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Identifying Needs

Funding applications must contain a clear and credible statement of the need or problem to be addressed. You must establish that a problem exists and that it is not being addressed elsewhere BEFORE you present your proposed solution.

DO NOT ASSUME the funding body knows the importance and urgency of the problem. If you do, you may:

Lose the opportunity to demonstrate your intimate knowledge and understanding of an issue
Reduce the credibility of your organisation
Undermine confidence in your proposed response.

This section outlines the types of information and methods you might use to demonstrate community need.

The Importance Of Identifying Need

Identifying the needs of your community and consumer groups is important to:

Secure funding
Ensure your organisation provides quality services
Clarify and maintain your organisation's position and relevance
Build opportunities for collaboration.

Regular needs assessments are an essential part of your organisation's:

Strategic planning and review processes
Continuous quality improvement and evaluation methods
Sustainable funding strategies.

How To Identify A Community Need

There are many tools available to help identify community need (see the table below). While some approaches may involve traditional research methods (e.g., literature reviews), most require you to establish and build relationships with your broader community.

You will need to collect relevant information to:

Demonstrate that a problem exists in the community
Highlight your organisation's strategy or proposal to address the problem.

What Information Will You Require?

Consider what information will best demonstrate the existence and nature of the problem. Use more than one type of data and clearly link the problem with your proposed solution.

Use reliable and transparent data collection methods to support your proposal.

Ask yourself:

How does this data demonstrate the problem or community need?
How does this data justify or support the solution you propose?

Make the link sufficiently clear so that anyone, even those unfamiliar with your proposal, can see the relationship between the problem identified and the solution proposed.

What Should You Use In Your Funding Application?

Your funding application should include a simple explanation of:

The community's needs
How you established this
What you propose to do about it
Why your proposal is best suited to deliver positive outcomes.

See Developing a Proposal and Setting the Scene for more information about using your needs assessment to develop your proposal.

Methods for Identifying Needs

Local/Community Needs *Key Informant/Key Stakeholder Interviews:* May be used to demonstrate that your proposal is addressing concerns held by respected community members.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Demonstrates concern and potential support from respected community members	Police Health professionals Principals of local schools Other community organisations	Informant interviews are relatively easy to undertake and you control the type of information that is sought	Key experts and stakeholders may be able to write a letters of support for your application	Read the UCLA Centre for Health Policy Research paper about how to conduct key informant interviews: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/programs/health-data/trainings/Documents/tw_cba23.pdf
*Community Forums:* May be used to demonstrate that there is an identified need in your local community.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
A record of community needs and support for your organisation	Consult with your local community by holding a forum or focus groups with your organisation's targeted population group/s	Organising a community forum takes time and commitment: Identify key community members Schedule regular meetings (e.g., twice a year)	Key community members can provide support for your proposal	For more information go to the Community Toolbox website: http://ctb.ku.edu/en
National and State Surveys and Datasets: May be used to demonstrate the extent of the problem or issue.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
National surveys report the prevalence and incidence of a problem National datasets provide a description of the extent of a problem or an issue	National Drug Strategy Household Survey AOD National Minimum Dataset National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing	Draw comparisons between population data and local data to demonstrate the significance of a problem in your community An example: 10% of the Australian population have recently used cannabis, but in XXX 50% of XXX have recently used cannabis	When developing a survey, try to use the same/similar questions used in validated surveys	Obtain any local relevant statistics from local councils, police, schools, hospitals or other community organisations
Literature Reviews: May be used to demonstrate ‘how big’ the problem or issue is in your local community.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
A synthesis of the evidence on a specific research question or topic Provides insights on what others have done to solve similar problems Identifies factors you need to consider when designing and implementing your proposal		Demonstrates to potential funders that you have a broad understanding of a topic and that you are aware of current practice and gaps in knowledge	If you conduct a literature review it needs to be complete and current using up-to-date secondary and primary international, national, and local data sources where possible	Read the article: Greenhalgh, T. (1997). How to read a paper: Papers that summarise other papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). BMJ, 315(7109), 672-675.
Service Information *Routine Information:* Can be used to demonstrate the key aspects of your service provision.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Information your organisation routinely collects for current reporting and funding purposes	Number of NSP clients, new service clients, gender, age, marital status Activities held for mothers with children	Identify and clearly state the key aspects of your service provision that are relevant to a particular funding application	Information can also be used to highlight unique aspects of your organisation (e.g., specific activities, particular location, targeted issues)	List the type of information that you currently collect for funding purposes
*Assessments/Evaluations:* Demonstrate you know what works and what doesn’t work.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Illustrate the success and achievements of previous initiatives	Service evaluations Quality assurance assessments Consumer feedback	Can be used to document evidence-based practice in service delivery, intervention tools, and access and equity in community interactions	Use information that your organisation routinely collects as part of evaluations and quality improvement activities	List the type of information that you currently collect for funding purposes
*Case Studies:* May be used to demonstrate need and successful client outcomes.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Illustrate the challenges and successes of your clients	Success stories Case studies	Ask client/s' permission if not anonymous With your clients' involvement develop an analytical, realistic description of their problem/situational need for services	Clients' confidentiality and privacy must be maintained	Identify your organisation's procedures and protocols for writing up case-studies
Government Policies and Strategies: Can be used to demonstrate that your proposal aligns with the potential funders’ broader program of work.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Establishes the significance of an issue at a global, national, state or local level	National Drug Strategy National Mental Health Strategy	Identify the components of government policies and strategies that are directly relevant to your organisation and proposal	If applying for funding through a private body, consider the strategies and policies they have on their websites and ensure your program goals align with theirs	Identify relevant government-based policies and strategies Identify the policy or strategy of a charitable trust from whom you would like to apply for funding
Protocols and Guidelines: May be used to demonstrate that your proposal follows standard clinical, community practices.
Purpose	Examples	How	Tips	Activities
Establishes the significance of an issue at a global, national, state or local level	NHMRC Alcohol Consumption Guidelines National Guidelines for Managing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Clinical guidelines and procedures for the use of methadone in the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence	Identify the components of government policies and strategies that are directly relevant to your organisation and to your proposal	Elsewhere in your proposal (e.g., under Risk Management) you can highlight how staff and volunteers adhere to these protocols and guidelines	Identify relevant protocols and guidelines

TIPS: Identifying Needs

First describe the problem, not your solution.
The identified need is not the services to be provided.
Use evidence, not assumptions or undocumented assertions, when establishing community needs.
Use relevant statistics to support the problem and proposed solution.

References & Resources

Carlson, M., & O'Neal-McElrath, T. (2008). Winning grants step by step (4th ed). John Wiley & Sons
Greenhalgh, T. (1997). How to read a paper: Papers that summarise other papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). BMJ, 315(7109), 672-675.
UCLA Centre for Health Policy Research Website contains various papers about how to conduct key informant interviews and needs assessments. Visit: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/programs/health-data/data-resources/Pages/Resources.aspx http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/programs/health-data/trainings/Documents/tw_cba23.pdf

The websites and resources below will help you to conduct a community needs assessment:

Sample community needs assessments may be found on the websites below:

Activities

Complete the activities below by entering text into the fields provided and/or completing the attached documents. If you download and complete an attached document, you will have to save this to your personal file.

You may also:

Export these answers: You may export your answers to the activities to a word document without saving to Your Funding Portfolio. Responses can then be saved in your personal files
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Save progress: Users may save their responses as they work on the page.

Activity 1.1 Needs Assessment Worksheet

Complete the needs assessment questions and provide examples of information that demonstrate the problem or need.

List the information you need to develop an accurate assessment.

If you cannot answer the questions below, look at the resources listed in the References & Resources section of this page for information about how to conduct a needs assessment.

1.1.pdf (133 KB)

Has your organisation conducted a needs assessment?

When was the last time you conducted a needs assessment?

More info What activities did you undertake in conducting your needs assessment?

See the table in Identifying Needs if you require more information.

What needs or problems were identified through the needs assessment?

What information demonstrates that there is a need or problem?

Are you missing any information which could demonstrate with greater clarity that a need or problem exists?

If yes, what further information should you collect?

More info Where will you get this information?

See the table in Identifying Needs if you require assistance.

What might happen if the need or problem is not addressed in a timely manner?

More info How do you know this?

Review the information you have obtained from your needs assessment. List the evidence which supports your analysis.

What may happen if you implement your solution?

More info How do you know this?

Review the information you have obtained from your needs assessment. List the evidence which supports your proposed solutions.

Activity 1.2 Describe the Identified Need

Focus on the need/problem that your organisation wishes to address.

Develop a three- or four-sentence description that depicts the need/problem you will address.

Try not to use technical language or jargon.

Show this to a colleague with relevant expertise (e.g., Board members or senior staff). Ask them to define the problem and provide feedback on the clarity of your description.

1.2.pdf (86 KB)

More info What is the problem or community need?

Describe the problem or community need here.

Activity 1.3 Promote the Identified Need

Organisations often have to also approach local community members to obtain support for their proposal.

Develop a short 100 word "speech" using two or three key pieces of evidence to obtain support for your organisation from funders and local community members.

Cut straight to the heart of the issue and quickly and effectively convey the thrust of your argument to convince funders and community members to support your proposal.

In your "speech", try to provide a sense of the urgency for your request. Help the funder and community understand why the proposal is important now.

1.3.pdf (72 KB)

Write your "speech" here.

Activity 1.4 Community Mapping Tool

This activity was adapted from the Western Australian Government Drug and Alcohol Office Community Mapping Tool.

Visit the Western Australian Government Drug and Alcohol Office website for more information about community engagement.

1.4v2.pdf (116 KB)

Step 1. Write a brief description of the problem in your community that you wish to address.

Step 1a. Who displays the problem?

Step 1b. Where and when does the problem occur?

Step 2. How is the problem affecting the community or individuals in the community?

Step 3. What is causing the problem?

Step 4. What has been done previously to deal with the problem and how successful was this?

Step 5. What resources/support do you currently have to do something about the problem?

Step 6. What can you do to address the problem?

Step 7. Does the general community see this issue as a problem?

Step 7a. If yes, what action is being taken?

Step 7b. If no, what strategies can/are you implementing to move the community towards being ready to act?

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