Conducting Community Needs Assessments

February 23, 2010

PresentersKevin Woods, Woods Consulting GroupPam Evans, NorthSky Nonprofit Network

• Review tips on creating a research plan & writing a report

Workshop Objectives• Define needs assessment & when it’s needed• Outline an approach for conducting needs assessments

• Understand the difference between primary & secondary research

• Learn some sources of secondary data

• Practice, practice, practice

• Learn how to conduct primary research

• Learn how to develop research questions

What is a needs assessment?• Base-line of information – an evaluation at a “point-in-time”

• Can be a mix of facts and attitudes

• Provides ability to measure future changes as result of interventions

• Information collected related to factors you CAN influence and those you cannot.

• May be a mix of information from both primary & secondary sources.

What are some examples?

• Assessment of the need for additional affordable housing to serve low income households

• Assessment of the need for additional employment support services for persons with developmental disabilities

• Assessment of the need for credit counseling services for women in a domestic violence shelter

What’s the difference – program-specific versus community?

• Community needs assessment: looks at broad parameters

• Community needs assessment: attempt to define and clarify issues impacting the community (programs designed to resolve issues)

• Program: specific assessment focuses on evaluating need for a specific program – existing or in planning stages; confirmation of on-going need(s) and/or evaluation of impact to-date

-- Is the program effective in meeting the need of the clients served? -- Does the program need to be modified to become more effective?

-- Have the needs of the core client group changed?

Confirmation extent/degree of issue impacting community

Gain greater understanding of the various parameters related to the issue

Understand why certain groups/individuals behave as they do

Test potential solutions – predict behavior; what incentives will get potential clients to use a program offering

Prediction of behavior important “ if we build it, will they come?”

When?invest time & dollars?

Example from the private sector: Coca-Cola

• Coke vs. Pepsi – battle for market share; • battle for “churn” – non-brand loyal

• Pepsi “taste tests” seem to confirm that consumers • preferred the “sweeter” taste of Pepsi (vs. Coke)

• Coke re-designs product with “sweeter” formula; • focus group participants respond well to new formulation

• Coke launches “New Coke” – product struggles in the market

Why did the research fail – what did Coke fail to measure?

An Approach to Use

Market studies for affordable housing:

If the project is constructed according to the plans – is there sufficientdemand from qualified households to fill the units within 6 months of opening

• What is the geographic area the project is likely to have appeal • How many income-qualified households reside in the market area• What are the other housing choices available to these households• How many income-qualified households are likely to move in any year• Given the expected date of opening the project, how long will it take for the project to reach 95% occupancy

An Approach to Use

Developing Research Questions

• Define what you want to know: demographic characteristics or attitudes

• Why individuals/groups behave in certain manner or ability to predict behavior

• Define who is your target audience:primary and secondary

• Separate what information is “critical” vs “nice to know”

Developing Research Questions

Exercise 1 • Break into teams of 4 people

• Select one project idea for a community or program needs assessment per team

• Quickly select a recorder and a reporter

• Outline the research questions you want to answer through completion of a needs assessment

• Of the list you’ve created, identify priority questions

Hint:For the purposes of this exercise don’t worry about how you will

collect the information or what the expense will be.

Answering research questions primary & secondary data

Answering research questions primary & secondary data

Sources of Secondary Data

• Secondary data defined as information that already exists, collected by reliable sources

• Some secondary readily available at no cost • Often, private-sector information collected and

published by organizations such as trade associations is considered “proprietary” and must be purchased (this can be a good investment if you understand the background of the study and you value the research organization)

Sources of Secondary Data

• Reliable third-party information – Census• Existing research studies conducted by other

parties that targeted same/similar audience• Governmental data sources – public health

information• Your organization’s customer contact

information – telephone records, client information (aggregated)

• Client satisfaction studies• Other internal evaluation studies

Exercise 2• You have 30 minutes for this exercise• Go back into your team• Quickly select a new recorder and a reporter• Review the research questions you identified

during exercise 1• For each question, identify whether any existing

data sources, research reports, etc. can answer the question

• Identify the research questions for which you do not have an existing source of data

Primary data collection

• Surveys• Focus groups• Key informant interviews• Consumer panels• Intercept studies• Mystery shopping• Transaction surveys• Internet strategies• Any others?

Primary data collection

• Quantitative data:uses random sample or experiment approach and results be extrapolated over larger population or generalized

• Qualitative data:in-depth answers, probing, deeper understanding but can’t extrapolate or generalize

Primary data collection

Identify information needs

Identify “who” can give you

the information

Identify how to collect it

SurveyKey Informant

Interviews/ Consumer Panels

Observation/ Experiment/

Mystery Shopping/Wayfinding

Focus Groups Intercept Study

Mail Telephone Onsite Internet

Constructing a Survey• Make sure it’s the best data collection method &

part of an overall research plan• Flow chart the instrument creating a logical flow• Use funnel technique moving from broad to

specific• Beware of question sequence to avoid bias• Use open-ended questions sparingly• Train & script interviewers to avoid bias• Disguised (purpose, sponsor) versus undisguised

Constructing a Survey

• Avoid problem words or words with double meanings

• Best to stick to a sixth grade reading level

• Always pretest the survey

• Avoid “nice to know” questions

• Work hard to increase response rates

Funnel technique: Sample

Broadest questions- When did you last use a professional development program?

Introduction/ purpose of study– compelling; Screening questions- are you employed or are you a volunteer in the nonprofit sector?

More specific- what type of professional development program did you attend? Where?

Even more specific- what haven’t you been able to find?

And even more specific:

Would you attend it? What would you pay?

Float idea for specific class

Demographics: age, education level, years in fieldThank you for participating

Conducting a focus group

• Understand / gain insights into needs or behaviors

• Get more specifics/ more information

• Test ideas/ reactions

• Brainstorm

• Obtain group reactions on individual comments

Conducting a focus group• Generally 1 ½ to 2 hours• 8-10 participants ; generally more than 1 group• Discussion guide• Experienced, external moderator • Set climate for honest input/ participation• May be disguised (in terms of sponsor or purpose)• May be combined with other research techniques• Research sponsor may observe but not in room• Session may be recorded

Intercept Studies

• Typically conducted in “public settings” – shopping areas, malls, large gatherings

• Interviewers approach potential respondent and request permission to conduct survey

• “Respondent selection” process can be biased by interviewer

• McDonald’ store example

• Community recycling study conducted in Mall

Online Research

• Zoomerang & Survey Monkey• Focus groups via webinar• Transactional surveys• Chat rooms/ groups• Twitter & Face Book

Exercise 3 • You have 30 minutes for this exercise including a break

• Go back into your teams

• Quickly select a recorder & a reporter

• Identify- of the research questions that can’t be answered using secondary research, which ones are most important to your needs assessment?

• Of these priority research questions, what is the source of the answer (who can answer them?) What is the best approach (cost effective, objective, & accurate) for collecting the answer to each question?

Hint: NOW- you can worry about cost, time & the benefit of the information you’ll be collecting.

Pulling it all together• Project team• Research objectives• Research questions• Target population for each question• Collection method for each question• Timeline/ gantt chart

Developing the Research Report• Make the report interesting• Identify the management issue that the research is

intended to address• Get to the point• List the questions you will answer and then answer

them• Use tables, graphs• Avoid long narrative• Document research method so it can be replicated

(but put it in the appendix)

Resources that will assist you as a Board Member

• www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org• www.mnaonline.com• http://www.tcchamber.org/events/economic-for

ecast-breakfast• http://www.census.gov/• http://www.census.gov/

Questions

Thank YouKevin Woods at:309-533-8600woodsconsulting@verizon.net

Pam Evans231.929.3934, x 208pevans@northskynonprofitnetwork.org

Special Thank you to: