Community Needs Assessment LIS 490CEL Oct 6, 2009 Jaime Schumacher

What is a Community Needs Assessment? Community Community Common History Common History Common Ethnicity/Culture Common Ethnicity/Culture Common Geography Common Geography Common Interests Common Interests Needs Needs Normative Need Normative Need Comparative Need Comparative Need Felt Need Felt Need Expressed Need Expressed Need Assessment Assessment Gauge key issues, opinions, attitudes, assumptions, needs Gauge key issues, opinions, attitudes, assumptions, needs

Needs Assessment in the Community Inquiry Cycle

Why Use a Community Assessment? Gather information from citizens Gather information from citizens Identify gaps Identify gaps Set priorities and allocate resources Set priorities and allocate resources Evaluate current programs Evaluate current programs Determine (and even generate) citizen support for initiatives Determine (and even generate) citizen support for initiatives

Assessment Success Community Involvement and Buy-In Community Involvement and Buy-In Stakeholder Participatory Model – Equal involvement of stakeholders and evaluators in all phases of the assessment…collaboration! Stakeholder Participatory Model – Equal involvement of stakeholders and evaluators in all phases of the assessment…collaboration! Convergent Data Analysis & Multi-method Approach Convergent Data Analysis & Multi-method Approach Variety of research methods Variety of research methods Variety of data sources, perspectives Variety of data sources, perspectives

Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommendations Needs Assessment Cycle

Catalyst Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations Event that highlights a potential need or necessitates the definition of a need Event that highlights a potential need or necessitates the definition of a need Examples Examples Expressed need Expressed need Tragedy Tragedy Funding becomes available Funding becomes available Outdated services Outdated services

Who are stakeholders? Who are stakeholders? People who make decisions about programs or funding People who make decisions about programs or funding People who provide the service People who provide the service People who receive the service People who receive the service Community at large Community at large Research community Research community Others? Others? Clarify roles and responsibilities Clarify roles and responsibilities Oversight Committee Oversight Committee This is an iterative process – identifying initial stakeholders will lead to the identification of other stakeholders Identify Stakeholders Catalyst Identify Stakeholder s Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations

Set Parameters Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations Define Objective of Needs Assessment Define Objective of Needs Assessment Explicit Explicit Agreement between all stakeholders and evaluators…No hidden agendas! Agreement between all stakeholders and evaluators…No hidden agendas! Determine Content Determine Content What information should be sought? What information should be sought? What is the scope? What is the scope? Discuss Potential Issues Discuss Potential Issues

Data Sources Data Sources Data Collection Methods Data Collection Methods Data Collection Tools Data Collection Tools Qualitative Measures Qualitative Measures Quantitative Measures Quantitative Measures Monitoring Monitoring Collect Data Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations

Qualitative Measures Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations Small Groups Small Groups Focus Groups Focus Groups Delphi Technique Delphi Technique Nominal Group Technique Nominal Group Technique Key Informant Interviews Key Informant Interviews Public Hearings/Community Forums Public Hearings/Community Forums

Quantitative Measures Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations Survey Survey Telephone Surveys Telephone Surveys Mailed Surveys Mailed Surveys Distributed Surveys Distributed Surveys Face to Face Surveys Face to Face Surveys Secondary Data Secondary Data Census Census Similar assessments performed in similar communities Similar assessments performed in similar communities State and county level reports State and county level reports

Stakeholder Review of Preliminary Findings Stakeholder Review of Preliminary Findings Data Analysis Techniques Data Analysis Techniques Interpretation Interpretation Analyze Findings Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommend ations

Recommendations Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommen dations Final Report Dissemination Final Report Dissemination Next Steps Next Steps New Catalyst New Catalyst

Case Study Community-wide service needs assessment of elderly residents in Lorain County, Ohio Shantha Balaswamy Holly Dabelko

A migration of elderly into the county A migration of elderly into the county Initiated by a major provider of elderly services in the county Initiated by a major provider of elderly services in the county Agency’s director enlisted director of the department of nursing of a local community college Agency’s director enlisted director of the department of nursing of a local community college Catalyst Catalyst Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Analyze Findings Recommendations

Identify Stakeholders Stakeholders Stakeholders Aging Network Service Providers Aging Network Service Providers Research Sponsors Research Sponsors Funders Funders Educational Institutions Educational Institutions Social Service Agencies Social Service Agencies Health Care Providers Health Care Providers Private Corporations Private Corporations Elderly Residents Elderly Residents Community Residents Community Residents Oversight Committee Oversight Committee Recommendations Catalyst Analyze Findings Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data

Set Parameters Objective: Objective: “Develop a comprehensive assessment of service needs for the elderly residents and explore availability of resources.” “Develop a comprehensive assessment of service needs for the elderly residents and explore availability of resources.” Support a tax levy for senior services Support a tax levy for senior services Generate additional funding Generate additional funding Content Content Service utilization, service needs, service gaps for older people Service utilization, service needs, service gaps for older people Empirical data Empirical data Level of frailty and functional impairment Level of frailty and functional impairment Recommendations Catalyst Analyze Findings Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data

Collect Data Recommendations Catalyst Analyze Findings Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Survey of 400 community residents over age 60 Survey of 400 community residents over age 60 Focus groups with elderly participants in senior centers Focus groups with elderly participants in senior centers Key informant interviews with community leaders Key informant interviews with community leaders Survey of service providers Survey of service providers

Analyze Findings RecommendationsCatalyst Analyze Findings Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Community’s elderly are in good health Community’s elderly are in good health Most needed services are currently available Most needed services are currently available Over half of respondents reported having symptoms of depression Over half of respondents reported having symptoms of depression One in ten reported feeling lonely, unhappy, and lacked necessary psychotropic medications One in ten reported feeling lonely, unhappy, and lacked necessary psychotropic medications

Recommendations Recommendations Catalyst Analyze Findings Identify Stakeholders Set Parameters Collect Data Promote continued good health Promote continued good health Wellness exercise programs Wellness exercise programs Use some health related resources for other services Use some health related resources for other services Home maintenance and repair Home maintenance and repair Broaden health needs to include mental and emotional needs Broaden health needs to include mental and emotional needs

Group Discussion Community Needs Assessments are often initiated to provide information in order to take some action. In what other ways can the results of a Community Needs Assessment be used? What experiences have you had with Needs Assessments in your own communities?