Understanding Organization Culture and Community Needs Assessment Understanding Organization Culture and Community Needs

We use the problem-solving model to understand organizations and communities: Problem Identification Assessment Goal Setting Intervention Evaluation

To understand how to address problems, we must conduct assessments Assessment in organizations is not as standardized or routine as those conducted in social work practice with individuals, families, and groups.

Generally, no two organizations or communities are exactly alike. Organizations and Communities are composed of a variety of smaller subsystems Generally, no two organizations or communities are exactly alike.

In organization assessment, we can easily identify organization inputs and outputs But we also need to find out about the throughput: What happens inside the organization?

Throughput consists of: Technology: How are services provided? What technology (intervention strategies) and staff are used to deliver services? Organization Structure. How are decisions-made? How do clients flow through the organization? Organization Culture. Values and behaviors of the people in the organization. How do staff treat each other? How are clients treated? How do clients and workers interact with one another? The individual personalities of people in the organization

Culture is generally defined as behaviors, values, perspectives, and expectations that are shared in common by organization participants. Organization culture determines how members come to learn about the expectations of the organization and how they subsequently behave (Schein, 1992).

Organization culture is important because: All organizations have unique cultures that come from both the values of participants and the tendency of people to form informal groups. Sometimes informal leaders may be just as important as “real” leaders in determining what happens in organizations. The values of group members can influence worker attitudes toward their work and how they interact with clients. To maximize performance, staff members need autonomy over their own work and appropriate rewards. They also need to feel that they can participate in decisions that determine how the agency operates. In order to facilitate the empowerment of clients, workers must feel empowered themselves!

If organizations feel that it is important to empower clients and workers, they will do some of the following things: Include clients in organization decision-making (seats on boards of directors or advisory committees). Include clients and staff in designing programs and evaluating services. Make sure services are culturally competent. Minimize the power differences among staff and between staff and clients. Have staff members work in teams rather than have several layers of supervisors. Help staff feel psychologically empowered (inclusion in decisions; opportunities for professional development among staff). Increase job satisfaction among workers. Encourage staff to engage in advocacy for clients and to improve agency services. Work to increase the power of the organization to advocate for legislation and policies that will help clients and community residents (this includes lobbying the government, asking constituents to lobby, and helping clients become involved in the political process (voter education and registration).

How can you find out if an organization does these things Interviews with or surveys of organization participants (clients, staff, and board members). Interviews with or surveys of people in the organization’s suprasystem. Administering standardized tests to clients or staff (there are scales that measure psychological empowerment, self-efficacy, and motivation). Observing meetings or the social interaction among staff members or between staff and clients. Review of agency records.

Who is served by the organization. Case records provide some information about organization culture and values: Who is served by the organization. The eligibility criteria used that determines who is served. Who is not served by the organization.

Information on the organization’s board or governing body Who serves on the board? How diverse is the board (gender, social class, ethnicity, or profession)? Who selects the board members? Do clients serve on the board?

Other sources of information about organization values and culture: Mission Statement Goals and Objectives By-laws Annual Budget Evaluation Plan Organization Policy Manual Personnel Policies Rules and Procedures for Program Operation Grant Proposals Annual Report Web Page Brochures and Fundraising Letters

A mission statement is an important source of information Identifies the group of clients to be served. States the need and/or problem to be addressed Describes the type of service to be provided/ States the goal or purpose for providing the service. Identifies organization values that will guide service delivery.

Sample Mission Statement: Needs statement: People with incomes under the poverty line need affordable, accessible, and high quality health care. Problem statement: Many low-income people, especially those who are undocumented residents, have difficulty finding affordable, accessible, and high quality health care services. Client Population: Undocumented individuals and families living in the Mission District. Goal: To provide affordable, accessible, and high quality health care services to undocumented individuals and families. * Values

Needs can be defined as the gap between what a situation is and what it should be (Community Toolbox, 2005). The mission of social service and community organizations are to meet needs

Analysis of agency records and government statistics. To find out about community needs, we conduct needs assessments that consist of : Analysis of agency records and government statistics. Interviews with and surveys with community residents, clients, informal leaders, social service professionals, and key informants. Consultations (community forums) with people affected by the problem. Development of community maps to identify community assets and problem areas.

Data Collection for Needs Assessment Qualitative Data (People’s perceptions) Quantitative (Numerical measures or models of community problems) Conversational Interview Structured Surveys Formal (structured) Interview Program Monitoring (using case records) Ethnography (study culture or specific group) Social Indicator Analysis (using data collected by others) Focus Groups Time Series Analysis Nominal Group Technique Mapping Techniques Delphi Approach Network Analysis

Social Indicators Can be obtained from agency records. Many agencies have systems that allow intake information to be entered into a management information system. Government indicators can often be found on the Web. The primary database for needs assessment in community practice is U.S. Census data.

Census Data includes: Ethnicity, gender, and age of residents. Income. Poverty rates. Number of people living in census track or other geographic locations (neighborhood, city, congressional district, etc.). Housing conditions.

Census Information can be found at: http://www.census.gov Other public information on community problems can be found at government agency websites or websites and reports distributed by advocacy groups. See http://www.ca.gov to find state agencies. Also see the Needs Assessment link on Dr. Hardina’s webpage.  

Data from social indicators can be put into charts in order to make comparisons over time or by demographic group

Time Series Analysis can be used to examine trends over time

Spatial Analysis Mapping community boundaries, physical space, problems, and assets. Social network analysis (exchange of resources among individuals and groups) Geographic information systems (uses computer mapping and overlays of various attributes)

Census Tract 42.08, Fresno County, California   4 miles across  

Social Network Analysis Based on the assumption that people routinely exchange goods and services to get the things that they need. Also assumes that strong networks are important for maintaining the quality of community life. It’s important to understand networks in the community in order to recruit social change participants and to conduct outreach to people who need services. We also assume that most communities contain informal leaders who provide assistance and information to people in the community.

Social Network Map

We conduct network analysis: Informally, by conducting informal interviews to locate natural leaders and to find out how people get help. Formally, by conducting structured interviews with people to find out from whom they get help, give help, and whether these exchanges are reciprocal.

Power Analysis We use abstract models to try to understand how decisions are made in communities. The individuals and groups who influence these decisions. The amount of power currently held by decision makers Opportunities for those excluded from decision-making to gain power.

Power in Communities Primarily elitist or pluralist structures. We identify power brokers by conducting interviews to identify people associated with issues, using media accounts, tracking linkages on organization and business websites and organization letterheads. We can also examine links between politicians and industries, labor, and other donors by looking at campaign donations.

Community Power Models Elitist – small group of powerful people make most decisions. Pluralist – people who make decisions change depending on the issue. More than one group of people are involved in the decisions.