While seeking to alleviate the plights of the people, you are better placed to understand the concerns of the people by talking to the local influential personalities, local government officials and local group leaders. These are people whose input in community needs assessment is very vital. You can also seal loopholes in your study by consulting independent agencies or groups with better understanding of the local challenges.
Evaluation of what is required is necessary to avoid veering off the main goal when the project eventually sets off. With a lot of organizations moving in to offer support to less privileged people, there is likeliness of project duplication if a survey was not conducted prior to grant request. In such scenario, things could be thrown into disarray much to the chagrin of the people, your organization and the supporting partners.
However, bearing in mind that the leaders are never totally in close touch with the real situation on the ground, it is important to proceed with your evaluation so that you are not confined to the thoughts of a few people. This is where you may have to consult other sources so that you can develop a comprehensive understanding of what the people surely want.
Something that you should never forget when going through discussions with the local people is open-minded approach to the issues on the table. Obviously, differences are likely to surface in such consultative talks and sometimes it might take longer before a deal is finally reached. But if that is what it takes, so be it because rushing to implementation without the popular support of the local people can prove disastrous.
It is therefore recommended that you look at some research that may have already been done in the area by independent agencies. You should also check the records available with the government. The internet and the local newspapers can also hold a lot of findings concerning the people you target to serve.
Naturally, you realize that with such initial breakthrough into the hearts of the people, your organization is more likely to acquire further funding for implementation of other projects that rank lower in the priority pecking order. Winning the support of a people is what makes the difference between a successful project and a failing one. Basically, however deprived a people may be, they might not give their blessing to an organization that seems to insult their intelligence by overlooking their input in terms of ideas through consultation.
After conducting a survey for your intended project, you can now get back to the people through focus groups. Now armed with options for your action plan, you can once again discuss with the stakeholders and potential partners in the local area so that more light can be shed on the priorities and operations. This is best done with a facilitator in the room so that people can stick to the topic.
You realize that universal approval on a particular project might not be possible when conducting community needs assessment. This is so because different people might have their interests in the dialogue and others might also be simply insincere with their ideological contributions. As such, it is recommended that you do not take what you obtain from such discussion sessions you as gospel truth.
Evaluation of what is required is necessary to avoid veering off the main goal when the project eventually sets off. With a lot of organizations moving in to offer support to less privileged people, there is likeliness of project duplication if a survey was not conducted prior to grant request. In such scenario, things could be thrown into disarray much to the chagrin of the people, your organization and the supporting partners.
However, bearing in mind that the leaders are never totally in close touch with the real situation on the ground, it is important to proceed with your evaluation so that you are not confined to the thoughts of a few people. This is where you may have to consult other sources so that you can develop a comprehensive understanding of what the people surely want.
Something that you should never forget when going through discussions with the local people is open-minded approach to the issues on the table. Obviously, differences are likely to surface in such consultative talks and sometimes it might take longer before a deal is finally reached. But if that is what it takes, so be it because rushing to implementation without the popular support of the local people can prove disastrous.
It is therefore recommended that you look at some research that may have already been done in the area by independent agencies. You should also check the records available with the government. The internet and the local newspapers can also hold a lot of findings concerning the people you target to serve.
Naturally, you realize that with such initial breakthrough into the hearts of the people, your organization is more likely to acquire further funding for implementation of other projects that rank lower in the priority pecking order. Winning the support of a people is what makes the difference between a successful project and a failing one. Basically, however deprived a people may be, they might not give their blessing to an organization that seems to insult their intelligence by overlooking their input in terms of ideas through consultation.
After conducting a survey for your intended project, you can now get back to the people through focus groups. Now armed with options for your action plan, you can once again discuss with the stakeholders and potential partners in the local area so that more light can be shed on the priorities and operations. This is best done with a facilitator in the room so that people can stick to the topic.
You realize that universal approval on a particular project might not be possible when conducting community needs assessment. This is so because different people might have their interests in the dialogue and others might also be simply insincere with their ideological contributions. As such, it is recommended that you do not take what you obtain from such discussion sessions you as gospel truth.
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