ABSTRACT
In this chapter, you will learn how to do the following: 1 Conduct a needs assessment2 Examine the effectiveness of the structure and process of a social venture3 Measure social performance 4 Design applied research to determine the outcomes of social action5 Feed back assessment results to improve the quality of your operation6 Establish a tracking system for continuous improvement
There are four components to assessment: (1) identifying needs prior to taking action, (2) examining the structure and process of operations, (3) evaluating outcomes (attitudinal and factual), and (4) closing the loop to use the assessment results to improve operations and performance. This chapter covers these four components.Social needs must be assessed and reexamined as changes occur, presumably as outcomes become more successful. In the case of nonprofit social entrepreneurship efforts, officers and executives should periodically review how well they are working together and with volunteers and paid staff to determine ways they can be more effective. A quarterly, semi-annual, or at least annual review is an opportunity to reflect on relationships between people and organizations, analyze barriers and problems, and make changes for improvement. Outcomes analysis takes several forms, depending on the goals of the initiative. Measures may include numbers of volunteers recruited, money raised, people who participated, decision(s) affected, attitudes changed, and/or numbers and types of beneficiaries helped. Evaluation is not an event but a process that entails involvement of identifying what
should be measured how and how often, using the results, and making changes for improvement. Needs Assessment
Social action often begins with the spark of an idea to address a need. Suppose you encounter a homeless person begging on a street corner or witness poverty or health problems while touring a developing country. You may be motivated to help. However you need to determine the extent of the problem, explore probable causes, and examine what others are doing to address the problem. Some data about needs are objective facts and figures. Other data are subjective, such as opinions, perspectives, and viewpoints from individuals affected directly or from experts, funding sources, and other stakeholders. Consider the following sources of information: • Government and institutional sources (census, police reports, social
service agency reports, hospital reports): For instance, county or town health and human service agencies may have statistics about the homeless; census reports may tell about immigration trends; police reports may indicate levels of hate crimes as an indication of bias and discrimination; and town real estate records would indicate numbers of home foreclosures.
