In the groundbreaking text, Bridging the Gap Between Asset/Capacity Building and Needs Assessment, James W. Altschuld examines the synthesis of two antithetical ideas—needs assessment and asset/capacity building. At the heart of this approach is a focus on assessing the strengths and assets that communities have and demonstrating how to make those assets stronger. The author explains the foundation of needs assessment and asset/capacity building, discusses their similarities and differences, and offers a new hybrid framework that includes eight steps for how they can be done jointly for better results. The author then applies a checklist for judging the quality of this approach to six cases that represent real-world applications of hybrid principles. The last chapter demonstrates how such efforts might be studied in the future, emphasizing ways findings and results from hybrid ventures can be used effectively. A wide range of examples, tables, and figures appear throughout, with insightful discussion questions at the end of each chapter to facilitate meaningful discourse.

Case Studies in Needs Assessment offers insights about the practice of needs assessment in dynamic, real-world organizations and communities. This book invites both novice and seasoned analysts to look over the shoulders of practitioners, to examine needs assessment practice in action, to grasp the real-world issues that arise, and to understand a variety of needs assessment strategies and challenges. Each case in this book examines the implementation of needs assessment in a specific situation, bridging needs assessment theories and actual practice. The book is organized around five major approaches: knowledge and skill assessment, job and task analysis, competency assessment, strategic needs assessment, and complex needs assessment. The last chapter summarizes lessons learned from all the case studies: it describes the insights and tricks of the trade that Darlene Russ-Eft and Catherine Sleezer gained from commissioning and reviewing these cases.

Explore multiple practical and theoretical dimensions of needs assessment. This volume focuses exclusively on this essential topic for guiding decisions—examining subjects such as: the importance of defining needs, implementing assessments in public and private-sector organizations, aligning needs with assets and capacity assessments, how assessments factor into meaningful change at the organizational and society levels how to apply needs assessments in culturally diverse contexts conducting international needs assessments, and the impact of technologies on needs assessment methods. This issue will help professionals within public and private organizations conduct useful assessments, ones leading to results that can be applied in decisions. This is the 144th issue in the New Directions for Evaluation series from Jossey-Bass. It is an official publication of the American Evaluation Association.

This toolkit provides insights and recommendations on how to design, monitor and use results frameworks for greater impact on sustainable development. It gives an overview of the different types of results frameworks that exist, explains how to enhance their design, monitoring and usage, and provides advice on how to integrate complex issues such as sustainable development, climate adaptation, locally led development and inclusion. By using this toolkit as a common reference, all governments and international development partners are better equipped for strategic, harmonised action towards a more sustainable future.

"This book presents a practical framework for the development, implementation, and dissemination of quality health professions curricula. The book is intended for faculty and others who, while content experts, may not have a background in education or implementation science but have an interest or responsibility as educators in their discipline"--

In the Third Edition of The Psychology Research Handbook expert researchers provide graduate students and research assistants with a comprehensive framework for conducting psychology research. The book is organized around the idea of a "research script," following the step-by-step process of planning, design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

This book is an accessible, contemporary, and comprehensive guide to the concepts and practice of evaluation. Authors Gail Vallance Barrington and Beverly Triana-Tremain integrate new approaches and concerns, and classic frameworks with practical tools that readers can use to design evaluation studies. They show how evaluators measure whether the planned and implemented interventions or services are achieving their goals and objectives, while focusing on the questions most important to the community and organizations in which the evaluation takes place. The book stresses the role of critical and evaluative thinking, as well as self-reflection, and demonstrates the importance of context and equity in today’s turbulent environment, offering a new stance for evaluators to support global as well as local issues.

Be prepared for the growing opportunities in community and population health practice with the 3rd Edition of this groundbreaking resource. The New Edition reflects the convergence of community and population health practice with expanded content on health promotion, well-being, and wellness. Drs. Scaffa and Reitz present the theories underpinning occupational therapy practice in community and population health. Then, the authors provide practical guidance in program needs assessment, program development, and program evaluation. Both new practitioners and students will find practice-applicable coverage, including expanded case examples, specific strategies for working in the community, and guidance on securing funding for community and population health programs.

Evaluative Practice in Learning, Design, and Technology provides learning, design, and technology stakeholders with comprehensive resources intended to support their engagement in evaluative activities. Evaluation—the process that determines whether performance results have been achieved and meet expectations within an organization—is an important step in the instructional design process. However, the field’s current literature is largely missing coverage of influential contextual factors and evidence-based techniques. This book presents a thorough overview of the theoretical foundations that influence evaluation practices, identifies and distinguishes between numerous evaluative methods, and emphasizes the decision-making skills required of those leading and implementing evaluation. Graduate students and professionals will be better prepared to meet the expectation of competency in formative, summative, and program evaluations.

Communal celebrations bring out the best in us, offering a place for people to come together and take a break from the routines of daily life. They are a vital aspect of city life and are increasingly popular as an urban development strategy. Celebrating Urban Community Life is a comprehensive guide to understanding and enhancing communal celebrations as a source of community capital. Drawing on case studies from New York, San Francisco, and Toronto, Melvin Delgado discusses the many ways in which fairs, festivals, and parades can enhance communal life. Providing a framework for social scientists, urban planners, and social workers to analyse and foster celebrations that benefit urban populations, the book is a valuable resource for those with an interest in this growing area of academic and practical interest.