2011 Adams County Needs Assessment Survey

 UWEX Adams County-Family Living Program & 4-H Youth Development

2011 Adams County Needs Assessment Process

 Mary Ann Olson, Assistant Professor

 Jennifer Swensen, Assistant Professor

 University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension

 Adams County

 Situation Statement:

 A community needs assessment is an important priority in Adams County. The last community wide assessment was completed in 2004 through UW Extension. Several assessments have been done since then with different target audiences:

• 2010 Civil Rights Demographics completed
• 2008 Community Partner Advisory Group
• 2007 Central District Survey

With a new Family Living Educator and 4-H Youth Development Agent there was a need to do a county wide assessment to determine future programming priorities.   Jennifer Caravella, Waushara County Family Living Agent, published an article, ”A Needs Assessment Method for Extension Educators”, which stated one of the first priorities a new Extension Educator should do is to conduct a needs assessment that will then help the educator to set priorities for program focus.

 Objectives:

•  To analyze community issues and needs in order to address those needs through education.
• To determine UWEX Program Priorities for 2012 & 2013.
• To share survey results with County Agencies in order for them to enhance their programming.

 In order to determine the program priorities and educational needs in Adams County for 2012 and 2013, a County Needs and Issues Assessment Survey was sent out to county residents ages 18 and over. The survey results will be utilized by the UW Adams County Extension educators and shared with key stakeholders and agencies in Adams County. These stakeholders and agencies include Health and Human Services, Adams County Public Health Department, Adams-Friendship School District, Mid-State Technical College, Central Wisconsin Community Action Council (CWCAC), Hope House of South Central Wisconsin, Bridges for Youth, Family Resource Center/Early Head Start and Head Start, Child Care Resource and Referral of Central Wisconsin, WNEP, and the Adams County UW Extension Committee.

 Needs Assessment Process:

 The Needs Assessment was distributed to 2,000 Adams County residents including property owners and renters utilizing a mailing list purchased through UW-River Falls. The assessment was also distributed to UW-Extension collaborators with results tabulated separately. The assessment data was analyzed by UW-River Falls Survey Research Center.

 Outcomes:

 A county wide survey was completed and the results shared within UW Extension, collaborating agencies, and county stakeholders. Programming needs will be determined from this survey for Adams County UW-Extension.

 Response/Planned Activities:

 February

• Initial meeting to review exisisting assessments done within Adams County.
• Meet with the WNEP Coordinator to determine needs.
• Meet with the Public Health Office to see how we can collaborate.
• Draft potential survey.

March

• Continue working on the draft survey.

April

• Finalize survey.

May

• Present to the County Department Heads for input and feedback.
• Meet with the Children and Community Concern Committee to review survey.
  • Collaborating agencies are represented at this committee meeting.
• Gather feedback from collaborating agencies.
• Acquire mailing list from UW-River Falls

June/July

• July 18-22:  Survey questionaire finalized.
• July 25-29:  Survey questionaire and cover letter printed.  Survey stuffed and mailed with August 12th “Return-by” date.
• Research if “Human Subjects Protection” is needed – The answer is this is not needed since the smaple is random and anonymous.

August/September

• August 19th:  Close survey.
• August 22nd:  Completed surveys shipped to UW-River Falls for analysis.
• August 24-30:  Scan and clean returned questionaire.
• September 21:  Draft full report (if requested) sent to Adams County Uw-Extension for review.

 October/November

• Share results with stakeholders and collaorating agencies.

 Results:

In late July 2011, Adams County UW-Extension mailed surveys to a random sample of  2,000 AdamsCounty households. Three hundred fifteen (315) surveys were returned as non-deliverables.  Four-hundred and ninety-seven (497) surveys were processed for a response rate of 29% resultingin a confidence interval of plus/minus 4.3%. The needs assessment is completed every few years to ensure the work of UW-Extension is meeting the needs of the County.

2011 Adams County Needs Assessment Survey Results