300 Community Needs Assessment

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
CSBG Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Community Needs Assessment

Chapter:

300

Effective Date:

October 2020

Policy Number:

300

Previous Policy Number(s):

Overview and Requirements

The Community Needs Assessment offers a focus on local conditions, analyzing the economic opportunities and barriers for all residents who are at risk of remaining or becoming economically insecure. It identifies existing and potential resources to expand opportunities. It prepares leadership of the eligible entity to plan a multi-year strategy. All CSBG eligible entities are expected to choose strategic goals and follow a clear plan to achieve desired results. It is essential to explain how the priorities in an agency’s strategic plan meet the proven needs in the community.

To comply with the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) Act, Public Law 105- 285, 42 U.S.C. 9908 (a)(11), CSBG eligible entities must complete a Community Needs Assessment. The State Department is required to secure from each eligible entity, as a condition of funding, a Plan that includes a needs assessment for the communities served. Each eligible entity is required to submit a current comprehensive Community Needs Assessment annually with the Community Action Plan (CAP) in order to be in compliance with the fiscal and administrative requirements of the CSBG program.

A Community Needs Assessment is a systematic process of obtaining and analyzing information to determine the current status and service needs of a community. The process used must be flexible enough to respond to the continually changing socioeconomic and demographic environments.

A decision must be made to determine who will conduct the Assessment; what information will be collected; what methodology will be used to collect the information and how the information will be used.

Basic Consideration

A Community Needs Assessment:

  • Must be conducted every three (3) years for the specific community that is served by the contracted agency.

  • Must be signed by the agency’s Board Chair and Executive Director

  • Must be submitted to the State Department with the Community Action Plan.

  • An assessment summary that outlines current needs, new or projected needs, and unmet needs should also accompany the Plan.

  • May be coordinated with needs assessments conducted for other programs within the eligible entity.

  • May focus on a specific program or target population in some instances.

Units of Needs Assessments

After the data is collected, thoroughly examined and interpreted, the results should be used as a starting point for establishing priority of services and planning of resources. In addition to the level of priority of need, the information can assist eligible entities to:

  • Manage programs more effectively

  • Refine or eliminate existing programs

  • Prevent duplication of programs

  • Provide justification to the board and others for decisions and actions

  • Provide broader support and acceptance by sponsors and employees

  • Determine the need for training and professional development

Components of a Community Needs Assessment

At a minimum, the following items should be included as components of an Assessment:

  • Demographic make-up of eligible families including their number, geographic location, and racial/ethnic composition

  • Other social service agencies in the geographic area and the constituents they serve

  • Data regarding the health, nutrition, and social service needs of the communities as defined by community institutions

  • Availability and accessibility of community resources that can address the needs of eligible families

  • An analysis of the data collected to document a need for the proposed service(s) to use CBSG funds