Steps in Conducting Needs Assessment
The report will focus on the Indian Creek Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates at a local level, which supports children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The needs assessment conducted on this organization will help in determining the gap that exists between what it has and what it desires (Homan, 2016). As such, the assessment will start by determining what the organization offers.
The next step will be to determine the capacity of the organization to offer these services to the target group. The assessment will involve the current employees of this organization, the systems, and structures that these employees use to deliver their services to the target group, and the leadership of the organization (Soriano, 2013). The third step will be to determine the needs of the population being served. In this case, the people being served are children and adults suffering from various physical and mental problems. The last stage will be to determine if the current capabilities of this organization can enable it to meet the needs of the target group in the best way possible (Watkins, West-Meiers, & Visser, 2012). The weaknesses identified will be the gaps that must be addressed to ensure that its efficiency is not compromised.
Stakeholders to Be Contacted
In the needs assessment, several stakeholders will have to be contacted to get the needed information as mentioned above. The stakeholders that will be contacted first are the top management unit of this organization because of some reasons. The first reason why they will be contacted is to ask them permission to conduct this study in their organization. It is ethically right to seek for permission even if it is obvious that they may not stop the study from taking place (Flint, 2013). The second reason is that their rank as the top managers puts them in the best position to tell the researcher what the organization offers. They will be able to articulate the vision and mission of the firm (Kloos & Duffy, 2012). The director of the organization will be best placed to answer such questions. In his absence, any of the deputies will be able to step in.
The junior managers and employees will be contacted in the second stage of the needs assessment to help determine the capabilities of this organization to offer its services to the target group. These employees are always in the implementation stage of all the plans and strategies of the organization. They know the current capabilities of the systems and structures of the organization. People with disabilities who are currently receiving the services of the Indian Creek Foundation and those who are yet to get the services will also be contacted. They will explain what they specifically need from the agency. They will also help in determining the weaknesses of the organization in meeting their needs.
Stakeholders’ Survey
The following are the specific questions that will be used in the survey to conduct a needs assessment:
- What is the vision of the Indian Creek Foundation? This question will help in explaining the strategic goals of the firm. It has taken the open-ended format to allow the respondent to explain it further.
- What is the mission of your organization? The question will help in understanding what the organization is currently doing. Its format will make it possible to allow further clarification.
- What are the values that drive the operational activities of the foundation? Understanding the values will help explain why the organization acts in a given manner. Its format allows the respondents to list the values.
- What is the size of the current staff working within the organization? This question seeks to determine its capabilities. The format allows the respondent to explain the answer.
- What is the current operational plan and how relevant is it to the current needs of the target population? This question seeks to determine its capabilities. The format allows the respondent to explain the answer.
- Do you believe that the organization has proper systems and structures to offer the needed services to its customers? This question seeks to determine its capabilities. The format allows the respondent to explain the answer.
- Do you believe the organization understands the changing needs of its customers? The question seeks to identify the gaps in its service delivery. The open-ended nature of the question allows an explanation to be made.
- What are the major weaknesses of this organization when it comes to offering its services to you? The question seeks to identify the gaps in its service delivery. The open-ended nature of the question allows an explanation to be made.
- Do you believe the managers know about these weaknesses? The question seeks to identify the possible source of the weaknesses. The format allows an explanation to be made.
- What can be done to address the identified weaknesses? The last questions seek to identify possible solutions. The format allows the respondents to make suggestions.
The items on the survey vary based on the stakeholders (administration, leadership, staff, and recipient of surveys) to ensure that each person had the authority to answer the questions asked to them.
References
Flint, R. W. (2013). Practice of sustainable community development: A participatory framework for change. New York, NY: Springer. Web.
Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. Web.
Kloos, B., & Duffy, K. G. (2012). Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Web.
Soriano, F. I. (2013). Conducting needs assessments: A multidisciplinary approach. New York, NY: Sage. Web.
Watkins, R., West-Meiers, M., & Visser, Y. (2012). A guide to assessing needs: Essential tools for collecting information, making decisions, and achieving development results. Washington, DC: World Bank. Web.