Section 1 – Needs Assessment:Frequently Asked Questions

Watkins, Ryan; Meiers, Maurya West; Visser, Yusra Laila

doi:10.1596/9780821388686_ch02

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Needs assessments are a type of formative evaluation and are often considered a form of strategic or program planning, even more than they are considered a type of evaluation. Needs assessments can occur both before and during an evaluation or program implementation; however, needs assessments are most effective when they are conducted before a new initiative begins or before a decision is made about what to do (e.g., how to make program changes) [ 29 ]. Typically, a needs assessment includes: 1) collecting information about a community; 2) determining what needs are already being met; and 3) determining what needs are not being met and what resources are available to meet those needs [ 42 ].…”

Section: Framework Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the first steps in building a relationship is to learn more about community priorities by conducting a needs assessment [ 27 , 28 ]. A needs assessment is a research and evaluation method for identifying areas for improvement or gaps in current policies, programs, and services [ 29 ]. When conducted in partnership with a specific community, needs assessments can identify priorities and be used to develop innovative solutions, while leveraging the existing knowledge and systems that communities have in place [ 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A guiding framework for needs assessment evaluations to embed digital platforms in partnership with Indigenous communities

Bhawra

Buchan

Green³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Introduction In community-based research projects, needs assessments are one of the first steps to identify community priorities. Access-related issues often pose significant barriers to participation in research and evaluation for rural and remote communities, particularly Indigenous communities, which also have a complex relationship with academia due to a history of exploitation. To bridge this gap, work with Indigenous communities requires consistent and meaningful engagement. The prominence of digital devices (i.e., smartphones) offers an unparalleled opportunity for ethical and equitable engagement between researchers and communities across jurisdictions, particularly in remote communities. Methods This paper presents a framework to guide needs assessments which embed digital platforms in partnership with Indigenous communities. Guided by this framework, a qualitative needs assessment was conducted with a subarctic Métis community in Saskatchewan, Canada. This project is governed by an Advisory Council comprised of Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and youth in the community. An environmental scan of relevant programs, three key informant interviews, and two focus groups (n = 4 in each) were conducted to systematically identify community priorities. Results Through discussions with the community, four priorities were identified: (1) the Coronavirus pandemic, (2) climate change impacts on the environment, (3) mental health and wellbeing, and (4) food security and sovereignty. Given the timing of the needs assessment, the community identified the Coronavirus pandemic as a key priority requiring digital initiatives. Conclusion Recommendations for community-based needs assessments to conceptualize and implement digital infrastructure are put forward, with an emphasis on self-governance and data sovereignty.

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Section: Framework Design and Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A guiding framework for needs assessment evaluations to embed digital platforms in partnership with Indigenous communities

Bhawra

Buchan

Green³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Needs assessments are a common type of formative evaluation and are often considered a form of strategic or program planning, even more than they are considered a type of evaluation. Needs assessments can occur at different points, both before and during an evaluation or program implementation; however, they are most effective when they are conducted before a new initiative starts or before a decision is made about what to do (e.g., how to make program changes) (Watkins, Meiers, and Visser 2012). Typically a needs assessment includes: 1) collecting information about the community; 2) determining what needs are already being met; and, 3) determining what needs are not being met and what resources are available to meet those needs (Stufflebeam and Shinkfield 2007).…”

Section: Needs Assessment Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As we implement creative digital tools in varied programs or research projects, we must also integrate this digital perspective into the evaluation process. Research and evaluation literature has well established approaches to needs assessment evaluations (Saunders, Evans, and Joshi 2005;Watkins, Meiers, and Visser 2012;Stufflebeam and Shinkfield 2007); however, in the 21st century, we need to account for the use and application of digital platforms in community-focused initiatives.…”

Section: Community-based Needs Assessments In the 21st Centurymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the first steps in building a relationship to learn more about community priorities is to conduct a needs assessment. A needs assessment is a research and evaluation method for identifying areas for improvement or gaps in current policies, programs, and services (Watkins, Meiers, and Visser 2012). When conducted in partnership with the community of focus, needs assessments can identify priority areas and be used to develop innovative solutions, while leveraging the existing knowledge and systems that communities have in place (Skinner et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Guiding Framework for Needs Assessment Evaluations to Embed Digital Tools with Indigenous Communities

Bhawra¹,

Buchan²,

Skinner³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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In community-based participatory projects, needs assessments are one of the first steps to identify priority areas. Access-related issues often pose significant barriers to participation for rural and remote communities, particularly Indigenous communities which have a complicated relationship with academia due to a history of exploitation and trauma. In order to bridge this gap, work with Indigenous communities requires consistent and meaningful engagement. The prominence of digital devices (i.e., smartphones) offers an unparalleled opportunity to ethically and equitably engage citizens across jurisdictions, particularly in remote communities. We propose a framework to guide needs assessments which embed digital tools in partnership with Indigenous communities. Guided by this framework, a needs assessment was conducted with a subarctic Métis community in Saskatchewan, Canada. This project is governed by a Citizen Scientist Advisory Council which includes Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and youth. An environmental scan of relevant programs, key informant interviews, and focus groups were conducted to systematically identify community priority areas. Given the timing of the needs assessment, the community identified the Coronavirus pandemic as a key priority area requiring digital initiatives. Recommendations for community-based needs assessments to conceptualize and implement digital infrastructure are put forward, with an emphasis on self-governance and data sovereignty.

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Section 1 – Needs Assessment:Frequently Asked Questions

Cited by 2 publications

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A guiding framework for needs assessment evaluations to embed digital platforms in partnership with Indigenous communities

A guiding framework for needs assessment evaluations to embed digital platforms in partnership with Indigenous communities

A Guiding Framework for Needs Assessment Evaluations to Embed Digital Tools with Indigenous Communities

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