Purpose

LKLP Community Action Council uses an On-Line Needs Assessment Survey as a method to gain information for use in developing priorities and strategies as part of the agency’s annual planning process.

Description

The LKLP Community Action Council uses an On-Line Needs Assessment Survey to obtain community input as part of the agency’s annual planning process.  The survey instrument is developed using SurveyGold Software that allows questions in various formats including single or multiple responses, as well as open-ended items. SurveyMonkey Software and Zoomerang are other on-line survey options. 

The LKLP On-Line Survey consists of the following items – link to full outline of Needs Assessment:

• Demographic Information – Gender, Household Size, Number of Children, Number of Elderly, Age Range, Race, Income Range
• Assessment Topics – “Select all that apply” from a number of choices under each question
• What do you think are the major causes of poverty where you live?
• What services or programs do you think your community needs?
• What makes it tough for you and your family to get a job?
• What services are needed most for children?
• To buy your own home, what type of help would you need?
• What are the biggest causes of health concerns in your family?
• Have you received services from LKLP in the past? – Yes or No
• If yes, list services (provide up to three responses)
• Comments (provide up to three responses)

The majority of LKLP survey respondents are participants in agency programs that are offered an opportunity to complete a survey by LKLP staff.  Goals are established for the number of survey responses to be obtained from each LKLP program and locality.

A Sample Size Calculator or a Sample Size Statistics Tutorial are helpful tools to determine the number of surveys that will be needed based on the overall target-area or target-group population being considered.  The level of precision that is desired is another factor to be addressed.

Summary Reports can be generated from the on-line survey and can be exported in Excel format for planning purposes.  Customized charts can also be created such as the following examples from LKLP's 2006 Needs Assessment Report – tabular listing of results:

• Pie Graph - Age
• Pie Graph - Gender
• Pie Graph - LKLP Services
• Pie Graph - Community Needs
• Pie Graph - Family Health Concerns

Outcomes

On-line survey software offers an efficient and affordable approach to gaining community input to assist CAA’s with both strategic planning and annual planning processes.    The instrument can be broadcast to agency staff and board members, outside organizations, and other targeted populations and responses can be segmented if desired.  Survey instruments can be accessed from any computer with Internet access and results are immediately collated and retrievable in multiple formats.