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BACKGROUND
Data is meaningless until and unless
it can be synthesized and acted on in some fashion. Often Extension
personnel consider needs assessment practices to be just one of
the methods we have discussed. They might, for example, plan all
their programs based on data from one survey or from Census data
alone. However that data typically represents just one piece of
the data that needs considering.
This lesson will pull together the
data generated as a result of this unit's lessons on needs assessment
While this can be a time-consuming and frustrating process, it
is also rewarding in that all the pieces of the community needs
assessment puzzle will come together. It is a good idea to have
your patience, conflict resolution, negotiation and compromise
skills polished and ready before you complete this lesson.
INTEREST
APPROACH
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Ask if anyone knows what a smuckenhogger is. The answer will
be no. |
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Explain that we are going to draw a smuckenhogger today. Pass
out blank sheets of paper for drawing to each person. |
| • |
As
you read each of these characteristics aloud, have the participants
draw it on their paper: |
- He had a large, elongated
body
- He has four legs but
two are longer than the others
- His head is erect and
upright on his body
- His ears are small
and he has a large, protruding nose and mouth
- He has one large eye
and sharp teeth
- His body is covered
with spots and very coarse hair
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Ask
participants to pass their various interpretations around
the room so that everyone can enjoy them. |
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Explain
that we all see and do things a little differently - that
is what makes us unique. We could likely take the best of
everyone's idea of what the smuckenhogger looks like and create
one that we would all be happy with. This idea of compromise
among group members to satisfy a purpose is what we need to
do in order to come to grasp many different types of needs
assessment data as well. |
LESSON
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Ask
the group if they know how it feels to complete a 1,000 piece
puzzle. |
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Ask
them how they feel if they get to the end and find that several
pieces are missing. |
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Indicate that over the last several meetings, we have been
formulating large puzzle pieces and it is now time to get
on with the task of putting the puzzle together. |
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Distribute the Handout "The Whole Enchilda" and
discus the various types of data we have collected over this
unit. |
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Distribute
the following handouts and encourage each participant to review
them in detail paying particular attention to the large "puzzle
pieces": |
- "Existing Data
Summary" (created for use in the Attitude Survey
lesson).
- "Attitude Survey
Summary" (created in the Application of the Attitude
Survey lesson).
- "Key Informant
Summary" (created in the Application of the Key
Informant lesson).
- "Focus Group Summary"
(created in the Application of the Group Sessions
lesson).
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Explain
that the challenge is in filling in the large pieces of the
puzzle and in deciding where the puzzle pieces overlap. |
APPLICATION
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With
the summary handouts setting the tone, have the advisory members
assist in reviewing the needs uncovered in this unit. |
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On
the flipchart or chalkboard, write the words "High Priority"
and "Middle Priority" and "Low Priority".
Then review each summary and ask for help deciding which items
go in which column. For example, one
opinion that came from a key leader
is that our teenage pregnancy rate is epidemic - based on
the other data in the summaries, is this a high, middle or
low priority for Extension educational programming |
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