Needs Assessment

Needs Assessment Resources

A needs assessment is an important part of program planning:  to enable setting needs-based priorities. It is a systematic process to determine needs, the measureable gaps between current and desired conditions.

UCCE advisor needs assessments for developing programs:
Orchard Crops Needs Assessment
Sacramento County Director Needs Assessment Plan
Lake Tahoe Basin Natural Resources Needs Assessment
Pest Research Needs Assessment 2011

UCCE advisor needs assesment formal reports:
Small-scale Livestock Harvesting Needs Assessment
Marin Cheesemaking Needs Assessment
Marin Community Garden Needs Assessment


UCCE needs assessment surveys:
UCCE Sacramento Needs Assessment Survey March 2012
Money Talks Teen Program Needs Assessment Survey
Needs Assessment Surveys - UC Vet Med
Napa Weeds Needs Assesment Survey
Youth Development In Los Angeles County

IRB approval?
In general, needs assessment surveys do not require IRB approval because they are used for administrative purposes and not for specific research. If you have any questions about this contact the Executive Director of Academic Personnel, Kim Rodrigues.

Journal of Extension needs assessment articles:
Baseline Data for Your Program
A Needs Assessment Method for Extension Educators
What Do Youth Want to Do? A Youth Needs-Assessment Process for Communities
Assessing Volunteers' Needs and Interests to Inform Curriculum Development in 4-H

UCCE community asset mapping examples:
Seaside youth map community assets - UC Delivers

Other Extension examples
UWEX Hmong Educational Needs Assessment
Penn State A Needs Assessment Strategy for Women in Agriculture

Sampling resources
Sample Size
Sampling a Diverse Audience
Random Samples

Extension resources
A ranking question for a needs assessment
Using an evaluation for a needs assessment
A needs assessment strategy for volunteer development
Situational analysis building involvement and ownership
Build on existing assessments
Key informant approach
Identifying assets
Priority setting

Presentations by James Altschuld (needs assessment expert), Ohio State University
Needs Assessment A Workshop
Introduction to Designing Needs Assessment Surveys
Needs Assessment Kit panel

Books
Needs Assessment Kit (Ed., J. W. Altschuld) SAGE is the 2010 publisher of the 5 volume Kit. 

Books in order:

1.  An Overview  J. W. Altschuld (The Ohio State University) & D. D. Kumar (Florida Atlantic University)

2.  Phase 1: Getting Started  J. W. Altschuld & J. N. Eastmond, Jr. (Utah State University)

3.  Phase 2: Collecting Data   J. W. Altschuld

4.  Analysis and Prioritization  J. W. Altschuld & J. L. White (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)

5.  Phase 3:  Taking Action for Change   Laurie Stevahn (Seattle University) & Jean King (University of Minnesota)