Conducting a Community-Level Needs Assessment Through Dynamic Engagement With Stakeholders

Strengths-Based Approach to Cultivating Partnerships

Minkler and Wallerstein (2008) wrote of the importance of recognizing the strengths of all partners in the process and utilizing them as assets in the research process. There were several reasons this approach was selected: 1) by soliciting key community members as stakeholders and participants in the process of the needs assessment they helped to ensure a wider, and more diverse group of participants for survey completion through strategic survey distribution, 2) researchers were able to capitalize on these community members’ expertise and knowledge of subcommunities, including families who are typically underrepresented within needs assessments, and 3) that their positive support of the needs assessment and related findings would provide momentum for any future initiatives and program planning.

Linear Logic Model Approach

Utilizing CBPR principles like the needs assessment conducted by Escobedo et al. (2019), the research partners conducting this needs assessment began the process by considering research questions using a program logic model (Engle & Altschuld, 2014; Knowlton & Phillips, 2013; Taylor-Powell & Henert, 2008). This current research focused primarily on the first step of the logic model: Situation shown in Figure 1: the linear logic model adapted from Engle and Altschuld (2014). The researchers were interested in understanding the needs of families and community assets, gaining stakeholder engagement, clarifying the Priorities (mission, vision, values, mandates, resources, local dynamics, and collaborators), and intended outcomes (p. 35). Engle and Altschuld (2014) also discussed the impact of competitors as a priority to consider which was also an added component in the current needs assessment. Recognizing the potential for competition among service providers, it was important to develop a comprehensive list of the family support providers that would become the basis for a preliminary assessment of current needs, available resources, and an opportunity to engage these providers as Survey Ambassadors.

OPEN IN VIEWER

Figure 1.

Linear logic model (Engle & Altschuld, 2014).

Engle and Altschuld (2014) considered the Situation and its priorities as the first step in implementing and evaluating new programs. Similarly, taking time to collaboratively engage community partners in the development of common goals and outcomes deepened community engagement in this needs assessment while providing researchers with a clear understanding of the context. This was the first of many steps toward creating and implementing new programs to serve the needs of families in the community. According to Engle and Altschuld (2014), “needs assessments can identify unmet needs, provide evidence of community support, and increase public involvement. Frequently it provides community members with a way to express strong opinions on issues or to get their voices to be heard” (p. 40). Stakeholder engagement from the onset of this current needs assessment was an integral part of ensuring diverse voices were heard and an opportunity to provide entry points for community involvement and buy-in for implementing new programs in the future.

Participants and Setting

A K-12 school district encompassing approximately 460 square miles of a rural part of Washington state, located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains partnered with collaborating organizations from the local municipality, a city of approximately 3500 people, located in a corner of the larger geographic outline of the school district. These organizations included a local chapter of a state-based organization (funding agency), local library system, and the early childhood program to provide funding and other support needed to implement a needs assessment. The Priorities (as shown in Figure 1 in section 2) of the needs assessment were to learn more about families’ childcare needs and challenges and to better understand what types of childcare options families utilized.

Needs Assessment Goals

The goal of the school and community organization partnership was to have the ability to connect services more intentionally to families and create an intentional connection with early childhood resources. The initial vision presented to the needs assessment research team was to understand the needs of families in the community to develop wraparound support systems that also encompassed childcare services. The research team established the purpose statement: “Design and implement a systematic, structured process for gathering and analyzing data from representative individuals and groups of people that would be used to inform the level of availability and accessibility of resources for families with school age children in need of childcare.” A Symptom of the need (Engle & Altschuld, 2014), as described initially to the research team, was that the unique demographics of this community made family awareness and understanding of, and access to services challenging. In addition, the rural and remote topography meant that families living outside the city faced obstacles that prevented them from accessing available resources. These obstacles include inconsistent access to communication (cell coverage, phone, and internet), transportation, childcare, and family support along with the self-imposed limitations associated with those who choose to live “off the grid.” The high number of families from non-English-speaking backgrounds (Spanish and Russian) made it particularly important to ensure that all aspects of the needs assessment supported the development of trusting connections with families that encouraged communication with agencies and organizations that provide the specific support needed.

Phased Approach to Conducting the Needs Assessment

With these goals and priorities in mind, the research team organized the needs assessment into three phases.

Phase 1: The Strategic Development of Processes and Resources

Phase 2: Refining the Focus for Deeper Insights

Phase 3: The Comprehensive Analysis of Data

Phase 1 in conducting a needs assessment is to define what will be assessed (Watkins & Kavale, 2014). This can also be considered the pre-assessment as noted by Witkin and Altschuld (1995). This first phase of the needs assessment included an iterative process for strategically developing the methods and resources needed for implementation of the needs assessment. The executive committee (school district and library liaisons with input from early childhood staff) created and developed research questions associated with the project goal. Defining needs included clarifying goals of the needs assessment which influences how the assessment is designed and measured (Watkins & Kavale, 2014).

Sampling Procedure

Once the executive committee established the goals, a sampling procedure was developed to capture as many community voices as possible. Based on the priorities of the needs assessment, it was essential to solicit as many perspectives within the community as possible (i.e., families of school-aged children: PreK-12 grade). The procedure included a variety of methods for data collection: surveys sent out via email to school district families and early childhood education families. One-on-one survey distribution was also offered via “Survey Ambassadors” that were stationed at strategic locations across the community (e.g., Boys & Girls Club, library, food bank, and churches) to ensure all voices were being heard.

A brief “Organization Survey” was sent to this group of stakeholders (both organizations and individuals) soliciting information regarding their level of interest and capacity to serve as key ambassadors for this needs assessment process. Each respondent could then indicate if they were able to administer surveys one-on-one as “Survey Ambassadors,” and/or whether they were able to provide access to space, families, etc., to encourage survey participation. The Survey Ambassadors were key stakeholders and collaborators in this process. A total of 23 surveys were sent out to organizations and/or individuals who had initially expressed a desire to participate in helping to conduct the needs assessment with 22 Organization Surveys returned. All organizations and/or individuals that returned the survey expressed their desire to support the needs assessment process in some way.

The Survey Ambassadors were key stakeholders in this process that helped to inform the researchers on how to access underrepresented populations to reflect their voice in the results of the needs assessment, build trust (as outlined by Ainsworth et al., 2013), and provide valuable feedback during the creation of the Family Needs Assessment survey. The executive committee began with creating a list of potential community-based organizations that included key contact personnel. Individual community members were also included if they expressed an interest in being a part of the needs assessment process. Survey Ambassadors were required to complete a training that included topics related to Rights of Human Subjects, confidentiality, and survey administration. Any needs assessment where data is collected from direct contact with participants requires the use of carefully designed procedures to safeguard the wellbeing of all participants. Recognizing that participants for this project would be drawn from various demographic groups within the same community meant that all procedures must ensure that participant responses remain completely anonymous. Each ambassador who completed the training and participated in administering surveys was given a $250.00 stipend. It was important to honor the time and work of these stakeholders as they were an integral part of the needs assessment process, specifically helping to capture a representative population within the community. The training was online, with synchronous and asynchronous options provided by the research partners. Those who were not able to attend the synchronous training were required to view the recording and answer questions pertinent to the content to ensure all Survey Ambassadors were educated on the topics. To ensure rigorous training preparation, yet also geared toward the purposes of this project, each topic focused on similar content provided by the Protecting Human Research Participants Training (https://phrptraining.com/) (PHRP Online Training, 2023). The first topic included the elements of informed consent: explanation of project, purpose of project, any foreseeable risks, benefits, and course of treatment (they may stop at any time and may skip questions). Each of these elements was explained in depth. The second topic included: confidentiality, coercion, and minors. The third topic focused on how the surveys would be disseminated and other survey-specific information (language options and survey items). Survey Ambassadors were also provided with time to ask any questions. Consideration of reciprocity was vital to ensure community benefit (Golden, 2021). Some of the Survey Ambassadors were also participants (members of families) who themselves would complete the Family Needs Assessment survey. The intent of a CBPR as an orientation to research is to include the community as part of the research for capacity-building and empowerment (Buchanan et al., 2007). Therefore, including the Survey Ambassadors as participants aligns with this approach and recognizes the inherent tension herein when participants are also regarded as researchers. The surveys were administered via a survey link through email or provided on an iPad, and Survey Ambassadors would not have known the responses as they were not privy to them. The Survey Ambassador would allow the participant space to complete the survey and would only be available for questions as needed. Once a participant completed a response on an iPad, they would submit the survey and the iPad would refresh, therefore keeping the results anonymous, even from the Survey Ambassadors. It was important to build trust within this network since they would be critical, in the future, to be active supporters of the process as it moved from survey administration and analysis to presentation and consideration of next steps.

Once the Family Needs Assessment Survey tool was finalized and Survey Ambassadors were identified and scheduled to help with administration, a 3-week window was identified for data collection, also known as the main assessment by Witkin and Altschuld (1995). Families were able to complete the survey via hard copy or online using a tablet provided during these one-on-one opportunities as described in the previous section. Surveys were available in English, Russian, and Spanish.

Item Development and Broadening of Needs Assessment Goals and Objectives

Taking into consideration the goals and objectives of the needs assessment, an initial set of survey items were developed. Input from executive team members provided an opportunity for further refinement of each item. Then, the questions and draft survey were given to members of the early childhood education staff as well as the Survey Ambassadors who were able to provide comments and input that led to final stage of refinement. The researchers decided to engage community members in this stage of the process to gain buy-in, trust, and support for the needs assessment process, which is aligned with the CBPR approach (Israel et al., 1998).

During this period of item development and based on feedback from the project team and adjustments to the goals and objectives, additional elements were added to the survey expanding the scope of the information being sought. Please see Supplementary Material 1 for adjusted goals and survey instruments. Understanding the scope of challenges families face beyond addressing the need for childcare led to the inclusion of items associated with other trauma-informed themes. This adjustment to the goals and objectives became a critical component that deepened the focus on the survey items thereby allowing opportunities for deeper insight into the challenges of families within this community that may not have been captured had it focused solely on childcare-related needs.

The executive team sought permission from the grant funders to also include family demographic information and to solicit other community-based needs and services that families were able to indicate they used and/or needed to provide a more holistic assessment of family needs. Broadening of the goals and objectives of the needs assessment allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the needs of families in the community that extended beyond childcare. A total of 475 survey responses were collected. This rate was higher than anticipated overall; however, the number of Spanish- and Russian-speaking families was quite low given their prominence in the community. An executive committee member solicited help from several members of the Hispanic community to help increase the number of surveys with some favorable results; however, the total numbers compared to overall results were still quite low. This prompted intentional solicitation of Spanish and Russian-speaking families to participate in focus groups to ensure their voices were heard qualitatively.

Phase 2 began with the researchers using themes found from the initial survey results to develop (with executive committee input) further questions that prioritized “voices” from individuals from the community. These questions also reflected the goals and objectives of the needs assessment that were not met through Phase 1 data collection. Researchers conducted one-on-one and group interviews to further describe the nuances (strengths and challenges) that families face: childcare and other difficulties related to accessing community-based resources. Another essential element to the information gleaned from the one-on-one and focus groups was the ability to triangulate findings (Engle & Altschuld, 2014; Shalowitz et al., 2009) with the results of the first community survey. There was a high response rate from English-speaking families, and a small group was randomly selected to participate in one-on-one interviews. The research team was also able to create a Spanish-speaking focus group with a member of the research team conducting the focus group in Spanish. The research team was unable to solicit participation from a Russian-speaking family. Through the data pulled from the one-on-one and focus group interviews, further information was gathered to confirm initial results from phase one as well as to dive deeper into the stories of individual families. Participants were asked to share additional challenges related to accessing early childhood services, issues with communication regarding access to education support services, food resource support, transportation, other childcare support barriers, and housing needs. The focus group specifically for Spanish-speaking families focused on school-family communication barriers, how to access basic needs and community services, and childcare options.

During Phase 3, data from the initial 475 survey responses, small group, and one-on-one interviews was analyzed and themes were created. Raw data is available upon request. Utilizing these themes and reflecting on the goals and objectives of the needs assessment, the research team completed the needs assessment data analysis to create a set of community-based supports and needs. The researchers created a “Voices of the Community” report encompassing many of the resources families indicated they needed that were heard throughout the quantitative and qualitative data-collection process. Finally, a set of recommendations were developed based on these findings.

The culmination of this needs assessment was a presentation to key stakeholders (community members, families, funders, and community-based organizations) where the results of the needs assessment process were shared, highlighting key findings relative to the goals and objectives of the project. This step was vital in not only honoring the voices of families who took the survey and participated in the small group and one-on-one interviews but also the Survey Ambassadors who were an integral part of the needs assessment process throughout. As noted by Kaufman and Guerra-Lopez (2013), these key stakeholders quite possibly will be the same people helping to willingly partner with helping to improve in the areas that the needs assessment identified, so maintaining trust was essential. If not, they would likely be skeptical about improvement efforts.

The Situation: Setting Priorities: Identifying Needs, Assets, and Stakeholder Engagement

Figure 1 displays the Logic Model by Engle and Altschuld (2014) that starts with understanding the Situation, which considers the evaluation process’s needs and assets, stakeholders, and symptoms. Within the Situation phase, the authors present the need to set Priorities that include mission, vision, values, resources, local dynamics, and collaborators. The following section will consider this set of priorities as a framework for discussing the various methods for engaging stakeholders and maintaining trust in the needs assessment process.

From the beginning of the process, it was important to provide community members with a clear and honest rationale for the needs assessment. Articulating the key resources that the community already provided was also crucial in recognizing the positive contributions that community-based organizations, including the school district, make toward providing families with needed resources. Families who completed the survey were also able to articulate what resources they currently use that are helpful to them and their children. This was an integral component of the needs assessment in that it allowed the executive committee to better understand not only the needs of families but the extent to which they depend on resources already available.

At the onset of the project, it was important to be clear that the intended outcome of the needs assessment was to define a set of needs based on themes pulled from the data and to provide insight into resources that currently existed and were being accessed that would then inform next steps of program planning. The executive board, project team, and Survey Ambassadors were able to develop the initial set of goals and objectives based on anticipated needs that families typically encountered. Based on community input, they modified the goals to emphasize items beyond childcare needs. This allowed for the research team to be intentional about crafting survey items that would provide valuable information to the funding agency but also, just as important, allow families to feel their voices were listened to and, that in this way, had a seat at the table.

Oftentimes, the third step of the needs assessment process, or Post-assessment (Witkin & Altschuld, 1995) is to set priorities on needs and develop an action plan (p. 15). It was critical for all stakeholders to understand that the conclusion of this first step: the needs assessment was to present the results to all interested stakeholders. The goal of presenting the results would be to craft opportunities for further engagement of future program planning, contingent upon funding and support. It seemed important to be transparent about the purpose of the presentation of the needs assessment data. With this said, another important aspect of the presentation was so that family members who took part in completing the survey and/or small group or one-on-one interviews felt heard and that their voice was a critical element in the entire process. Since one of the small group interviews was conducted in Spanish, a Spanish-speaking interpreter was a member of the presentation team in case there were questions from Spanish-speaking community members.

There were several levels of stakeholder engagement which was a priority throughout the needs assessment process. This priority started with the alignment of this process to the inclusiveness structure outlined by Ainsworth et al. (2013). Project team members met early and often with the executive committee. They often referred to the goals and objectives of the needs assessment project and engaged in an ongoing feedback loop with the various stakeholders to refine as needed. This in turn helped to establish and nurture trust and social bonds throughout the process. The district representative and city librarian liaison met with the funding agency and the early childhood team staff weekly to discuss updates and promote buy-in for not only the current needs assessment project but also in anticipation of future program planning.

Two of the executive team members: the district representative and city librarian liaison were also charged with developing and providing the research team with an initial list of community members, later named “Survey Ambassadors.” This group of stakeholders were identified at the onset of the project as vital to the success of ensuring representation of voice throughout the community. The Survey Ambassadors provided input into the survey items by piloting the initial tool, they promoted and connected with families if they were associated with a community-based organization such as the Boys & Girls Club, Early Childhood Education Program, churches, and food banks. They were able to troubleshoot technical issues associated with survey administration and helped families to complete the survey as needed.

The final stakeholders vital to this needs assessment were the 475 families who took the survey. Shalowitz et al. (2009) discussed the systemic need to equalize the power structures of stakeholders with researchers when conducting a needs assessment and noted the difficulties in doing so. This current project also reflected this challenge. While many efforts were made to solicit voices from typically underrepresented populations within this community, this endeavor was not met satisfactorily.

Modifying the goals and objectives to include a broader understanding of the needs of the families that extended beyond childcare was a change that increased the complexity of the project. However, it was a value-added modification that helped to create a more comprehensive understanding of families’ challenges and their use of current resources that would not have been captured otherwise. Utilizing the Survey Ambassadors as valuable participants in helping to craft the original family needs assessment survey added time and complexity but helped to build community trust as well as provided the researchers with invaluable information about strategies for data collection.

Another obstacle that was not altogether remedied in this project was the desire to collect data from typically underrepresented people groups within the larger community. In this case, Spanish- and Russian-speaking families are prevalent in this community, yet historically underrepresented in community-based data about the needs of families. Even with survey translations available in Russian and Spanish, there was still a disproportionate number of English-speaking families compared to non-English-speaking families who participated in the Family Needs Assessment. This was partially remedied by intentionally seeking out participants for a Spanish-speaking small group interview. This small group interview provided valuable information that was an integral part of the needs assessment report. Similarly, with Survey Ambassador support, there was a slight increase in participation from the Russian-speaking community in completing the Family Needs Assessment survey. However, there was no response to invitations to participate in one-on-one or small group interviews by Russian-speaking families.