This 21 slide presentation Needs Analysis is Module 2 of a nine (9) module online course for adult education policy makers and practitioners to complement an innovative toolkit to guide adult education policy and practice. Participation in adult education varies significantly across states and regions of Europe! Why? Evidence and literature suggests a wide disparity in policy making, programming and implementation skills in the adult education sector across Europe. It is imperative that policy makers and programme managers address this disparity to foster life-long learning for a smart-sustainable Europe (see EU2020 https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-economic-governance-monitoring-prevention-correction/european-semester/framework/europe-2020-strategy_en) and to achieve a European target of 15% of the adult population engaged in learning. In response to this challenge, the ERASMUS+ DIMA project (See https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/, 2015 to 2017) developed a practical 9 module online course to complement an innovative toolkit to guide adult education policy and practice. The DIMA toolkit (See https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/toolkit) introduces tools for developing, implementing, and monitoring adult education policies, strategies, and practices. Author: Michael Kenny and DIMA Project partners (https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/partners)

1. www.dima-project.eu
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication]
and all its content reflect the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2015-1-CY01-KA204-011850
Module 2: Needs Analysis
The Content of the following presentation was prepared
jointly by the ERASMUS+ DIMA Project consortium partners
working collaboratively – Voice overs added for the purposes
of the Irish partner Department of Adult & Community
Education, Maynooth University by Michael Kenny

2. DIMA Consortium
The consortium consists of 6 partners, from 5
European countries which cover a wide range of
expertise related to the aims of the project
 Cyprus: Ministry of Education and Culture
 Cyprus: Centre for Advancement of Research and
Development in Education Technology LtD – Cardet
 Ireland: National University of Ireland Maynooth
 Slovenia: Slovenian Institute for Adult Education
 Slovakia: National Institute of Lifelong Learning
 Belgium: European Association for the Education
of Adults

3. At the end of this module learners will
be able to:
• Identify and describe two suitable
techniques for conducting a needs
assessment
• Demonstrate capacity to undertake a
needs analysis in their context.
Learning Outcomes

4. Needs analysis is defined as a formal process focused on how a
product addresses the needs of a human.
Needs analysis in adult education is a formal process conducted
to provide data about the needs and gaps in adult education,
and support the selection of the best solutions to address these
needs.
It is a process used by organization or state to determine
priorities, make organizational improvements, or allocate
resources.
What is Needs Analysis?

5. • The Needs assessment process is
composed of identification and analysis of
needs and it requires appropriate
diagnostic procedures.
• During needs analysis, the identified needs
are evaluated according to established
criteria. This process is analogous to
screening needs through various filters
(Knowles, 1970).
What is Needs Analysis?

6. Aim of Needs Analysis
The general aim of the needs
analysis is to provide data about the
needs and the gaps between What
Is and What Should Be / Is Intended.
What is What Should Be

7. Aims of needs analysis
What it is? What should be?
The state in the
company/agency/country.
Existing knowledge and skills of
employees/citizens.
The current performance of
individuals.
Company/agency/country
standards.
Required knowledge and skills
of employees/citizens.
Targets or performance
standards.

8. • Needs assessment or
needs analysis is a
process which consists of
several steps.
• There is no one correct
needs assessment model
or procedure, everything
depends on the
particular needs of the
organization or country.
• It is always about finding
the gaps between ‘What
is’ and ‘What should be’.
Needs analysis process
1. Problem
definition
5. Evaluation of
the process
2. Selection of
target group
4. Utilization
and decision-
making
3. Data
collection &
analysis

9. Needs assessment process
• The needs assessment process requires a
procedure and data collection and analysis.
• The collection of quantitative and qualitative data
is discussed in more detail in Module 2 of the
DIMA Toolkit – See References.
• Also refer to Module 3 ‘Stakeholders and
Consultations’ to review means of collecting data
and engaging stakeholders for a needs analysis.

10. The 5 steps of needs assessment
1. Problem
definition
2. Selection of
target group
3. Data
collection &
analysis
4. Utilization and
decision-making
5. Evaluation of
the process

11. Step 1: Exploration, identification and definition of the
problem or objective.
Determine what the agency/country already knows about its
own needs - where it is and where it wants to be (Secondary
research sources).
Identify the factors that impact on problem solving or
meeting needs:
• Define the data/need collection objective.
• Prepare detailed specification of all the relevant data that
should be collected within the needs assessment process.
Step 1. Problem definition

12. For example:
At organisational level:
• Identify data to help guide, plan, and improve organisational
learning environment practices
• Identify data to measure / track a student population's learning
goals, performance, and achievements
• Identify data to help identify the student population needs
At national level:
• Identify data on motivation/barriers to adults taking part in adult
education / to increase participation rate
• Identify data on national adult education provision fit with needs of
the labour market / citizen society
Step 1. Problem definition

13. Step 2: Selection of the target group for needs assessment
Select a sample group relevant to range of need identified in
step 1.
For example:
• At organisational level: A specific group of learners, etc.
• At national level: A sector of learners such as migrants,
mature students, citizens already taking part at adult
education, etc.
This is a Primary Research source process.
Step 2. Target group selection
It is not possible to
needs assess the
whole population

14. Step 3: Data collection and analysis
Data collection enables us to better understand the gaps
between the current state of the organization/country and
its desired future state (needs).
Plan the most appropriate data collection approach:
• Internally from records (desk research sources) or
• Externally (market research techniques)
• Using quantitative and qualitative data
• Quantitative research asks, “How much?”.
• Qualitative research asks “why?” or “What is the
reason?”.
Step 3. Data collection and analysis

15. • The purpose of quantitative research is to gain
measurable data and measure the relationship between
cause-and-effect.
• Sampling: To obtain statistically reliable results
quantitative research methodology requires
representativeness of the population.
• The purpose of qualitative research (See Module 2 pf the
toolkit for individual or group interviews, focus groups,
projective / association / finishing / construction /
expression techniques) is to determine the cause of an
examined issue.
• Qualitative data re collected to either complement the
quantitative findings or vice versa.
Step 3. Data collection and analysis

16. Step 3. Data collection and analysis
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES Obtaining qualitative
understanding of the reasons for
action and motivation
Quantifying the data and generalising
the results of the sample
SELECTION Small, not always representative Large, representative
DATA
COLLECTION
Structured/semi-structured/
Unstructured
Structured
ANALYSIS Non-statistical Statistical
OUTCOMES Understanding the problem Recommending definitive procedure
Source: From Module 2 of the DIMA Toolkit – See References.

17. At the end of this step it is useful to summarize collected data and identify the major
findings.
Step 3. Data collection and analysis
What is the problem or issue?
What information is currently available?
What information is needed / should be available?
Analyse the gap between what is available and what should be available.
Analyse the barriers to achieving the desired future state?
Analyse the needs?

18. Step 4: Utilization and decision-making
The outcomes of the data collection may suggest a plan of
action.
To implement it the organization/country needs to:
• set priorities
• identify and evaluate possible solutions
• apply a cost-benefit analysis
• select one or more solutions for each need area
• formulate a plan to implement the solution, and
• allocate the resources necessary
Step 4. Utilization & decision-making
The goal is to
develop a plan to
lessen the gaps
between the
organization's/
country's desired
future state and its
current state.

19. Step 4. Utilization & decision-making
Objective/problem Data
collection
outcomes
Possible solutions
Do the educational programs
meet the requirements of the
labour market?
Yes/No
Do the profiles of adult
learners meet the
requirements of employers for
the particular job positions?
Yes/No
Is there a system of quality
evaluation of the educational
programmes
Yes/no
Example:

20. Step 5: Evaluation of the needs assessment process
The organization/country needs to evaluate the results of
the action plan.
Has the action plan placed the organization /
country closer to the desired future state?
Step 5. Evaluation of the process
EXCELLENT
GOOD
AVERAGE
POOR

21. www.dima-project.eu
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication]
and all its content reflect the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2015-1-CY01-KA204-011850
End of Module 2 of 9
Thank you