Needs Assessment and Resource Analysis

A needs assessment is used to determine the design parameters of the project and to account for all factors involved in adopting or implementing a technology-based product (a website, in this case). Web designers and developers often use it when meeting with project representatives in order to determine and discuss factors that will affect the design and construction processes.

1. Overview of purpose
   1. What's the project about?
   2. What information do you want the audience to gain?
   3. How do you think it should be presented?
   4. Why/What multimedia?
2. Organisational factors (provide profile of organisation(s)
   1. What are you currently doing? Why change?
   2. What are priorities in the current situation?
   3. What factors within the organizations will influence the design of the modules?
   4. Is there appropriate technical and Subject Matter Expert support for the innovation?
   5. Who are the main stakeholders?
3. Audience/Users (Provide a profile of the audience)
   1. Who is the audience?
   2. What are the demographic characteristics of the audience (age, gender, computer/internet familiarity, attitude to topic)?
   3. How will the audience learn most effectively?
   4. What are the demands of trainees work and lifestyle?
   5. How long will they spend learning at one time?
   6. What constitutes the appropriate audience size? A few REAL potential clients or a LOT of Lookie-Lou's or a combination of both?
4. Resources (attempt to establish existing resources to determine what other resources are needed)
   1. What resources are currently available?
   2. What form are the currently available resources in?
   3. What resources need to be created?
   4. Who are content experts?
   5. What are the constraints on content experts? time... computer access... computer skills
   6. What are the existing content assets in terms of Text, Graphics, Photographs, Audio, Video?