How To: Conduct a Needs

Assessment

Contents:

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Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Glossary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…3
Components of a Needs Assessment………………………………………………………………………………..…4
Needs Assessment Cycle………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
A Three-Phase Needs Assessment Model……………………………………………………………………………5
Stage 1: Preparation.……………………………………………………………………………..……………………………5
- Checklist……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
- Choose your Needs Assessment Squad…………………………………….………………………………6
- Find a Project Partner…………………………………………………………….…………………………………6
- Identify Knowns and Unknowns………………………………………………..………………………………7
- Choose your method…………………………………………………………………………………………………8
Stage 2: Implementation……………………………………………………………………………………………………10
- Checklist………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11
- Identify participants……………………………………………..…………………………………………………11
- Conduct needs assessment………………………………………….…………………………………………11
- Compile data and summarise findings……………….……………………………………………………11
Stage 3: Evaluation…………………………………….………………………………………………………………………12
- Identify possible solutions………………………………………………………………………………………13
- Select solution(s)….…………………………………………………………………………………………………13
- Create your action plan………………..…………………………………………………………………………13
- Communicate with stakeholders………………………………………………………………………….…14
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14
Useful Links……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…14

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Introduction:

The aim of this resource is to provide Enactus teams with a comprehensive understanding of
what a needs assessment is, along with a practical tool to use when completing an
assessment.

You may be already aware that a needs assessment takes a bit of time and effort. So, why
should you bother? Why not just cut to the chase and implement the project? Well, rest
assured that the quality of your project will be considerably better if you take the time to
understand the needs and wants of the people you intend to work with first. If you’re not
convinced, see more of the benefits below:

 It is an opportunity for you to listen, learn and build a relationship of trust with
the people you want to help.
 You will be considerably more knowledgeable about the needs group you want
to work with, rather than basing your solution on assumptions.
 It will form the baseline measurements for the entirety of the project and a
document that the team can refer to for years to come.
 It will help you to better measure the impact that you have made with the
people on the project.
 It will force you to document your project – a common area of neglect for teams!

Glossary:

Activities: The methods of implementation carried out by team members.

Data: Information collected in a systematic way that is used to draw conclusions about an
assessment or its outcomes.

Inputs: The resources available that allow and support the implementation, e.g. money,
team members, materials, or equipment.

Need: a “need” is a gap between “what is” and “what should be”.

Needs Assessment: a “Needs Assessment” is a systematic set of procedures that are used
to determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and identify priorities for future
action. Carrying out a Needs Assessment is simply a process of gathering data, and will be
the primary baseline measurements needed to help frame the solution. An individual or
community may have several wide and varied needs. If done correctly, a needs assessment
can enable teams to identify where they can focus their efforts in order to make the most
impact.

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Outcome: The changes in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, or the community
as a result of the project and the benefit for individuals during or after their involvement of
their project.

Outputs: The product delivered or the unit of service provided by the project and team
members, usually described numerically, such as number of people supported or number of
hours of volunteering/implementation.

Qualitative data: Descriptive or subjective information provided in narrative terms.

Methods of gathering qualitative data can include individual interviews, focus groups,
observing group discussions. Examples include testimonials and conversations with
individuals.

Quantitative data: Numerical information gathered in a structured way. Methods of

gathering quantitative data include surveys, online polls and interviews. Examples include
income level and number of individuals with access to clean water etc.

Components of a Needs Assessment

1) A review of the existing sources of information relevant to your needs group

2) A profile of existing services available to needs group (e.g. what local/national

charities do currently to support individuals)

3) The views and opinions of your needs group

4) The views of relevant organisations (e.g. charities, NGO’s, City Council)

5) Analysis and interpretation of the results in order to draw conclusions

6) Taking action through prioritising the identified needs, appraising the options for
meeting those needs, and implementing an action plan

7) Monitoring and evaluation to check that the changes you have implemented are
having the desired effect of meeting the needs of the beneficiary group.

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 A Three-Phase Needs Assessment Model

Stage 2:
Stage 1: Preparation Stage 3: Evaluation
Implementation

Needs Assessment Cycle:

Prepare Implement Evaluate

Update Needs Assessment

It is useful to imagine a Needs Assessment as shown above. Imagine it as more of a cycle

than a process, as you should be continuously updating your assessment during the lifespan
of your project to ensure you are up to date with the needs of the people you work with.

Stage 1: Preparation

Checklist for Stage 1:

Choosing Your Needs Assessment

Squad

Find a project partner

Do your background research

Identify “Unknowns” and “Knowns”

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 Choose which method(s) to
complete needs assessment e.g.
survey/interviews

Choosing your Needs Assessment Squad

It is important that you pick the right type of people to prepare, implement and evaluate
the needs assessment. Of course, your main priority should be to task this to committed and
dedicated people who will see it through to the end. But they should also be:
- Analytical
- An excellent communicator: strong interpersonal skills
- A team player
- A problem solver: Can detect issues and investigate ways to resolve them
- Organised and can compile and present information orally, visually and in writing
- Able to assess pros and cons of possible strategies and can implement agreed
solutions.

It is also worth considering language, backgrounds, and cultural norms. This can help to
build trust with the participants if you have common ground.

Find a Project Partner

Forming the correct partnerships with organisations that share similar goals and values
drives project implementation forward and ultimately increases the level of impact achieved
with beneficiaries. Typically, a project partner is a charity, NGO or public sector organisation
that works directly with the individuals you want to help support. Project partners can
provide you with expert, hands on advice and will help you to understand the needs group
specific requirements.

Your project partner should play a key role in the needs assessment as they can direct you
to the clients they work with to participate in the assessment. Some of the ways you should
work with them are listed below:
- Create detailed plans for not just the needs assessment, but the project as a
whole with your project partner.
- Work out the logistics and cost to the team and the partner.
- Consider each other’s capabilities and the areas you both need support in
- Consider cultural norms
- Consider communication preferences – how will you update each other?

You need to make sure you focus on developing a relationship of trust with your project
partner. This is a must!

Top tip: Consolidate your partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),

which outlines your respective responsibilities in a formal agreement.

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Do your background research:

Before you carry out the needs assessment, you need to spend some time investigating
what is currently known about the needs group you intend to work with. This means having
an understanding of the context of the problem you are trying to solve. When assessing the
broader context, you should try and answer the following questions:

1) Who is experiencing this problem and what are their typical experiences?
- Identify the target population
- Try and identify the typical experiences of the target population/segments
- Identify future expected changes or trends that may change the situation
2) What is the scale of the problem?
- How big is the target population?
- Is the problem growing/is the target population growing?
3) Why does the problem exist?
- Understanding the root cause of the problem (see activity below).

Answering these three questions will also enable you to understand the “current state”, and
will start to form a picture of the “goal state”. If you wish to see an example of this in
action, see appendix 1.

ACTIVITY: Identifying the Root Cause

Understanding the root cause of the problem is crucial in developing the right solution for
the individuals you are working with. A useful framework in working out the root cause is
the PEST tool – the Political, Economic, Social and Technological causes of the problem. In
some cases, it may be worth examining the potential Legal and Environmental causes –
PEST(LE).

Generally, the root causes of problems can be split into two categories:
- Individual causes – the lack of specific individual interventions (e.g. lack of
support around employment issues for migrants)
- Systematic causes – large scale systemic causes which affect the population as a
whole e.g. wide scale discrimination towards migrants).

Identify Unknowns and Knowns

A needs assessment is about gaining an understanding of the problem that you are trying to
address, and the individuals that you intend to work with. It is about reducing the
‘unknowns’ and ‘don’t knows’ so that you can be confident that the project you are
providing will address their needs.

Activity: Identifying Unknowns Test

- On one side of an A4 page, create a list of what you currently know about the
problem and the individuals that you intend to work with.

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 - On the other side of the page, create a list of all the things that you don’t know
about the problem and the individuals.
- Now that you have your list of unknowns, jot down how you can find out these
points and when you need to know them by.

Choosing your Method

The method you choose really does depend on the type of data you need and the
individuals who will be participating in the needs assessment. For example, an interview or
focus group may be the most suitable method for individuals with low literacy levels as they
do not need to read or write – the interviewer can record their answers. Always have in
your mind “what will I use this data for?” Remember that the conclusions you draw from
this assessment will help you to create the right project.

Before you begin, it is worth piloting your needs assessment on a small scale to make sure it
is the right method. Make sure you that you have explained to the participants the purpose
of the assessment and what the data will be used for.

See the following pages for some of the different methods you can use, and the advantages
and disadvantages for each.

1. The Questionnaire

Advantages:
- Less resource intensive
- More honest responses
- Can get a lot of responses
Disadvantages:
- Not great for behaviour change
- Reliant on literacy
- Misunderstanding of questions
- Survey fatigue low response rates

Tips for success:

- Use a combination of open and closed questions
- Consider various types of formatting e.g. tick boxes, paragraphs, scales, ratings
- Avoid leading questions
- Ensure confidentiality

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 2. The Interview

Advantages:
- Good for qualitative data
- No literacy required
- Allows you to build a relationship
- Often provides in depth data
- Can clarify responses
Disadvantages:
- Takes up a lot of time to conduct and to analyse the data
- Hard for vulnerable people
- Misreporting/bias
- Individual may distrust the interviewer

Tips for success:

- Prepare questions but try and make it conversational
- If appropriate ask if you can record or take notes
- Think about the location (comfortable environment?) and length
- Consider language
- Consider cultural norms

3. The Focus Group

Advantages:
- Less resource intensive than interviews
- Good for qualitative data
- No literacy needed
- Can clarify responses
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to cover sensitive topics
- Difficult to coordinate, can be unpredictable
- Time consuming to analyse data
- Risk of having dominating participants

Tips for success:

- Have a good facilitator
- Consider gender/power relations and other group dynamics
- Take notes/record, including capturing behaviour and attitudes
- Ensure all speak
- Consider location and group size

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Stage 2: Implementation

Ok. You are one-third of the way through. Or 33.333…% Or 0.3 recurring. Whichever works
for you. But pay attention, as this bit is important.

Enactus UK Needs Assessment Tool

We have created a measurement tool that you can use to either conduct your needs
assessment or to compile your data.

You will see that there are five tabs: Financial, Human, Natural, Social and Physical. These
represent the essential assets of a person’s livelihood.

Now, what is a livelihood? And what is an asset? We hear you ask. Well, let us tell you.

A livelihood is the means and activities involved in sustaining an individual’s life. To some
degree, it encompasses what a person is. Livelihoods are fueled by what are known as
livelihood assets. These assets represent the wide variety of capital used in obtaining
desired outcomes. Here’s a breakdown of the assets:

1. Financial: Financial assets are the financial resources available to an individual.

Financial assets can be built through access to jobs or creation of income generating
activities, but also through individuals gaining access to financial services such as
banks or micro-lending.
2. Human: Human assets are the skills, knowledge and ability to work and pursue
different livelihood strategies. This asset is required for the individual to make use of
any of the other assets. Supporting the development of human assets will only work
with buy-in from the people affected – if people are willing to invest in themselves
through training sessions, schooling, and professional/personal development.
3. Natural: Natural assets are the natural resources used and consumed in creating a
livelihood. Projects supporting natural asset development should focus not only on
building up natural resources, but take a broader view of how those resources are
used, and the transforming structures in place.
4. Social: Social assets are the networks, groups and relationships people develop.
Developing social assets lowers the opportunity cost of other livelihood assets, as
trust and respect make working together easier. Social networks facilitate
innovation, improved management of public goods and economic relations.
5. Physical: Physical assets comprise the basic infrastructure and goods necessary to
support a livelihood. The opportunity cost of not having access to physical assets
often affects other areas of livelihood assets such as education and financial assets.

Within each tab, there is a list of indicators in the first row. These indicators each form part
of a person’s financial, human, natural, social or physical assets. Each indicator uses a traffic
light system that you or the participant can use to identify which one is the most fitting for
the individual. You can use the spreadsheet as it is, or you can adapt it if you wish, and
delete/edit the indicators as you see fit.

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Checklist

Identify participants

Conduct your needs assessment

Compile data and summarise

findings

Identify participants

By this point, your project partner should have provided you with some information on the
individuals who are interested in getting involved in the project. Before you implement your
needs assessment, give yourself and the project partner time to make sure that: 1) you have
the right participants 2) you have chosen the right method(s) and 3) you have the relevant
questions/topic areas that you want to discuss with the participants.

Conduct Needs Assessment

Once you are confident in the approach you are going to take, it is time to conduct your
needs assessment. It is extremely important that you remain objective and are prepared to
listen, with no pre-conceived notions of the conclusions you intend to draw from the
assessment. You can use our Enactus UK Needs Assessment tool (See how to on p.10) to
carry out the needs assessment and/or ask the participants to use it. If you want to go
through the document with the participants, keep in mind their perspective and decide
whether that is the most appropriate method to use.

Compile data and summarise findings

Whichever method you choose to conduct your needs assessment, you will need to take the
raw data/findings and compile it, so that you can evaluate it. This is where you should
prioritise needs. What was the most pressing issue/need you found? Start to think about
where you can help make the most difference.

If you choose to use the Enactus UK Needs Assessment Tool to compile the data, you can
analyse which indicators or assets are the most at risk. To summarise your findings, write a
explanation or report to what you think are the major causes.

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Remember to share your findings with your project partner and the rest of the team. It
would also be a good idea to discuss this with your Programme Manager and University
Adviser, who can provide you with their perspective.

Stage 3: Evaluation

It cannot be emphasised enough that a needs assessment is not complete without a clear
action plan for how you are going to use the information and knowledge you’ve gained.

The evaluation stage is the bridge from the analysis to the action – to use the needs
assessment findings to make a difference. It answers important questions: What needs are
the most critical? What are some possible solutions? Which solutions are best?

Checklist

Identify possible solutions

Select your solution(s)

Create your Action Plan

Communicate with all stakeholders

Identify possible solutions

You will have all brainstormed ideas before right? Put your divergent thinking caps on
(definition: a process of thinking creatively and coming up with lots of solutions) and
explore all of the possible solutions that you could potentially implement in your project.
Look at this process like this:

WHAT IS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS WHAT SHOULD BE

  
  
  

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Select your solution(s)

When your team has lots of ideas, it is often difficult to narrow it down to one. A good way
of doing this is using the table below. Rate your solution against its potential for revenue,
impact and scalability, and your team’s capacity to carry it out. Rate it out of 5, with 5 being
“excellent”, 4 “good”, 3 “average”, 2 “poor”, and 1 being “very poor”.

Idea Revenue Impact Capacity Scalability

Is it commercially Is it addressing the Do you have the Does this idea have
feasible? Is there a needs of the funding to implement potential to expand
demand for the beneficiaries? Are project? Do you have outwards and/or
product/service you creating long- the skills/resource to modify your
you are providing? term change? implement project? product/service?

Rate out of 5 Rate out of 5 Rate out of 5 Rate out of 5

Solution 1

Solution 2

Solution 3

Create your Action Plan

So you’ve got your solution – brilliant! We’re nearly ready to implement the project and
start to make a positive impact. What you need to do now is make an action plan.

An action plan should involve you taking into account of:

The WHAT: What are the actions that you are going to take to help the individuals on the
project reach their desired outcomes?

The WHO: Who is responsible for the actions?

The WHEN: When are the deadlines for the actions? What is the project timeline?

The WHERE: Where will you carry out the actions? Where will you work with the
individuals?

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The HOW: How will you deem the project a success? How will you measure the impact you
are making? How much will this cost?

Communicate with all stakeholders

The final part of this stage is equally as important as all of the hard work you have done so
far. Although you should have been communicating with the relevant people throughout
(i.e. your project partner, your team, your University Adviser, your Programme Manager)
you want to make sure you have tied up all loose ends and communicated with the key
people to make sure you are all on the same page with the solution that you have decided
on.

Summary

So this takes us to the end of the needs assessment. It has been fun, hasn’t it? We hope you
have found it useful. We are certain that if you take the time to conduct a thorough needs
and wants assessment, you will have a much higher quality project and definitely a much
deeper impact.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch with your Programme Manager.

Useful links

Enactus Worldwide Team Handbook

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/559ee941e4b0fde69cae2f0d/t/55e59971e4b05381dfa3b8e6
/1441110385182/2015-16+Enactus+Team+Handbook.pdf

Social Enterprise UK
https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk

UK Govt – Communita data source

www.opendatacommunities.org

Good Finance - Impact Measurement tool

http://www.goodfinance.org.uk/impact-matrix

UnLtd – Social Entrepreneurship Awards toolkit

https://unltd.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/full-toolkit1.pdf

Nesta – Theory of Change How To guide

https://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/theory_of_change_guidance_for_applicants_.pdf

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