OVC Technical Assistance Guide: Guide to Conducting a Needs Assessment

• NCJ Number: 228962
• Date Published: January 2010
• Length: 8 pages
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance

Annotation

This guide is part of the Office for Victims of Crime's (OVC's) online series of technical assistance guides that serve as tools for victim service providers and allied professionals that need to conduct program evaluations or needs assessments.

Abstract

This guide is intended to be used by program managers to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of their community, its target populations, and the services available to the citizens. The guide, from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, is part of a series of technical guides that provide assistance to victim service providers and other professionals in conducting outcome evaluations and needs assessments of their programs. The guide is organized around six key steps needed for conducting a successful assessment: 1) formulate needs assessment questions; 2) review existing data sources; 3) collect new data; 4) analyze data; 5) report findings; and 6) use the findings. In addition, the guide contains a resource section that includes references, glossary, and appendixes.