This slideshow was used at a workshop on Workshop Development in Vinh Vietnam, December 2008. It relates to the Needs Assessment process. Be sure to click on the video link to see the accompanying video documenting the needs assessment process used to prepare for the workshop. The workshop was part of a Uniterra project.

1. Needs Assessment
The Easy Steps Way™
Workshop Management Course
Vinh City, Nghe An Province, Vietnam
Susan Lieberman
22 – 25 December 2008
© Susan Lieberman 2008

2. Training Objectives of
this Session
 After this session, participants will be able to
 Appreciate need to engage in needs assessment
prior to workshop design & delivery
 Identify 3 groups that impact workshop planning
 Describe the 4 step process of needs assessment
 Select from 5 needs assessment techniques/sources
 Adjust assumptions based on data gathered
 In groups, create a needs assessment plan for their
case study
© Susan Lieberman 2008 2

3. Let’s Visit Canada
 Let’s say you want to
visit Canada for 4 days –
would you just show up
& go wherever?
 Or, would you plan
 Where to go
 When to leave/return
 How to travel
 What to do
© Susan Lieberman 2008 3

4. How would you go about
planning the trip?
 Travel agent?
 Friends?
 Internet?
 Library & other books?
 Movies?
 Food?
© Susan Lieberman 2008 4

5. Case Study
This Workshop
 Last June I heard about Uniterra through
my workplace
 I applied to come to Vietnam & was
accepted & provided with this placement
 What did I know about proposed mission?
 “Enhance capacity of 30 PAEC, DAEC &
CBAET staff in communication skills
(participatory facilitation of meetings,
trainings & workshops, public
presentation & reporting & other
communication skills for grass roots
extension work”
Map image from http://www.asianventure.com
© Susan Lieberman 2008 5

6. My Challenge
 What did I not know?
 A lot!
 Country (had never been to Vietnam)
 Language (do not speak Vietnamese)
 Agricultural issues of Nghe an &
Thanh hoa provinces
 Participants’ backgrounds, interests &
skills
 Length of workshop per day &
number of days
 Available facilities, materials &
supplies …
© Susan Lieberman 2008 6

7. How did I do research?
Let’s view a short
video about how I
conducted a needs
assessment for this
workshop
© Susan Lieberman 2008 7

8. Needs Assessment
 Why is needs assessment
required? Organization
 To ensure workshop Community
content & process match
needs of
Participants
 Community
 Organization
 Participants
Workshop
© Susan Lieberman 2008 8

9. Gaps in understanding
 Community
 Nghe an & Thanh hoa provinces?
 Agricultural issues?
 Organizations
 CECI, PAEC, DAEC & CBAET?
 Facility/timing constraints
 Participants
 Descriptions (number, backgrounds,
skills, demographics …)
 Reasons for taking the workshop –
what they hope to get out of it
© Susan Lieberman 2008 9

10. 4-step Process
Needs Assessment
4-step process for Workshop needs assessment
1. Identify general problem or topic of workshop
2. Create plan to gather data
 Identify community, organization, & participants
 Match sources of information
3. Gather data
4. Evaluate data
And remember, this process can take much time
so start well in advance of workshop start date!
© Susan Lieberman 2008 10

11. Gathering Data
 What are ways to gather data?
 Interview people (participants, experts …)
 Survey people
 Read books/articles
 Surf websites
 Experience movies/tv/music
 Other?
© Susan Lieberman 2008 11

12. Now comes the real work!
 Evaluate/synthesize gathered data to
 Determine what to cover in workshop
 Customize content & delivery
methods to suit the participants
 Examples
 First draft for this workshop contained
a component to work on computer
skills but after receiving the surveys, it
became clear that such a session
would not be best use of time together
 Agricultural research provided
material for case studies used
throughout workshop
© Susan Lieberman 2008 12

13. Evaluation
 Compare gathered data to original assumptions
 Adjust assumptions to match data
© Susan Lieberman 2008 13

14. And remember …
Ác giả, ác báo
(You reap what you sow)
Image from http://www.kianh.org.uk/vietnam.htm
© Susan Lieberman 2008 14

15. Workshop Case Study
Needs Assessment
 Join your group and
identify needs
assessment for your case
study
 Use the worksheets
provided
© Susan Lieberman 2008 15

16. Citations
Images, Cartoons & Sounds not already cited are from the
following subscribed (s) or royalty-free (r) sources
 Microsoft Office clips (s)
 www.iStock.com (s)
 www.Animation.com (s)
 www.cartoonstock.com (s)
 The Nightingale Voice Box (s)
 ClickART Cartoons (s)