Needs Assessment: Minding the Gaps Nigel Gannon, Program Specialist NYS 4-H Youth Development Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Overview Definitions Considerations for the How-To Why Bother? Blind-Spot Examples Activity: Considering Strengths and Needs Tools and Resources Available Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Ground Rule Ask! Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Defining Needs Assessment (NA) Closing the gap: what is v. what should be “Should” = preferred, desired The gap must be measurable! A structured process Challenge: some needs cannot be met (or measured), and this is not always obvious Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

CYFAR ( Conducting a needs assessment is a systematic process of investigating a population or community to assess the state of current resources such as knowledge, abilities, interests, and approaches pertinent to the focus of the needs assessment such as a concern, aspiration, or intention. A needs assessment is a focused examination of the way things currently are and the way things can or should be in order to fill a gap in services, (e.g., establish trainings to address a specific need).

Conducting a Needs Assessment “Need” or “gap” feels deficit-based Both deficit-based and strengths-based A natural part of program planning, evaluation, reflection, and adaptation Assists effort to meet needs AND contributes to the story arc for stakeholders Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Deciding-Questions Given an identified need or gap: What are the consequences of maintaining the status quo? What is causing the gap? What strategies can be utilized to close the gap? What is the low-hanging fruit? Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Why Needs Assessment? To facilitate finding the answers to the deciding questions Adding some structure and processes to what we already do, perhaps on the fly or intuitively Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Why Needs Assessment?(cont.) – Stronger, more-targeted programming that meets program/stakeholder needs – A process establishing priorities given resources, strengths, level of need, and types of gaps Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Why Needs Assessment?(cont.) – Focuses on the audience (“grassroots”) – Supports stronger programming and stronger evaluation, which supports even stronger programming and even stronger evaluation, which…. Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Social-Emotional Common Measures How do we capture growth in “self-esteem” or “growth mindset”, for example? A gap in telling the 4-H story to stakeholders, potential funders; perhaps a gap in intentionally developing S-E skills or tools What works for you?! (a la carte) Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

NYS Public Presentations Evaluation A partnership with a graduate class Moving beyond: “Anecdotally, many youth tell us that PP is the most impactful program….” Dove right in; hit the brakes! Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

The point Your process matters; your context matters! – (Someone else’s may not) Structure to the process matters Pausing and reflecting, before and after, matters Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Considering Strengths and Needs In your teams: (10 minutes; a reporter is needed) Brainstorm up to 5 needs or gaps you think exist in your area Identify a strength that exists that can support addressing the gap(s) Identify how you can measure progress in closing the gap(s) Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Identifying Needs How are you going to identify and learn about them? (a resource question) – Existing Data Analysis – New Data Analysis – Focus groups, surveys, informal conversations, youth voices, etc. Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

“What Should Be” What is minimally acceptable? What is the ideal? What is likely? What is expected? [Who is expecting it?] What is feasible? Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Identifying Needs Remember: this is a pre-program tool to facilitate effective, appropriately-designed and focused programming This is also a post-program tool! Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Many Tools Available UC-Davis, UM (Cyfernet), UW, Oregon State U CORE: Cornell Office for Research on Evaluation The “Netway” Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

CORE Working Examples from NYS Public Presentations Teen Leadership How much information do you have/need? Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Review Definitions Considerations for the How-To Why Bother? Blind-Spot Examples Activity: Considering Strengths and Needs Tools and Resources Available Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Questions/Comments? Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension

Acknowledgements Many stolen-with-credit resources from Oregon State University, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University e-resources/evaluation/needs e-resources/evaluation/needs

Thank you! Feel free to reach out: Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities Cornell Cooperative Extension