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T he importance of needs assessment \\ lly Is It importunl to assess the l'lL'C'Ll\ ml the mcmhcn ul' your llrlaill-lI/alltjll.‘ The answer lx quite almplc. Knowing what the mcmhcrs need or want, and then planning :nllulllcx to meet those llL'L'Ll‘\ ulll encourage mcmhcr» to purlmmlc in 3.4 lur group and increase the lllfillllllhd nl [hem staying an NHL interested members ‘\ \ccnlld rcuwn l(tr cunducling ill;l_'tl\ ncculiwc lllL'llllt!£|’\ tull'l [lllHull’ll) know clcry- lltllll' and ll'\ lllll luéllIHlIL' nl them lo mult- .'h~l,|ll'lpllllll\ uhnul otth [\t_‘l lplc‘ \l liL‘t'LlH £l'w\L’\\I|I'.'rll\ I“. V\lIL‘l'lthnl'lllllL‘lJLl\1l\\U\nlllCnls. no nlllt'lt.‘ win-.c ml Hllhllilillllm ls rcally .nlczlllulc, all In lll he llcuhlc and use cml dillcrcnl lllL'lllHLl\ nl tullccllng .IllLl tlullhlc checking- the tntormallon, MK [MN lL'tlll\ llllporlunl lo do u l'UflL'tl lL'HU‘lrL'll \lllkl‘l â€"- It's ditl'icnll In Ill: .llltl lulu". hm inlth lllTlL' and Ill! lllL'\ |\lllln'lllllt's “0:th tlrt' ‘lsscsscd .lllll lu Illu: Innc llIL' |‘Il’i,IL'I‘;llll is in ruling m lllllkll lllnc llils elapsed llml lllL‘ llt'L‘tl‘v l|rl\.L' (ll-lllL'k'Ll and tho prnylnltl III .lLl|\ll\ |‘\ no longer IIL'L‘llL'll \lclllmls \l‘ll llxc llll ulllcctlng lllc llllltlllltlllltll ulll tlclwcml on your llll'.l|l|/.ll|l|l| .llnl Lillmnlu ullul \Lill unil lit-st lul le lllcllllicm ( )l‘lcn the ritual llllnllllnl mm can he \cn' cl'lcu ll\L' .lml lllc tlllnlxcsl INl-URM'Hi Mia I'HUIIS | I lslcll In tlllLl \llltll IIIt‘lllltt'lN \L‘L'lllll|l1L‘|lll\‘lC\lCllIn. liliscrlt‘ kccp lmrL ul nlcmlicrs" lULlllhl‘ In: l.|ll\n. llllll\, slaczlkclx. Ix'tuul lllc lHl..ll llL'HspJpClN [U lilld Ulll I ullu uclc llu- L'llt'\| simulkclx ill tllllt‘l |l|L‘\‘lllll__' ' ulml IlIl\|t\ other umupx .lrc IIIIL‘lL‘wlL'tl m ' 1tlk'.l\ Ill lt'llt'ls In lllc cdmir I |l\]11t'~. Hl lt'.IllllU.lll1ClC 0 tilt-cl l l‘illllll' l \cnls I'nr pruâ€" l'l;lr!l lU|1|L' 4 l llul. .ulclnlnntc in run .lc’lnlllt'x lllllL‘ldllh ll Ill.l\ slum lllt'llll‘L‘l\ arc lillclcstctl Int .ll'k'ih i l\'C\lL‘“ cuml‘lclctl culluntion lulllh llulll ["ll'Hl‘llh .lclnlllcs Nancy Ross programs, especially if your asked members for ideas for future programs 6, Exchange ideas with people from other organizations in your community. 7. Contact the board of education and community colleges to check what continuing education courses are the most requested. 8. Whenever the opportunity arises, conduct oneâ€"to‘one interviews over coffee, with the key people in your organization. 9. Use part of a meeting to brainstorm with the group for ideas or use a suggestion box at meetings for ideas. REMEMBER v to ask as many members as possible â€" to ask newcomers and oldtimers [0 your group 710 ask members oldifferent age groups . fl lo ask people who don't belong to your gmup YET BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT \‘x‘. PERSPECTIVE. h ll A (’ -\Dlll. May l‘ih’h’ FORMAL METHODS l. Surveys â€" telephone â€" mailed questionnaire â€" questionnaire distributed m a meetmg(s) ' â€" personal interview or 2mm interview ‘ F 2. Focus Group â€"- gather sis H, p key peeple of your group to‘ I and braimtorm for pmgmma'n.‘ I ideas. Make sure everyone 7: chance to express his/her opt u A group interview max applicable. 3. Organization Forum â€" all ; .n members are invited to an} i 3 meeting to specifically as r .needs assessment. Needs assessment is not a on m,- event, rather it is an ongoing p - x. in any organization. Knowinc it your members want, from t- . year, is important when prepni v. plan programs. An article in ii: i: issue of Home 8: Country will tn 1- some tips on program plannll Nancy Ross is a rural organ. in... specialist with the Ontario Mi mm of Agriculture and Food in mm County.