.
•Without a representative number of citizens participating, all views may not be heard.
•Individuals participating may not represent all community groups.
•Assertive personalities may dominate if the facilitator(s) are not in control.
•May not be sufficient source of data in itself; may require follow up survey or data gathering.