TOOLKIT FORM 8.1 Needs Assessment Checklist

TOOLKIT FORM 8.1 Needs Assessment Checklist

The following checklist may be used for a variety of needs assessments, including the four approaches presented in this book. Because the assessment requirements for each situation differ, use the items that are most applicable to your organization's needs. Also, note that some needs assessments have additional steps that are not included in this checklist.

Gather Preliminary Data

1. Have you had preliminary meetings to gather information from your client contact and other key people?
2. Have you considered the ethical issues that may arise while gathering preliminary data and the ethical codes that can guide your actions?
3. Have you obtained senior management's perspectives about the goals of the assessment?
4. Have you identified the attitudes of learners and other stakeholders toward the needs assessment and the new program, system, training, or technology?
5. Is there consensus about the goals of the needs assessment among those involved?
6. Do you have a holistic perspective about the project, the organization, and its larger environment?
• How does this project fit with other organizational efforts?
• How do the organization’s systems, culture, and politics support the project?
• Have you identified what factors are likely to impede the needs assessment or the project?
• Have you identified the prerequisites for installing, developing, using, revising, or updating the program, system, training, or technology?
• Have you identified whether changes are needed that are complementary to the effort you are working on (for example, changes in work design, rewards, tools, culture, training, or environment)?

TOOLKIT FORM 8.1 Needs Assessment Checklist (continued)

• If complementary changes are needed, do you know who is responsible for implementing and monitoring the changes?
• Have you identified the educational level of the target audience?
• Have you determined learners' preferred learning styles?
• Have you identified the computer literacy levels of the target audience?
7. Have you determined what testing or evaluation strategies will be used to measure success?
8. Have you determined whether certification will be required?
9. Have you identified resources that are available to conduct and implement the assessment?
10. Do you require the assistance of external sources, such as subject-matter experts or consultants?
11. Have you reviewed records, reports, and other pertinent extant data?
12. Have you obtained input from all other pertinent sources, such as units, archives, and internal or external sources?
13. Have you determined what kind of needs assessment you will conduct (that is, job and task, knowledge and skill, competency, and strategic analysis)?
Plan the Assessment
14. Have you established a project plan?
15. Have you established a system for managing the needs assessment?
16. Have you determined what types of data must be collected?
17. Have you identified multiple sources of data?
18. Have you identified multiple data-gathering methods that will be effective?
19. Have you designed the process or processes for collecting and storing data?

TOOLKIT FORM 8.1 Needs Assessment Checklist (continued)

20. Have you established a mechanism for tabulating and analyzing results?
21. Have you developed a plan for having the appropriate people review the draft data analysis?
22. Have you considered the ethical guidelines that should be followed when planning and implementing this plan?
23. Have you notified the appropriate people about the assessment?
24. Have you obtained approval to proceed with the assessment?
Data Collection
25. Have you developed the needs assessment tools?
26. Have you validated the needs assessment tools?
27. Have you pilot-tested the needs assessment tools?
28. Do you have a system for managing the collected data?
29. Have you scheduled the data collection?
30. Have you communicated the purpose and process of the data collection with those who will participate in it?
Analyze Data
31. Have you compiled results?
32. Have you identified patterns and deviations in data?
33. Have you organized the data for review by the client and stakeholders?
34. Have you briefed your client contact and senior management about the draft results of the assessment?
Prepare Final Report and Presentation
35. Have you established priorities for implementing the solutions identified by the needs assessment?

TOOLKIT FORM 8.1 Needs Assessment Checklist (continued)

36. Have you estimated projected costs and benefits for implementing each solution?
37. Does the report contain all the relevant information?
38. Is the report accurate, precise, and concise?
39. Is the report format appropriate for the audience and organization?
40. Have you included all the appropriate supporting documents in the appendix?