Needs Assessment: Minding the Gaps Nigel Gannon, Program Specialist NYS 4-H Youth Development...

Needs Assessment: Minding the Gaps

Nigel Gannon, Program SpecialistNYS 4-H Youth Development

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Overview

Definitions

Considerations for the How-To

Why Bother?

Blind-Spot Examples

Activity: Considering Strengths and Needs

Tools and Resources Available



Ground Rule

Ask!



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



CYFAR (https://cyfernetsearch.org/ilm_1_1)

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



Deciding-QuestionsGiven 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?



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



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



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….



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)



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!



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



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)



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.



“What Should Be”

• What is minimally acceptable?• What is the ideal?• What is likely?• What is expected? [Who is expecting it?]• What is feasible?



Identifying Needs

• Remember: this is a pre-program tool to facilitate effective, appropriately-designed and focused programming

• This is also a post-program tool!



Many Tools Available

UC-Davis, UM (Cyfernet), UW, Oregon State U

CORE: Cornell Office for Research on Evaluation• The “Netway”



CORE Working Examples from NYS

• Public Presentations

• Teen Leadership

How much information do you have/need?



Review

Definitions

Considerations for the How-To

Why Bother?

Blind-Spot Examples

Activity: Considering Strengths and Needs

Tools and Resources Available



Questions/Comments?



Acknowledgements• Many stolen-with-credit resources from Oregon State

University, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University

• http://extension.oregonstate.edu/employees/employee-resources/evaluation/needs

• https://www.evaluationnetway.com

• https://cyfernetsearch.org/ilm_1_1

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/employees/employee-resources/evaluation/needs

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/employees/employee-resources/evaluation/needs

https://www.evaluationnetway.com/my_netway

https://cyfernetsearch.org/ilm_1_1

Thank you!

Feel free to reach out:

[email protected]



Needs Assessment: Minding the Gaps Nigel Gannon, Program Specialist NYS 4-H Youth Development...

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