Needs Assessment Overview

1
Needs Assessment Overview
HIV Care Services Contractors Meeting August, 12,
2009

• Shelley Taylor-Donahue, MPH
• HIV Services Planner
• Virginia Department of Health
• [phone]
• Shelley.taylor-donahue_at_vdh.virginia.gov

2
Objectives

• At the end of this presentation, participants
  will be able to answer the following questions
  about needs assessment (NA) activities
• What is NA?
• Who participates in NA activities?
• Why are NA activities important?
• How to develop effective NA tools?

3
Definition of Needs Assessment

• A process of collecting information about the
  needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
  (both receiving care and those not in care),
  identifying current resources available to meet
  those needs and determining what gaps in care
  exist.

Source Needs Assessment Self Assessment
Module. Ryan White CARE Act Title I HIV Health
Services Planning Councils and Title II HIV Care
Consortia/Planning Bodies Manuals. HIV/AIDS
Bureau, Health Resource and Services
Administration (HRSA).
4
Who Participates in NA?

• Consortia members, lead agencies, providers,
  consumers, key stakeholders
• Planning Councils PC staff, providers,
  consumers
• States health department staff, statewide
  planning bodies (CPG) , providers, consumers
• EVERYBODY!!

5
Some Ways to Collect NA Information

• NA Committees, Workgroups, Advisory Boards
• Focus Groups
• Public Hearings
• Data Analysis (service, epidemiology, etc)
• Surveys
• Key Informant Interviews

6
What Do You Want to Know First?

• What results are we currently achieving?
• How do we prioritize and justify our needs?
• How will we know if we are successful?
• How will stakeholders determine if we are
  successful?

Rossett, A. (1987). Training Needs Assessment.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ Educational Technology
Publications. Kaufman, R. (2000) Mega Planning
Practical tools for organizational success.
London Sage Publications.
7
Some Questions that NA Answers

• What current processes are effectively delivering
  required results?
• What should we change in order to achieve more of
  the results we want?
• How is not achieving required results costing us?

Rossett, A. (1987). Training Needs Assessment.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ Educational Technology
Publications. Kaufman, R. (2000) Mega Planning
Practical tools for organizational success.
London Sage Publications.
8
Implementing Needs Assessment Surveys

• Establish a working committee
• Determine which needs will be assessed
• Identify the stakeholders
• Select questions for the survey
• Identify the respondents

9
Implementing Needs Assessment Surveys (contd)

• Collect the data
• Analyze the data
• Report the results
• Identify/implement strategies to resolve needs

10
Six-step Problem Solving Process
6.0 Revise as Required
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Identify (or Verify) Problem (from Needs)
Determine Solution Requirements and Alternatives
Determine Effectiveness and Efficiency
Implement
Select Solution(s)
Needs are defined as gaps between current and
required/desired results
Watkins, R. and Leigh, D. (2001). Performance
Improvement More Than Just Bettering the
Here-and-Now. Performance Improvement. Vol. 41,
No. 8, pp. 10-15.
11
BrainstormingNA Activity

• How do we develop/determine the questions we ask?
• What do we do with the information we get from
  our NA activities?
• Why do we REALLY do NA?