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