Designing 
Your 
Needs 
Assessment 
Process 


Bridging 
Our 
Movements, 
Closing 
the 
Gaps 
San 
Jose, 
CA 


May 
25, 
2010 


Nancy 
Smith, 
Director 
Center 
for 
Victimization 
and 
Safety 
Vera 
Institute 
of 
Justice 




WorkshopObjectivesWorkshopObjectives
> 
Outline 
basic guidelines for 
the 
needs assessment 
part 
of 
the 
planning 
phase 


> 
Review 
the 
required 
elements of 
the 
needs 
assessment 
plan 


> 
Highlight 
important 
issues for 
you 
to 
consider 
as you 
design 
your 
needs assessment 
and 
look ahead 
to 
writing 
your 
needs assessment 
report 


Slide 
2 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




NeedsAssessment:
Overview&Key Considerations

PurposePurpose
>Short-term 


> 
Provide 
practical 
information 
on 
services for 
survivors with 
disabilities and 
Deaf 
survivors, 
and 
how 
to 
improve 
them 


> 
Inform 
your 
selection 
of 
implementation 
activities 


> 
Increase 
buy-in 
and 
support 
for 
your 
collaboration’s work 


>Long-term 
> 
Collect 
data 
to 
use 
in 
future 
grant 
proposals 


Slide 
4 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




TheNeeds Assessmentis Not…TheNeeds Assessmentis Not…
> 
A 
study 
of 
the 
incidence 
and 


prevalenceofviolenceagainstwomenwithdisabilitiesdibilitiivildSlide5•May25,2010disabilities experienceviolenceandabuseintheirlives 
>Anopportunitytopublishyourfindings inascholarlyjournal

ScopeScope
>Focus 
on 
the 
geographic 
areas 
your 
collaboration 
has 
decided 
to 
work 
within. 


>Focus 
on 
the 
organizations 
you 
have 
selected 
within 
those 
communities. 


within 
those 
communities. 


>Focus 
on 
gathering 
information 
that 
will 
help 
you 
achieve 
systems 
change 
(i.e. 
improving 
cultures, 
attitudes, 
policies, 
practices, 
inter-
agency 
relationships, 
etc.)
. 


Slide 
6 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Basic GoalsBasic Goals
> 
Identify organizational 
strengths 
> 
Identify organizational 
barriers 
> 
Assess connections between 
organizations 
> 
Identify opportunities to 
enhance 
the 
capacity of 


individual 
organizations and 
improve 
the 
connections 
among 
them 


Slide 
7 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Goals cont’d… 


The 
specific 
goals 
of 
your 
needs 
assessment 
depend 
on 
your 


assessment 
depend 
on 
your 
collaboration’s 
mission, 
vision, 
and 
areas 
of 
interest. 


Slide 
8 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Example1(LocalCollaboration)Example1(LocalCollaboration)
> 
Goal 
1: 
Identify 
the 
policy/procedures/practices that 
exist 
at 
domestic 
violence/sexual 
assault 
and 
disability 
organizations that 
address the 
needs of 
persons with 
disabilities experiencing 
violence 
and 
abuse. 


> 
Goal 
2: 
Identify 
the 
gaps and 
barriers; 
and 
strengths and 
assets 
experienced 
by 
survivors with 
disabilities in 
accessing 
and 
receiving 
services at 
domestic violence/sexual 
assault 
and 
disability 
organizations. 


> 
Goal 
3: 
Identify 
the 
gaps and 
barriers; 
and 
strengths and 
assets of 
d 
ivil 
/ 
l 
l 
ddi 
bili 
ii 
i

domestic violence/sexual 
assault 
and 
disability 
organizations in 
addressing 
the 
issues of 
and 
providing 
services to 
survivors with 
disabilities. 


> 
Goal 
4: 
Identify 
the 
strengths and 
weaknesses of 
the 
existing 
relationships between 
domestic violence/sexual 
assault 
and 
disability 
organizations. 


> 
Goal 
5: 
Identify 
opportunities for 
change 
and/or 
solutions for 
improving 
services to 
survivors with 
disabilities. 


Slide 
9 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Example2(LocalCollaboration)Example2(LocalCollaboration)
> 
What 
is working 
well 
within 
and 
among 
our 
collaborating 
organizations in 
support 
of 
women 
with 
cognitive 
disabilities and 
mental 
health 
issues 
who 
are 
survivors of 
domestic and/or 
sexual 
violence? 


> 
What 
are 
the 
gaps or 
barriers that 
survivors with 
cognitive 
disabilities 
and 
mental 
health 
issues encounter 
when 
they 
use 
anti-DV/SA 
supports 
in 
and 
among 
our 
member 
organizations? 


> 
What 
policies and 
practices does each 
of 
our 
collaborating 
organizations 

pp 
gg 
have 
to 
address issues of 
domestic and 
sexual 
violence 
and/or 
support 
survivors who 
have 
cognitive 
or 
mental 
health 
disabilities? 
What 
policies 
and 
practices do 
we 
need? 


> 
What 
are 
the 
elements that 
can 
contribute 
to 
enhancing 
effective 
co-
advocacy 
among 
the 
organizations collaborating 
in 
our 
system? 


> 
What 
support 
or 
assistance 
will 
each 
of 
our 
collaborating 
organizations 
need 
to 
continue 
our 
collaboration 
and 
sustain 
the 
changes we 
undertake 
after 
OVW 
funding 
ends? 


Slide 
10 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Example3(Multi-JurisdictionalCollab.)Example3(Multi-JurisdictionalCollab.)
> 
What 
are 
the 
strengths 
and 
barriers 
that 
victims/survivors 
with 
disabilities 
experience 
within 
victims’ 
services 
and 
disability 
service 
providers 
when 
seeking 
safety? 


> 
What 
do 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
and 
victims/survivors 
need 
from 
victims’ 
services 
and 
disability 
providers 
to 
experience 
welcoming, 
comfortable 
and 
responsive 
environments? 
What 
exists 
and 
what 
is 
still 
needed? 
How 
do 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
know 
an 
organization 
is 
welcoming 
and 
comfortable? 


> 
What 
are 
the 
strengths, 
challenges 
and 
barriers 
experienced 
by 
disability 
and 
victims’ 
services 
providers 
when 
serving 
victims/survivors 
with 
disabilities? 


> 
What 
are 
organizations’ 
understanding 
(including 
the 
state-wide 
partners) 
of 
access 
and 
safety 
and 
how 
is 
this 
incorporated 
into 
policy, 
practice, 
training, 
budgets, 
community 
connections 
etc.
How 
can 
it 
be 
improved 
upon? 


> 
To 
what 
extent 
do 
relationships 
among 
organizations 
exist 
and 
how 
do 
they 
function 
together? 


Slide 
11 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




EngagingKey StakeholdersEngagingKey Stakeholders
>Agency 
staff 
and 
volunteers 


>Board 
>Leadership 
and 
management 
>Front 
line 
staff 
>Volunteers 


>Volunteers 
>Other 
stakeholders 


>People 
with 
disabilities 


>Survivors 
of 
domestic 
and 
sexual 
violence 


Slide 
12 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Engaging Staff & Volunteers 
Violence Against 
Women Service 
Providers 
Disability 
Service 
Providers 
Suggestions 
for 
working 
across 
agencies 
Slide 13 • May 25, 2010 
Internal: 
Needs 
Strengths 
Possibilities 
Internal: 
Needs 
Strengths 
Possibilities 
Suggestions for enhancements at 
other partner agencies 
Suggestions for enhancements at 
other partner agencies

Engaging People with Disabilities & Survivors 
Disability Services 
Survivors Promising Practices: 
Safety & Responsiveness 
Slide 14 • May 25, 2010 
Violence Against 
Women Services 
People with 
Disabilities 
Promising Practices: 
Accessible & Welcoming

Engaging Survivors with Disabilities & Deaf Survivors EngagingSurvivorswithDisabilities&DeafSurvivors
> 
OVW 
has not 
routinely approved 
the 
specific 
recruitment 
of 
survivors with 
disabilities and 
Deaf 
survivors in 
the 
needs assessment. 


1. 
Engaging 
this 
population 
may 
reveal 
individuals 
in 
need 
of 
services 
and 
service 
providers 
may 
not 
yet 
be 
prepared 
to 
meet 
their 
needs, 
potentially 
retraumatizing 
them. 
2. 
2. 
Given 
the 
lack 
of 
services, 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
Given 
the 
lack 
of 
services, 
focus 
groups 
and 
interviews 
involving 
this 
population 
have 
a 
high 
likelihood 
of 
turning 
into 
support 
groups, 
which 
will 
not 
yield 
the 
type 
of 
information 
you 
need 
to 
develop 
your 
strategic 
plan. 


3. 
Recruiting 
specifically 
for 
this 
population 
and 
subsequent 
engagement 
of 
them 
can 
trigger 
mandatory 
reporting 
requirements 
in 
some 
states, 
which 
limits 
a 
person’s 
control 
of 
the 
telling 
of 
their 
story. 
4. 
Recruiting 
this 
population 
specifically 
may 
limit 
the 
number 
of 
people 
you 
engage, 
as 
they 
may 
not 
identify 
as 
either 
survivor 
or 
a 
person 
with 
a 
disability. 
Slide 
15 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Survivors withDisabilities &DeafSurvivors cont’d…
Survivors withDisabilities &DeafSurvivors cont’d…
> 
OVW 
has 
granted 
a 
few 
exceptions. 


> 
Collaborations 
receiving 
those 
exceptions: 


> 
Have 
a 
long 
history 
of 
providing 
services and 
support 
to 
survivors 
with 
disabilities and 
Deaf 
survivors; 


> 
Demonstrate 
that 
they 
meet 
base-line 
accessibility 
and 
responsiveness standards in 
their 
organizations; 


> 
Engage 
survivors with 
disabilities and 
Deaf 
survivors on 
limited 


> 
Engage 
survivors with 
disabilities and 
Deaf 
survivors on 
limited 
basis and 
in 
a 
way 
that 
built 
upon 
the 
services and 
supports already 
existing 
in 
the 
community. 


> 
Collaborations 
that 
do 
not 
engage 
survivors 
with 
disabilities 
and 
Deaf 
survivors 
have 
gathered 
in-depth 
information 
about 
how 
to 
create 
safe 
and 
responsive 
environments 
from 
survivors 
and 
about 
how 
to 
create 
welcoming 
and 
accessible 
environments 
from 
people 
with 
disabilities. 


> 
Combining 
this 
information 
has 
given 
them 
a 
more 
complete 
picture 
of 
their 
service 
system 
and 
equipped 
them 
to 
identify 
numerous 
areas 
for 
change. 
Slide 
16 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




CollectingInformationCollectingInformation
>Emphasis 
on 
qualitative 
data 
> 
Focus groups 
> 
Interviews 


>Use 
of 
quantitative 
data 
is 
supplementary 
> 
Pre-focus group 
questionnaires 
> 
Surveys 


Slide 
17 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




CollectingInformationcont’d…CollectingInformationcont’d…
Size 
depends 
on: 
> 
Availability of 
existing, 
relevant 
information 
> 
Size, 
structure, 
and 
staffing 
of 
organizations 
> 
Resource 
allocation 
(time, 
staffing, 
etc.
) 


Slide 
18 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Key ConsiderationsKey Considerations
> 
Accessibility 
> 
Safety 
> 
Other 


Slide 
19 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Success Factors 


> 
Orient 
needs assessment 
towards systems change 


> 
Proactively address safety and 
accessibility 
throughout 
the 
needs assessment 


> 
Balance 
a 
cross-section 
of 
voices with 
feasibility 


manageability 


> 
Engage 
all 
levels of 
organization 


> 
Meaningful 
representation 
of 
people 
with 
disabilities 


and 
survivors 


Slide 
20 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




Success Factors cont’d…Success Factors cont’d…
> 
Thoroughly trained 
key personnel 
in 
the 
needs 
assessment 
plan 
and 
related 
issues. 


> 
Mechanisms in 
place 
to 
identify and 
organize 
themes 
on 
on-going 
basis after 
start 
of 
data 
collection 


> 
Balance 
confidentiality of 
agency specific data 
with 
knowing 
agency specific needs in 
report 


Slide 
21 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




NeedsAssessmentPlan
Purpose 
Key 
Components 




Key ComponentsKey Components
> 
Introduction 
> 
Goals 
> 
Information 
Sources 


• 
Existing 
• 
New 
> 
Overview 
of 
Methods 
• 
Purpose 
• 
Audience 
• 
Number 
(engagements/people) 
• 
Recruitment 
Strategies 
• 
Incentives 
• 
Consent 
& 
Confidentiality 
• 
Safety 
Considerations 
• 
Access 
Considerations 
>Training 
Plans 
>Work 
Plan 



>RSVP 
Forms 
>Scripts 
>Tools 
>Consent 
Forms 
(if 
applicable) 
>Other 
Written 
Materials 


Slide 
23 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




PurposePurpose
> 
Fosters 
a 
thorough 
and 
thoughtful 
process to 
determine 
needs among 
your 
agencies and/or 
pilot 
site 
organizations. 


> 
Allows your 
collaboration 
to 
proactively identify and 
determine 
all 
of 
the 
aspects that 
will 
go 
into 
your 
needs assessment 
process. 
p 


> 
Documents agreements among 
collaborative 
members about 
resource 
allocation 
(including 
individual 
roles, 
responsibilities, 
and 
timeframes)


> 
Ensures consistency in 
conducting 
the 
needs 
assessment 
process. 


> 
Communicates plan 
to 
OVW. 


Slide 
24 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




DesigningYourNeedsAssessment
Next 
Steps 




NextStepsNextSteps
1. 
Determine 
your 
goals. 
2. 
Identify 
who 
you 
will 
engage 
in 
the 
process. 
3. 
Select 
the 
way(s) 
you 
will 
engage 
them. 
4. 
Create 
the 
questions 
you 
will 
ask 
them. 
5. 
Develop 
your 
protocols. 


• 
Recruitment 
Recruitment 


• 
Safety 
• 
Accessibility 
• 
Consent 
and 
Confidentiality 
• 
Other 
6. 
Develop 
other 
written 
materials. 
• 
Scripts 
• 
Recruitment/RSVP 
materials 
• 
Other 
7. 
Assemble 
the 
plan 
and 
get 
approval 
(from 
agencies 
and 
OVW)
Slide 
26 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




DocumentingYourFindings
The 
Needs 
Assessment 
Report 




KeyComponentsKeyComponents
> 
Overview 
of 
Collaboration 
> 
Overview 
of 
Planning 
Phase 
> 
Purpose/Goals 
of 
Needs 
Assessment 
> 
Brief 
Summary 
of 
Methodology 
> 
Key 
Findings 
& 
Implications 
> 
Conclusion 


Slide 
28 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




AnalyzingYourDataAnalyzingYourData
> 
Identify 
key 
themes 
from 
each 
engagement 
(i.e.
, 
focus 
groups, 
interviews, 
etc.)
. 


> 
Identify 
key 
themes 
for 
each 
key 
expert 
group 
(i.e.
, 
people 
with 
disabilities, 
survivors, 
violence 
against 
women 
providers, 
disability 
providers, 
etc.)
. 


> 
Determine 
the 
key 
findings. 
> 
Synthesize 
information 
to 
paint 
a 
picture 
of 
that 
finding. 
> 
Compare 
and 
contrast 
the 
key 
themes 
across 
expert 
groups 


to 
identify 
similarities 
and 
differences 
of 
perspectives 
around 
the 
finding. 
> 
Collect 
quotes 
to 
further 
support 
the 
finding. 
> 
Discuss 
implications 
of 
key 
findings, 
including 
what 
they 
mean 
for 
survivors 
and 
providers. 
> 
Identify 
potential 
solutions. 


Slide 
29 
• 
May 
25, 
2010 




ExpertsKeyThemesfromeachexpertgroupSynthesisfkehSurvivors 
People with 
Disabilities 
VAW Service 
Providers 
Disability Service 
Providers 
FromNeeds AssessmenttoStrategic PlanSlide30•May25,2010ofkeythemes across groupsKeyFindingsofneeds assessmentImplicationsInitiativesExpertsKeyThemesfromeachexpertgroupSynthesisfkehSurvivors 
People with 
Disabilities 
VAW Service 
Providers 
Disability Service 
Providers 
FromNeeds AssessmenttoStrategic PlanSlide30•May25,2010ofkeythemes across groupsKeyFindingsofneeds assessmentImplicationsInitiatives