Module 3 focuses on conducting a human service needs assessment report, highlighting the importance of accountability and program evaluation in the context of limited resources. It outlines the process for evaluating a program by identifying needs, gaps in services, and the affected population, while also considering the organizational context and stakeholder involvement. The report requires a detailed analysis, supported by scholarly resources, and must adhere to APA citation standards.

1. Module 3: Module 3 - M3 Assignment 2 RA 1
Assignment 2: RA 1: Human Service Needs Assessment Report
Over the past two decades, the terms "accountability" and
"program evaluation" have become the focus within the human
services arena. Due to budgetary constraints and decrease in
availability of public funding, the competition for scarce
resources has increased. This increased competition has
subjected human services agencies to an intense examination
where requests for resources are scrutinized carefully.
The first step to conducting a program evaluation is to conduct
a
needs assessment
to determine and justify the reason for carrying out the
evaluation of a particular program. A need can be defined as the
gap between what is and what should be and can be experienced
by an individual, a group, or an entire community.
Tasks:
Using at least 3–5 scholarly resources from the professional
literature, research human service needs assessment. The
literature may include the Argosy University online library
resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles,
and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or
institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).
Create a 7- to 9-page report in a Microsoft Word document,
including the following:
Identify a program at a social agency or other human services
program to which you have access and provide a description of
the organizational context including the mission and objectives
of the program and why an evaluation is being considered.
Conduct a
needs assessment
using concepts presented previously to confirm and explain the
scope of the problem, the perceived versus actual gap in
service, the affected population, whether the need is changing,

2. and in what manner the need may be changing.
Identify possible resources to meet the perceived needs. Discuss
what existing resources can be used, what additional
information would be needed, and what sources for obtaining
data you would use.
Identify the stakeholders who need to be included in the
assessment and subsequent evaluation.
Analyze the interpersonal, political, and ethical considerations
of interacting with decision makers and stakeholders who may
have conflicting priorities and determine strategies for
reconciling those priorities.
Submission Details:
Save your report as M3_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc. Include a
title and reference page and apply APA standards to the citation
of sources, including use of in-text citations and full references.
By
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
, post your report to the
M3 Assignment 2 RA 1 Dropbox
.
RA 1 is worth 200 points and will be graded according to the
following rubric.