The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate student’s aptitude for formulating and developing a need assessment for an agency, community or population. A needs assessment is defined as :

A system set of procedure undertaken for the purpose of setting priorities and making decision program or organizational improvements and allocation of resources.

Assignment:

1. Identify a community /agency with a need and why is that need important to the agency /community.

2. Give a detailed description of the target sample (who will be benefitting from the program) within the agency community or population), including inclusion /exclusion criteria for the sample and a well-formulated recruitment plan for proposed /hypothesized data collection.

3. The development of answerable research question(s) related to community or population needs.

4. The identification of the independent variable (s) and dependent variable (s)

5. A discussion of hypothesized associations between variables.

6. Given the proposed variables studied, identify an appropriate methodology or methodologies.

 For each data collected methodology identifies an appropriate methodology or methodologies to collect data used

 In the case of multiple variables, identify strengths and weaknesses.

 Discuss the feasibility of each data collection strategy which would include costs and ethical concerns.

6. Identify key stakeholder groups that would be involved in the process from planning and execution of the needs assessment.

7. Identify a plan for communicating results and the stakeholder groups what would be important audience results.

Guide /approach to the assignment:

• Identify a need in any community of your choice

• Why is it a need to the community?

• How would I influence potential funders that there is a need for the community?

• Who will be the direct benefit of the project?

• Which criteria made the target population eligible for this need, Inclusion or exclusion?

• State your hypothesis question

• Describe your sample?

• What are the fundamental questions for the Agency/community you will be dealing with?

• What are the variables of interest and whether they are operational or not? Eg: Teenage pregnancy ( data based upon the number of pregnancy as defined, lack of access to condoms, lack of education

• How would you collect the data? What are the sources of collecting data you used? Eg: If you are doing a Focus group or survey, what type of questions would you ask when conducting the interview?