Needs Analysis Session

Scottish Community Development Centre

November 2007

Session Outcomes

• Increased awareness of staff on the purpose, range of approaches, tools and techniques used within needs analysis

• Current needs analysis approaches/methods are identified and reviewed

• The current skills of staff to conduct needs analysis are identified

• Recommendations for an overall needs analysis framework and approach are identified and agreed

Session Outline

• Presentation on needs analysis• Establishing the baseline – what do we

know already?• Identifying the gaps – what do we still

need to know?• What methods and resources will we use?• Identifying skills and training needs• Recommendations for an overall

framework

The purpose of needs analysis

• All stakeholders have a clear and thorough understanding of the needs and issues experienced by individuals, families and particular groups within communities; so that they can contribute towards achieving social justice with maximum efficiency, effectiveness and equity.

What does it involve?

• Research - careful study and investigation

• Maximum stakeholder involvement – acknowledging different perspectives and agreeing priority needs based on social justice and equality

• Pooling of resources – being efficient and maximising finite resources

• Achieving change – first step in an outcome focused approach

Resource or need led approach?

RESOURCE > PLAN > ACT

Or…

INVESTIGATE > ENVISION > PLAN > RESOURCE > ACT

What’s its content?

• Description of the ‘community’• Key demographics • Mapping of existing provision – no of

agencies/providers and range of services delivered, identifying community assets

• Methodology used in identifying need• The results – return rates/findings• The analysis – our interpretation of the

data collected and agreement on priority needs

Methods, tools and techniques

• Desk based research• Mapping/scoping exercises – knowing the

baseline• Surveys and questionnaires• Semi structured interviews• Focus groups/community panels• Training needs analysis• Rapid appraisal/Participatory appraisal• Community conferences

Other useful information

• Community consultation exercises• Ongoing contacts with existing

service users• Internal and external evaluations• HMIE reports• Range of service plans

Relevance to existing imperatives

• LEAP • HMIE• Delivering Change• Working and Learning Together

What are the benefits?

• Facilitates decision making and therefore… achieves efficiency, effectiveness and equity!• Community participation is an empowering process – this contributes to achieving desirable outcomes• Helps build important skills in research• Builds our knowledge and understanding of community need, issues and aspirations

What's our baseline?

•What quantitative and qualitative information do we have at present?•Who gathers this and how is it gathered?•Have key stakeholders been missing in identifying need?•What does the current information tell us about community need/issues/aspirations?

Identifying the gaps

• What information do we still need?• Where can we find this?• Who can help us find this information

– who are the stakeholders we can involve in the process?

Methods, tools and techniques

• What methods, tools and techniques will we use to get the information we need?

• How participatory can we be in gathering information?

• Do we need to think about timescales?• Are there any constraints which affect

the methods we select?

Resources

• What resources do we have at our disposal?

• Do we need access to further resources to conduct the analysis we ideally want?

• Who can contribute resources – partners’ contributions, including the community?

• Do we need to revise our methods in light of the resources we have or are likely to have?

What skills do we need?

• What skills and expertise exist within the teams to conduct a needs assessment and analysis?

• Do we require access to training to adopt the approaches/use of tools we think will work best?

• Who can provide the training required and how can this be resourced?

• Do we need to set up peer support/mentoring mechanisms?

Towards an overall framework

• What recommendations can we make to form a consistent approach to needs analysis across the authority?

• Should we adopt different methods in different areas, if yes why, and to what extent?

• What do we want the framework to look like?

Next steps

• Issues and concerns:- Do we need to note any issues which

will affect taking the process forward?- What specific concerns do we have

which need to be addressed?- What involvement do you want in

informing the working group?- Are there specific actions you can

identify which will facilitate the process?