Secondary Data
Secondary data is data that someone else has already collected and can usually be found in online databases. It paints a very broad picture, often at the national or state level, however some data is available at the county or municipal level. Secondary data is a great starting point for a Community Needs Assessment.
Methods
Key Informant Interviews
Key informant interviews are carried out with key stakeholders or individuals that can provide a unique perspective in specific focus areas. They can be formal, asking the same questions to each interviewee, or a more informal conversation. Interviews collect qualitative data that can help tell the story behind some of the statistics found for your community.
Focus Groups
Focus groups involve a group of 5-8 individuals who have common characteristics. This allows you to see the nuances of perspectives on a particular issue, giving you rich, detailed data. Focus groups take a bit of planning and group facilitation skills, but are a great way to involve members of the community in your assessment.
Windshield Surveys
Windshield surveys are a means of objectively observing your community in a strategic way. Using a guide with certain criteria to observe, a windshield survey has data collectors walk or drive around the community and observe key characteristics that help paint the picture of a community.
PhotoVoice
PhotoVoice is another way to involve the community in the assessment process. PhotoVoice asks participants (usually of a population that is under-represented or doesn’t have much of a voice in the community) to take photographs within certain parameters to tell a story of their community and the lives they live.
More Resources
These resources provide general overviews of Community Needs Assessments, as well as some alternative methods that can be utilized in the data collection process.