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Situation Analysis

Situation Analysis. Determining Critical Issues for Virginia Cooperative Extension. VCE Programming Process. Why do Situation Analysis?. Situation Analysis…Why do it??. It’s takes a lot of time, it takes time away from my job, It is hard work! Has to involve too many people!

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Situation Analysis

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  1. Situation Analysis Determining Critical Issues for Virginia Cooperative Extension

  2. VCE Programming Process

  3. Why do Situation Analysis?

  4. Situation Analysis…Why do it?? • It’s takes a lot of time, it takes time away from my job, It is hard work! • Has to involve too many people! • We are professionals, we know what we are doing! • Once I get the curriculum, I got it from here!! Just tell me what to do!!!

  5. Why Do Situation Analysis? • Extension programs should address needs • Discovers where needs exist & with whom • A means of involving the community in their own change. • Teaches problem solving to our communities • Provides public accountability for VCE • Situations change

  6. Why Do Situation Analysis? • Situation analysis helps: • Produce change • Create alliances/collaboratives/partnerships • Discovers community resources & barriers • Identifies potential audiences • Determines gaps, current knowledge, skills, practices…which leads to • How existing programs can be applied • What new Extension programs/resources are needed • How Extension resources can be engaged • Determines which resources at VT and VSU are needed • Determine VCE Program Direction

  7. VCE Situation Analysis: A 4 Step Process • Step 1: Organize for Action • Step 2: Develop a Unit Profile • Step 3: Assess Needs from a Community and Resident Perspective • Step 4: Interpret Data and Decide on Program Direction

  8. Extension Agents • Need to: • Understand the Process • Train ELC on the Process • Serve as a Convener and a Facilitator • Provide Collaborative Leadership • Cultivate Involvement/Ownership • Arrange for/Data Review/Collection • Engage ELC/Community in Decision Making/Discovery Process • Leads the Development of SA Action Plan • Remains an Educator

  9. Step 1: Organize for Action • Key players: ELC and Extension Staff • Everyone needs to understand the situation analysis process (Training/orientation of players: I meeting) • Develop Situation Analysis Plan: another meeting

  10. Situation Analysis Plan….. what, when, how, who…another meeting • What is the area of analysis: county? city? program? • Reflects decisions, tasks, assignment of responsibilities, & time • Assignment Tasks – ELC vs. Program Committee • ELC – overall unit profile • Program Committee – dig deeper in program area(s) • Reflects methods used to examine the situation (added as the plan unfolds)

  11. Step 2: Develop a Unit Profile • Data profile that characterizes the unit • Starting point – population/housing, education, health and welfare, and economy data • Based on quantitative data gathered from a variety of existing sources • Provides a snapshot for program planners and unit residents • Provides unit baseline data to gauge program effectiveness

  12. Step 3: Assess Needs from a Community/Resident Perspective • Compliments unit profile by helping to understand challenges, opportunities, needs from a community & resident perspective • Allows you to move beyond the numbers---dig deeper to understand greater • Focuses on what issues and problems people perceive as important • Place for ELC to lead, team, connect etc

  13. Step 3: Assess Needs from a Community/Resident Perspective • Where change really begins • Relevance is established • Partnerships are begun • Resources are identified • The place for VCE is discovered

  14. Methods • Issues Forums • Focus Groups • Key Informant Interviews • Community Survey

  15. Key Questions: Focus, Sharpen Understanding • For what purpose is this information being collected?---back to the unit profile • How will the information be used to benefit residents in the unit? What attitudes, knowledge, skills, practices, current services

  16. Issues Forums • Public meetings where people express their opinions and perspectives • Facilitated by a moderator • Follow an agenda • Last 2-4 hours

  17. Issues Forums - Advantages • Citizen participation • Communication between program providers and clientele • Easy and inexpensive • Flexible

  18. Issues Forums - Disadvantages • Requires good facilitation • Input is limited to those who attend • May generate more questions than answers • Unrealistic expectations

  19. Focus Groups • A focused discussion among 6-8 people • Facilitated by a moderator • Last 1-2 hours • Need to conduct 4-5 for situation analysis • Not intended to reach consensus

  20. Focus Groups - Advantages • Great in generating ideas • Stimulates thinking and dialogue • Findings are easily understood • Fast and relatively inexpensive

  21. Focus Groups - Disadvantages • Can be easily misused • Requires a skilled moderator • Analysis is time consuming • Difficult to generalize findings

  22. Key Informant Interviews • Information gathered from people who hold key roles • Elected officials, community leaders, agency administrators/staff, community professionals • Usually done using personal interviews

  23. Key Informant Interviews - Advantages • Opportunity to collect data from people with different perspectives on issues and problems • Helps identify opportunities for partnerships • Can be implemented by volunteers • Easy and inexpensive

  24. Key Informant Interviews - Disadvantages • Information can be biased • Relationship between interviewer and interviewee can influence data • Can alienate people not involved • Interviewer must be trained

  25. Community Survey • An instrument administered to community residents to obtain their perspectives on issues and problems • Typically administered to a sample of residents • Most comprehensive method

  26. Community Survey - Advantages • Can collect a lot of information • Moderate to low cost • Information is relatively unbiased • Can generalize information to the community

  27. Community Survey - Disadvantages • Time consuming from start to finish • Low response rates • No control for a bad instrument

  28. Step 4: Interpret Data and Decide on Program Direction • What are the issues identified? • What is Extension presently doing? • What issues are priority? • What renewed direction should Extension programs take?

  29. Making Priority Decisions for Determining Program Direction • What are others doing? • What is the VCE niche? • How is VCE currently addressing the issue? • What are our present programs telling us? • Can more impacts be sought? • Does the issue warrant new programming? • How does the issue compare to our interests, expertise, and experience – ELC, agents, volunteers? • How does the issue fit with our VT and VSU resources?

  30. Situation Analysis Process • Available on the VCE Internet • Program Support • VCE Programming Process

  31. VCE Programming Process

  32. Panel Discussion Situation Analysis • Lessons Learned

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