NEEDS ASSESMENT

➲Rotimi Abimbola

Needs Assessment?

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

➲ Process that is used to determine the needs of a population/geographic area.

➲ To do meaningful work, and allow for an inclusive process with feedback.

Source: Anne E. Casey Foundation, Conference

NOW: Review of preexisting information regarding the needs of community/population

(provides a gateway that needs to be re-visited upon arrival)

DURING: Most Critical! On the ground, able to find out the

actual needs. Met the changing needs of the target population.

Stages of Needs Assessment

A QUICK NOTE...

Monitoring and Evaluation are very different from Needs

Assessment.

Needs AssessmentMethodologies

Secondary data: review and re-analysis of secondary

Focus groups: qualitative method involving a small group of people whose discussion is carefully planned and led by an experienced moderator

In-depth or key informant interviews: qualitative method of conducting in-depth interviews with a small number of individuals carefully selected for their personal experiences and knowledge

Community forums or public meetings: large-group method of collecting qualitative information from community members that is larger and less formal than a focus group; session is facilitated and tape-recorded

Surveys: quantitative method involving systematic data collection from a sample of individuals selected from a target population; information is used to generate group-level summary statistics; results may be “generalized” to the entire target population

Source: Anne E. Casey Foundation,

Conference

In 2007 Tanzania reported 96,000 deaths due to HIV/AIDS. 970,000 children (aged 0 to 17) left parentless, due to adult mortality.

Alot of need, but the country is lacking in the area of human and financial resources available to social welfare groups.

With the increasing number of HIV/AIDS adult deaths, the concurrently rising number of OVC (orphaned and vulnerable children).

Social Workers & OVCNeeds and Challenges of Community

Current State of Education System/School Children

Decrease in enrollment since the mid-1990s. The financial situation of the government has alot to do with the quality of the schools.

Poverty is a major barrier to having access to a quality education.

Government schools are run down.Private schools are more functional, and

come at a high price.

Poverty is a major barrier to acess to education

Litercy rate is 69.4%. Many students from

poorer families, do not have the access to educate and opportunity to learn how to read and write.

➲ According to WHO estimates, roughly 10% of the 2002 Tanzanian population were classed as people with disabilities (PWD). Of this population 27% were visually impaired, or blind.

➲ Blind children die at a very young age.

➲ Disability seen as a disgrace. Some schools don't accept such students, and other cannot afford to take care of them.

Visually Impaired Community

OVERALL METHODOLOGY

➲ CBPR (Community-based participatory research)

Bridging the Gap between US (researchers) and our target communities.

Development of a cell phone application for use by social

workers to track information on services provided to AIDS

orphans and vulnerable children.

Initially: Group Interviews with the Social Workers.

As designs are created and implemented: Individual & Key Informant Interviews with Social workers

Cell Phone ApplicationNeeds Assessment Methodology

“Creating and evaluating culturally-relevant

educational technology and games for child literacy”

Initially: Putting together an Advisory group of teachers, and

Periodically: Individual & Key Informant Interviews with teachers to understand the existing class structure, and how the technology can be of help.

Educational TechnologyNeeds Assessment Methodology

Enhancing and evaluating a low-cost braille writing tutor

for visually-impaired students.'

Initially: Meet with the Teachers on an individual basis.

Periodically: Observing students, along side the teachers to experience the needs of the different designs.

Visually Impaired PopulationNeeds Assessment Methodology

Timi Time

Making your jobs easier and meaningful.

Creating relationships with our end users

Clearly recording and communicating theneeds and limitations from both sides.

Your Thoughts?!

...Just a start....

Thank you!