Conducting a formal needs assessment to facilitate strategic planning for a professional organization

ISSUE: Increasing demands placed on infection control professionals and programs reduce opportunities to participate in outside professional meetings and activities. PROJECT: Board members of the APIC Greater Detroit chapter expressed concern over a perceived decline in membership and participation in recent chapter meetings and programs. Using the services of graduate students in the instructional technology program at Wayne State University, a formal needs assessment was designed and conducted to determine: 1) what is the current climate of our organization? 2) Why is membership decreasing? 3) Why is participation at meetings and educational programs low? 4) What is the future viability of the organization? The generalized needs assessment process was used to conduct the organizational needs assessment using a blended approach to collect data from a variety of sources. To determine actual versus optimal, interviews with chapter board members, extant data analysis, and a member survey were conducted to identify performance gaps. Interview guides, a Web-based survey tool (Zoomerang), and specific goals were developed for each phase of the needs assessment, respectively. RESULTS: Board interviews identified three primary questions: 1) determining what current members perceive to be the benefits of chapter membership; 2) whether the organization is meeting current member needs; and 3) member suggestions for improving chapter offerings. The member survey realized a 40% response rate. More than half (56%) of responders indicated overall satisfaction with membership. Educational programs (37%), networking (29%), and exchanging professional information with others (20%) were identified as key member benefits. Of members not attending chapter educational programs, 24% cited disinterest in topics and 48% did not have time to attend. Other opportunities for improvement in member satisfaction include more frequent chapter meetings, rotation of meeting location, more educational programs on current topics, more frequent communication and use of e-mail for communication. LESSONS LEARNED: Evaluation of survey results did not validate chapter board membersʹ perceptions or concerns with membership satisfaction. No correlation between years of membership and participation or perception of chapter benefits was identified. The needs assessment project establishes a foundation from which the board can develop a thorough, targeted strategic plan and subsequently measure their success in addressing or exceeding member expectations.