Common use of Needs Assessment Clause in Contracts

Needs Assessment. The planning council works with the recipient to identify service needs by conducting a needs assessment. This involves first finding out how many persons living with HIV (both HIV/non-AIDS and AIDS) are in the area through an epidemiologic profile. Usually, an epidemiologist from the local or state health department provides this information. Next the council determines the needs of popula- tions living with HIV and the capacity of the service system to meet those needs. This assessment of needs is done through surveys, interviews, key informant sessions, focus groups, or other methods. The needs assessment seeks to determine: • Service needs and barriers for people living with HIV who are in care • The number, characteristics, and service needs and barriers of people living with HIV who know their HIV status and are not in care • The estimated number, probable characteristics, and barriers to testing for individuals who are HIV-infected but unaware of their status • The number and location of agencies providing HIV-related services in the EMA or TGA—a resource inventory of the local “system of care” • Local agencies’ capacity and capability to serve people living with HIV, including capacity development needs • Service gaps for all people living with HIV and how they might be filled, including how RWHAP service providers need to work with other providers, like substance abuse treatment services and HIV prevention agencies. The needs assessment must include direct input from people living with HIV. Needs assessment is usually a multi-year task, with differ- ent components updated each year. The needs assessment should be a joint effort of the planning council and recipient, with the planning council having lead responsibility. It is sometimes implemented by an outside contractor under the supervi- sion of the planning council. Usually the costs for needs assessment are part of the planning council support budget. Regardless of who does this work, it is important to obtain many perspectives, especially those of diverse groups of people living with HIV, and to consider the needs of people living with HIV in and out of care, including the need to identify those who do not know their status. Results should be carefully analyzed and compared with other data, such as information from the recipient on client characteristics and utilization of funded services. (See Appendix I for a description of the multiple data sources the planning council reviews in making its decisions.)

Needs Assessment. The planning council works with the recipient to identify service needs by conducting a needs assessment. This involves first finding out how many persons living with HIV (both HIV/non-AIDS and AIDS) are in the area through an epidemiologic profile. Usually, an epidemiologist from the local or state health department provides this information. Next the council determines the needs of popula- tions populations living with HIV and the capacity of the service system to meet those needs. This assessment of needs is done through surveys, interviews, key informant sessions, focus groups, or other methods. The needs assessment seeks to determine: • Service needs and barriers for people living with HIV who are in care • The number, characteristics, and service needs and barriers of people living with HIV who know their HIV status and are not in care • The estimated number, probable characteristics, and barriers to testing for individuals who are HIV-infected but unaware of their status • The number and location of agencies providing HIV-related services in the EMA or TGA—a resource inventory of the local “system of care” • Local agencies’ capacity and capability to serve people living with HIV, including capacity development needs • Service gaps for all people living with HIV and how they might be filled, including how RWHAP service providers need to work with other providers, like substance abuse treatment services and HIV prevention agencies. The needs assessment must include direct input from people living with HIV. Needs assessment is usually a multi-multi- year task, with differ- ent different components updated each year. The needs assessment should be a joint effort of the planning council and recipient, with the planning council having lead responsibility. It is sometimes implemented by an outside contractor under the supervi- sion supervision of the planning council. Usually the costs for needs assessment are part of the planning council support budget. Regardless of who does this work, it is important to obtain many perspectives, especially those of diverse groups of people living with HIV, and to consider the needs of people living with HIV in and out of care, including the need to identify those who do not know their status. Results should be carefully analyzed and compared with other data, such as information from the recipient on client characteristics and utilization of funded services. (See Appendix I for a description of the multiple data sources the planning council reviews in making its decisions.)