NCJ Number
137940
Date Published
1991
Length
63 pages
Annotation
Purposes of this manual are to acquaint the reader with basic needs assessment concepts and to provide practical suggestions on options available to those needing to undertake a needs assessment.
Abstract
The manual has eight substantive sections, the first of which focuses on determining the type of needs assessment. Consideration is paid to program evaluation versus needs assessment, limitations of needs assessments, simplicity and complexity, resource availability, and the application of findings. The next two sections cover needs assessment methods (secondary data sources, interview techniques, key informants, and focus groups) and survey methods. Subsequent sections look at instrument development (qualitative versus quantitative instruments, item development, and pretesting), sample size requirements, participation rates and nonresponse, statistical analyses, and reporting the findings. An appendix contains a needs assessment guide to help the user design and conduct a needs assessment tailored to specific needs. References and notes