Needs assessment is an ongoing process of discovering what program participants want in terms of activities and services. It involves gathering input from customers through conversations and surveys to determine which market segments and activities to focus on, as well as how to offer activities. Conducting needs assessment costs less than not doing it and can help programs that generate over $100,000 realize their market potential and share.

1. “Needs assessment is an ongoing process of discovering what your
program’s participants want in terms of activities and services”
1. Basics
Your customers or best customers give you the best answers.1.
Hold 10-15 conversations a year with your customers.2.
It costs less to do needs assessment than not to do it.3.
10-20% of programmers time should be spent on needs4.
assessment
2. 3 Central Uses
Which market segments to serve1.
Which activities to offer2.
How to offer your activities3.
3. Market Potential and Market Share
Market potential is the total number of possible participants.•
Market share is the total number of people you have enrolled. The•
number in your program divided by market potential.
4. Focus on High Dollar Programs
Generate $100,000 or more over a 3-year period
5. Low-Dollar Needs Assessment
Low-dollar courses are not cost effective to do many needs
assessments.
Follow these guidelines:
Accept normal cancellation rate, based on historical experience1.
Look at a larger group or division2.
Do quick surveys3.
Just do it4.
Needs Assessment, Richard T. Walsh,Ph.D., LERN Senior Consultant

2. 6. Choosing Problems
Analyze Program Data1.
What’s the problem? Where do you hurt?
Analyze Participant Data2.
Where do you stand right now?
Develop Hypotheses or Theories3.
Why does the problem exist? What’s the reason for the problem?
Rank Problems by Priority - by survey4.
What’s most important?
7. 3 Step Needs Assessment Process
8. Focus Groups
8-12 members - customers1.
Send invitation then follow-up with a phone call2.
Meet for 1 hour or on-line3.
Narrow down the options4.
9. Survey Purposes
General data collection1.
Evaluation surveys2.
Content inquiries3.
Single-issue surveys4.
10. Surveys Provide
Data to address specific questions•
Ability to act on decisions•
11. Best Survey Techniques
Type Give Out Response Time
Post Mail Beginning of Class Immediate
Email
Tue/Wed/Thur
10-12 noon
3 days
Mail Anytime 4 weeks
Website Anytime Update Monthly
Telephone* After hours Immediate
*least used

3. 12. Increasing Survey Response Rates
Close-ended questions
Get a better response than open-ended questions•
Reduce the amount of data•
Close-ended example:
What is your favorite color?
a. blue
b. green
c. red
Best close-ended question types
Multiple choice•
Agree/disagree•
Likert Scale•
Open-ended questions provide more data.
Open-ended example:
Why is there air?
Provide lines when asking for a response. The number of lines•
indicates how much information you want.
Benchmarks
10-15 Conversations a year with your customers•
10-20% of programmers time spent on needs assessment•