Download - Community Needs Assessment 2.0
Community Needs Assessment 2.0
Has your club used the community needs assessment tool?Was the
community needs assessment easy to implement?
Was the community needs assessment
tool useful in helping identify the needs in
your community?
Additional comments?
How do you assess the needs in your community?
61%63%
…completed the needs assessment“Easy to
implement”
72%
Useful in identifying the needs
Scalability
Alternative methodologies
Research Findings
• The needs assessment should be scalable to both rural and urban environments
• Clubs have used other assessment methodologies to identify the needs.
• Clubs have connected the needs to service.
• The needs assessment should be an ongoing process, not just a one-time event.
• Clubs can choose from several practical methods to gather information.
• Clubs can incorporate elements of the needs assessment into existing activities.
• Anyone can contribute.• The assessment can help build relationships with
key stakeholders and recruit new members.• Lions should approach the assessment as
researchers, but they don’t have to implement a scientific research study to get the information they need.
Keep in mind…
Community Assessment At-A-Glance:
Step 1: Define the community and identify
key stakeholders.
Step 2: Choose & apply the appropriate
methodology to collect information.
Community Assessment At-A-Glance:
Step 3: Identify specific community
needs.
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Community Assessment At-A-Glance:
Step 4: Plan activities that meet specific community
needs.
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Community Assessment At-A-Glance:
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community Step 5: Serve your community & assess your impact.
Community Assessment At-A-Glance:
As any good investigator,
you will need to…
Look
Learn
Listen
Asking Effective
…is the basis for a good assessment. Regardless of the methodology your club
will use for the community needs assessment, it is important that you
understand how to formulate effective questions & adjust them to any setting -- be it a meeting with a stakeholder, on-on-
one interview, focus group, survey, or personal observation.
Questions…
Identifying StakeholdersStakeholders are unique to your community. They
represent entities with important sources of information, expertise, and resources.
They may include:
School: Engaging Our Youth campaign projects
Food-bank: Relieving Hunger campaign projects
Health Provider: Sharing The Vision campaign activities
Park district: Protecting Our Environment campaign projects
Emergency respondent: Disaster Relief activities
Choosing the Right MethodologyYou can use any combination of techniques to gather information about your community or a specific problem. Some techniques are very simple and can be done by one person, while others require more people, skills, preparation, and time.
Basic/Easy
Advanced/More Difficult
Observation
Mapping
Existing information
Interviews
Focus groups
Surveys
Methodology: Observation
Look
Look and listen to what is happening in your surroundings and make notes about your observations.
• Specific activities (sources of information) may include: taking a walk through the community, visiting a program/facility, attending an event, participating in a project, or following discussions on social media.
• Pros:– First-hand experience– Easy to do
• Cons:– Selective attention, interpretation, and memory of what
happened– Observer bias– “Observer effect”:people may behave differently when
being observed
Project Idea:Environment
Look
Work with a group of students at a local school to take photos and make observations about their local environment (park, neighborhood, playground, etc.).
Ask students to identify:
- objects that do not belong to the natural environment - signs of pollution- signs of illness (plant and animal life)
Have the students present their findings in class. Then organize a project (such as community clean-up and/or tree planting) in collaboration with the school.
Methodology: Mapping
Look
Look for and map key points of interest within the community.
The map can be used to physically define your community & identify: • Stakeholders• Informants• Zones of activities • Locations where people gather
Mapping can also help Lions identify regular and unusual events with the community and how that changes on a seasonal basis.
Project Example: Vishynka District IDU Scene
Community boundaries
Key locations: market, school, needle exchange, apartments
Stakeholders: police, social programs, treatment center, schools, NGOs
Zones of activity: drug sale (1), IDU gathering/recruitment (2), drug use (3),
Informants: police, social workers, IDUs, students, residents
Methodology: Existing Info
Learn
Look for routinely collected data from government bodies, centers, foundations, universities, etc. Learn from others who have done the research.• Variety of sources (print & online): research studies, annual
reports, articles, blogs, social media, informational guides, etc.
• Places to look: local government, community centers, universities, public libraries.
• Pros:– Get information that clubs would not otherwise have the
resources to collect– Get a ‘snap-shot’ of what is currently happening in the area– Usually inexpensive and easily accessible– Representative of a larger area (e.g., entire community/region)
• Cons:– Have to trust the source for accuracy– Need to be careful about others interpretation or bias of the
results– Info may be produced with a specific audience
Project Idea: Youth
Engagement
Learn
Lions can work with Leos or students at a local high school or university to conduct a review of existing data on a specific topic. For example, the students can be asked to research diabetes within their community, looking for information on:
– Prevalence of the disease- People at risk- Existing programs- What are the most important needs
You can then brainstorm with the group on ways to get involved.
Methodology: InterviewsListe
n Listen to and Learn from people (informants) who may have more information about needs within the community or can provide a new perspective and/or access to additional information.
• People to interview: community stakeholders, youth, program/project participants, local experts, local Lions leaders, other Lions.
• Pros:– Can be done during other Lions activities– Many options (structured/unstructured)– Allow members to build relationships & access to
new informants• Cons:
– Requires some preparation– Members need to be comfortable asking questions – Can be biased (interviewer & informant)
Project Idea: Sharing VisionListe
n You can arrange an interview with someone who is visually impaired* to gain their perspective on:
- Their experience & outlook for the future- Common misconceptions about vision loss- What they consider to be the biggest challenges and opportunities for individuals with vision loss
* If your district is organizing (or plans to organize) a Lions Essay Contest, the interview can also serve as a means to reach youth who may wish to participate.
Methodology: Focus GroupsListe
n Listen to and Learn from a group of people who may have more information about needs within the community and/or can provide a new perspective. The group is selected based on common experience, similar background, skills-set, or expertise (e.g., parents of children with disabilities).
• People to involve: community stakeholders, youth, parents, project participants, local experts, other Lions.
• Pros:– Able to obtain information on individual and shared experiences– Allows members to build relationships & identify new
informants• Cons:
– Requires some preparation/training on how to lead a group discussion
– Members need to be comfortable asking questions & keep the discussion focused (more difficult to do than one-on-on interviews)
– The group discussion can be dominated by one or two individuals who influence the views of others.
Project Idea: Relieving HungerListe
n For the next pancake breakfast, Lions can invite community
stakeholders (e.g., members of the local food bank, faith-based and/or
non-profit groups serving the homeless and other people in
need) and have a 1-2 hour focus group discussion that day to talk
about food security issues within the community and how Lions can
get involved.
Methodology: SurveysListe
n Collect information from a representative sample of the local population to gain statistical insights on a particular issue and/or areas of need.
Pros:- Ask questions that have not been asked before- Gather statistically valid informationCons:- Often requires a lot of resources & time- Requires some background in questionnaire
design, sampling, & data analysis- May require incentives & approvals/informed
consent - Limited opportunities to make in-person
connections
Survey Idea: How can we serve you
better?Liste
nClubs may consider developing a brief (5-
10 question) online survey (e.g., using a free Survey Monkey online account) with
a link on their club’s website and/or facebook page to get feedback from the
general public. After completing a service activity, members can also
handout business cards with a link to the website & encourage
participants/stakeholders (or prospective members) to learn more about the club
and complete the online survey.
Project Example: Vishynka District IDU Scene
Community boundaries
Key locations: market, school, needle exchange, apartments
Stakeholders: police, social programs, treatment center, schools, NGOs
Zones of activity: drug sale (1), IDU gathering/recruitment (2), drug use (3),
Informants: police, social workers, IDUs, students, residents
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community
Step 1: Identify Stakeholders
High School
Informants:• Students• Teachers• Principal• Counselors
Identify stakeholders & prospective members
Drug Treatment Center
Informants:• Therapists• IDUs• Counselors• Family
Identify stakeholders & prospective members
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community
Step 2: Choose Your Methodology
High School
Informants:• Students• Teachers• Principal• Counselors
Identify stakeholders & prospective members
Drug Treatment Center
Informants:• Therapists• IDUs• Counselors• Family
Identify stakeholders & prospective members
• Interviews• Focus Groups
Methodology:• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation• Existing
Information
Methodology:
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community
Step 3: Identify Needs
High School
Problem/Needs:• Limited drug awareness• Risk factors• No Intervention
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community
Step 4: Plan Activities
High School
Activities:• LionsQuest curriculum• Extracurricular activities• IDU & family testimonies
Resources:• Ministry of Education Grant• LCIF Grant• Students & Teachers
Drug Treatment Center
Resources:• Experts• IDUs• Family
Members
Youth unemploymentEducation Schools
Lack of Books
Food insecurityMalnourishment
Obesity
DiabetesHearing lossBlindness Low Vision
LitteringDeforestation
Water sanitation
Natural Disasters
RebuildingTraining
Children and Youth
HungerHealth
Environment
Disaster Preparedness
Organize service projects that adhere to the needs in your
community
Step 5: Serve
High School Drug Treatment Center
Pulling it all together
Check-in with club members on a regular basis Complete the community needs assessment
workbook Organize a meeting on an annual, quarterly, or
monthly basis to review your findings Use the results of the community needs
assessment to plan activities Use existing activity planning resources on the
LCI website Search the SAR for projects other Lions clubs
have organized to get ideas on what to do and/or identify new informants