What To Do With Your Needs Assessment

Step 1: Analyze Assessment Results

Analyzing the results of the assessment will give you the critical information you'll need to plan and develop your programming. As you examine the results, try to identify some of the following:

• Areas of consensus
• Needs currently being met
• Needs that could be met through collaboration or partnerships
• Barriers that exist
• Needs that are not being met that require new programming, etc. 

Step 2: Prioritize Needs

The data you have collected from your needs assessment will provide you with some valuable insights into the needs and gaps that need to be addressed. This becomes a decision-making tool where you can decide which options are the most and least important to address as you plan and develop your programming. 

Step 3: Develop Programming

This is the step where you can develop new programming in response to the needs that you have identified, starting with your top priorities. 

Step 4: Use your Resources Wisely

Take a look at what resources you currently have and start discussing with your leadership team, staff and/or board, how you will distribute them. You might need to drop some current programming that A) doesn't address the needs you've identified, B) is farther down your list of priorities, or C) ties up too many of your resources.  

This is also an opportunity to identify some resource-heavy programs that could be picked up by another local organization, allowing your CALP to focus on what you've chosen as your new top priorities.