Needs Assessment Resources
Why, How, When
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 measurable gaps between current and desired conditions.
UC ANR TRAINING MATERIALS
Link to 2023 Training Recording. UCCE academics share their approaches for these program areas: Community Nutrition and Health and Livestock and Natural Resources. Link to presentation slides.
Links to other recorded UCCE academic speakers sharing their approaches to conducting needs assessments:
- 4-H example
- Nutrition example
- Livestock and Natural Resources example
- Food Systems/Dairy example
- Agronomy example
- Small farms example
Needs Assessment planning exercise
UCCE Needs Assessment Steps fact sheet
Guidelines for writing good survey questions
Considerations for Priority-Setting fact sheet
Key reference - Needs Assessment Guidebook for Extension Professionals
MORE UCCE EXAMPLES
Introduction letters
New advisor Introductory Letter to Mailing List
New advisor Newsletter Subscription Survey on Letterhead
Dairy needs assessment letter 2017 _FINAL
Nutrition needs assessment Cover Letter_English
Nutrition need assessement Cover Letter_Spanish
Livestock NR Intro Ltr Needs assessment survey
For focusing and developing extension and research
Orchard Crops Needs Assessment
Sacramento County Director Needs Assessment Plan
Pest Research Needs Assessment
Livestock NR needs assesment poster
Collaborative efforts
UCCE Agronomy Program Team Needs Assessment
UCCE Dairy Advisors collaborative needs assessment overview and Dairy Producer Needs Assessment survey and poster Karle
Vertebrate pest "research needs" assessment of CA ag commodities
Lake Tahoe Basin Natural Resources Needs Assessment
Farm and IPM Advisor collaboration with CDFA to identify spray application training needs and survey using Importance-Performance Analysis
Formal reports
San Diego Growers Needs Assessment
Small-scale Livestock Harvesting Needs Assessment
Marin Cheesemaking Needs Assessment
Marin Community Garden Needs Assessment
Journal articles about results from UCCE needs assessment
UCCE Disaster Management Needs Assessment
Needs assessment for cooperative extension dairy programs in CA
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
Surveys and other tools
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
Livestock and Natural Resources Needs Assessment Survey
Small Farms Needs Assessment Interview and Observation Data Collection Tool
Fire Science Consortia Needs Assessment interview and focus group Kocher and Stephens
Asset-based Approach
Community asset mapping example - Seaside youth map community assets - UC Delivers
References
- Kretzmann and J. McKnight’s book: Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing A Community’s Assets (1993)
- Altschuld’s book: Bridging the Gap Between Asset/Capacity Building and Needs Assessment: Concepts and Practical Applications (2015)
- Effective Engagement with Latino Youths and Communities
- Using an Asset-Based Community Development Initiative to Attract and Retain Young People - JOE_v49_2iw1
Delphi Method
Recording of 2024 UCCE training
Extension publications: Delphi Literature Review_Pinzon & Koundinya , Donaldson & Franck (p 35-36) (2016) , Lamoureaux et al. (in press) , Taylor-Powell (2002) , Warner & Harder (2020) , Warner (2021)
Research papers: Diaz et al (2019) , Diaz et al (2020) , Kumar Chaudhary et al (2020)
IRB approval?
In general, needs assessment surveys do not require IRB approval because they are used for internal program development purposes and not for specific research. However, if you plan to publish your needs assessment effort you will need IRB approval. For additional information see the Human Subject Protocol resources.
Journal articles about how to conduct a needs assessment
Baseline Data for Your Program
A Needs Assessment Method for Extension Educators
Using Importance-Performance Analysis to Guide Extension Needs Assessment
Tipsheets
Focus Group Best Practices handout
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
Other Extension examples
Needs Assessments Processess, Methods and Examples ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
UWEX Hmong Educational Needs Assessment
Penn State A Needs Assessment Strategy for Women in Agriculture
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)