Switzerland: Needs Assessment (5 days)

Strategies, techniques and tools to prepare and conduct a needs assessment

Next course

• 31 August – 4 September 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

Click here to download the course leaflet (PDF format).

Course overview

Whilst a good needs assessment does not necessarily guarantee a good project, no needs assessment almost certainly guarantees a bad one!

Assessments are a vital element of the project cycle: they provide the information on which decisions will be made.

This course enables participants to improve the quality of their needs assessment and therefore the relevance of potential interventions which may follow.

The course focuses on the various tasks to be done throughout the whole assessment process as well as techniques and tools used to improve the collection of information during interviews with stakeholders.

Whenever possible the course includes a one-day “field” exercise to practice the newly acquired competencies. If not possible, the field exercise is replaced by a case study.

This course is part of the Project Cycle Management curriculum:

1. Needs Assessment (5 days)
2. Planning, Programming and Monitoring Projects (5 days)
3. Evaluating Projects (3 days)

Participants obtain a certificate in Project Cycle Management after attending the three courses. Each of these courses covers one main subject and can also be taken individually, leading to a course certificate.

For more information about Project Cycle Management, please see the overview of courses.

Who should attend

The course will benefit persons who are new to project management, or have experience but not yet obtained training, in particular:

• Program managers
• Program coordinators
• Key field and HQ staff involved in assessments
• Managers supervising assessments

How you and your organisation will benefit – Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, participants are familiar with the assessment concept and process. They are able to prepare and use the appropriate tools to collect information from key stakeholders.

Course organisation and programme

The emphasis is put on practice/exercises rather than on presentations.

• Group work
• Brainstorming
• Role play
• Case study

Day 1

1. ASSESSMENT CONCEPT

• Introduction to project cycle management
• The aim of a needs assessment

2. a) ASSESSMENT PROCESS – Before the field

• Defining the objective
• Choosing the right type of assessment

Day 2

2. a) continued

• Working with partners, or not?
• Selecting the team
• Preparing the data collection
• Writing the term of reference

2. b) ASSESSMENT PROCESS – During the field

• Collecting information: observation and interviews techniques

Day 3

2. b) continued

• Ensuring the reliability of information: bias and triangulation
• Other considerations to guarantee the quality of data collection
• Using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Tools

Day 4

2. c) ASSESSMENT PROCESS – After the field

• Processing data
• Mapping stakeholders
• Analysing findings: the problem tree

Day 5

2. c) continued

• Working on findings: the problem tree (continued)
• Formulating recommendations and writing the report

Practical information

Course trainer

to be confirmed

Language

English

Location

NGO Management Association, Route de Chêne 41A, 1203 Geneva, Switzerland

Individual coaching sessions

This course offers the possibility to book 3 hours of individual coaching sessions with one of the trainers to further develop and improve a project developed during the course, or on another subject selected by the participant.

Registration and course fees

Registration and payment deadline: 24 August 2015. Early bird fee available for payments until 30 June 2015.

Early bird fee / Full fee * :

• Non-OECD: CHF 1,490 / 1,690
• OECD: CHF 1,690 / 1,890

This course is subsidised with CHF 750 by the Chèque Annuel de Formation (CAF), available for individuals living and paying their taxes in and around the canton of Geneva (course no. 2896). CAF students benefit from the Early bird fee at any time of the course registration. More info here.

Above fees are in Swiss francs (CHF) and include:

• Tuition
• Training materials and handouts
• Lunch and coffee breaks
• Course certificate

10% discount for returning students (within 12 months since the last course) or additional course participants from same organisation.

Online currency converter: CHF to USD, CHF to EUR, CHF to GBP. These are indicative rates, provided by XE Currency Converter.

To register, please fill in the online registration form, or download the formand send it to us by email. For further inquiries, please contact us.

Individual coaching sessions

This course offers the possibility to book 3 hours of individual coaching sessions with one of the trainers to further develop and improve a project developed during the course, or on another subject selected by the participant.

Price: CHF 480 for 3 hours of individual coaching during or after the course. Please contact us to discuss how coaching can be best adapted to your needs.