Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC/Assessment Task 1: Needs Assessment Report

This is a basic reading and writing task designed to test simple knowledge acquisition and
academic skills. It highlights the importance of ‘concepts’ in the building and transmission of
knowledge, and the distinction between different forms of writing.
Purpose:
1. Have students demonstrate engagement with and comprehension of unit content and
acquisition of knowledge.
2. Have students gain foundation knowledge about community needs assessment in
preparation for the Community Case Study activities.
3. Have students demonstrate capabilities in reading-for-a-purpose, literature search and
academic writing skills.
4. Have students understand the purpose of, and conventions for, a document produced in
report format.
5. Have students demonstrate effective use of Turnitin as a quality improvement tool and
plagiarism monitoring system.
Learning Outcomes Tested
1. Explain how different organisations, stakeholders and groups within society can work
together to achieve shared goals and visions.
2. Identify factors from local to global that influence the concepts and modalities of
community.
5. Demonstrate generic academic skills – including sourcing information, writing and
referencing with an appreciation of how theory and practice inform one another.
Assessment Criteria:
1. Evidence of understanding key concepts of community needs assessment.
2. Evidence of relevant literature research and reading from the recommended readings.
3. Logical structure in your report. The content and discussion have been properly
developed.
4. Well written: proper sentence construction, grammar, spelling and layout.
5. Correct referencing using full in-text citation format – (Author, Date: Page Number).
6. Well presented: overall professional look to the report.
Assessment Value, Length and Submission:
? This task is worth 30%.
? 1000 words plus or minus 10%
? This is an individual piece of work, each student to submit their own work.
? Electronic file submission ONLY – no paper copies will be accepted.
? Submission via Turnitin link on the Unit vUWS site.
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
Needs Assessment Report – Structure Guide
This is a basic guide to the structure of your report and the typical report formatting required for
your Needs Assessment Report. ‘Structure’ refers to the way the document is laid out and the
expected ‘conventions’ or ways of doing this that we expect to see in a report. This structure
guide is written in Report Format, except for the last part which, as a contrast, is in Essay
Format, where it describes how essays differ from reports. Assessment Criteria 2-6 look for the
things described below.
1. Features of a Report Structure:
1.1. Has a Title Page.
1.2. Has a Table of Contents
1.3. Presents information you have found from your secondary research into community
needs assessment.
1.3.1. See the Task Description in the Learning Guide
1.3.2. See the Needs Assessment Report – Content Guide on the next page.
1.4. Uses in-text citations to demonstrate where you have sourced the information.
1.5. Should use numbered sections and headings that logically sort and categorize the
information you have found.
1.6. Is written in third person, uses short and concise paragraphs, and may include dotpoints.
1.7. Uses graphics, tables and other ‘objects’ to illustrate concepts or present exhibits
1.7.1. These must be captioned so that the reader knows what they are and from where
you have sourced them.
1.8. Includes a Conclusion section where you draw together what you have found – a
synthesis.
1.9. Is designed with these features because it allows for quick and selective reading as the
reader can jump to the sections they wish to read, in the order they choose.
1.10. Includes a detailed and correct Reference List in Harvard style.
2. Reports and Essays are the same in regards to:
? They present a formal style of writing
o The language used is correct written English with no use of colloquialism,
slang, texting abbreviations and other informal language devices.
? They are carefully edited and proof-read before submission.
? They have the basic content of Introduction, Body of the Document, and Conclusion
? They require critical and analytical thinking and work in order to organize the content.
? They usually require detailed Reference Lists presented according to an accepted
style
o The required style for this unit is Harvard Referencing
How Essays Differ From Reports
Essays differ from Reports because an Essay presents an argument using sources found in
order to establish the authority of the writer on the subject/topic of the essay. An Essay is
meant to be read carefully and from start to finish so that the logic of the argument is presented
as the author wishes it to be. Essays rarely include ‘recommendations’ as would be found in
management reports, but they do include concluding paragraphs that complete the argument
and put the case.
They use no or limited headings and sub-headings to structure the body of the essay, and in
contrast to a report, will link paragraphs in a logical sequence in order to make the argument.
The writing exhibits flow, cohesiveness and reads like that which you would hear if you were
verbally making the case for your argument. Essays rarely use graphics or other objects to
illustrate the content.
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
Needs Assessment Report – Content Guide
The Task Description (from the Learning Guide)
? Title: What is Needs Assessment and Why is it Important?
? Purpose: To build knowledge of needs and needs assessment in preparation for the group work
activity.
? Task: Using a minimum of 4 references from the recommended reading list and 4 from your own
searching, prepare a 1000 word report that answers the questions; “What is Needs
Assessment?” “Why is this important to professions in the social sciences?” “How does this
apply to my chosen profession?”
? Format: Report – use the questions above as major section headings.
? Approach: Do the required reading. In the process, make notes (and record citation information)
about the key concepts that define needs and needs assessment. Organize these in a logical
structure. Answer the questions by referencing what you write to the literature you have read.
o IMPORTANT! For this task all cited works MUST have the correct page reference as part
of the citation. The usual practice for Harvard citation is (Author, Date), but you are
required to use the expanded form (Author, Date: Page Number).
o References (minimum) required for higher grades: Recommended + Self-sourced
Pass = 4 + 4; Credit = 6 + 6; Distinction = 8 + 8; High Dist. = 10 + 10
? Hint: To find other self-sourced references look at the reference lists in the recommended
readings.
? Turnitin Similarity Threashold: 20% – Assessment 1 is submitted via Turnitin on vUWS. Students
must leave enough time to get feedback from Turnitin and make corrections to their work. So DO
NOT try to do this on day it is due. You may need to submit to Turnitin several times. If your work
comes back from Turnitin with a Similarity Index of more than 20%, you will need to address
where you have submitted copied content in your assignment, and correct it accordingly.
This is a basic guide to how you might approach the content of your Needs Assessment Report.
‘Content’ refers to what the report actually says, what knowledge it uses to establish what is said, and
the kind of ‘reporting’ it sets out to achieve.
Reporting on Needs Assessment as a Social Science Construct.
You are asked to ‘report’ on ‘community needs assessment’. The first thing you need to do is identify
what the concept of ‘needs’ means, what ‘community needs’ are, and what ‘assessment’ of these is
about. The lecture content and reading we ask you to complete covers this from the fundamental
definitions and processes, through to more developed conceptual frameworks, constructs and related
theory.
Your Needs Assessment Report explores ideas and shows, through referring to the literature you read,
evidence that you understand key concepts and how organisations and community stakeholders interact
through ‘community’, and what our professional role is in community needs assessment.
With careful reading of the Assessment Criteria for Task 1 outlined in the LG and the Assessment Rubric
(See the attached rubric with the assessment submission link on vUWS), a possible outline might look
like the following.
Introduction to the Report – why the topic ‘community needs assessment’ is of interest to us
and what the report will cover.
Body of the Report
As suggested in the task description above, you should create three major section headings:
“What is Needs Assessment?” “Why is this important to professions in the social sciences?”
“How does this apply to my chosen profession?”
In building the content of your report under these headings, find and elaborate on the
fundamental definition(s), including their roots. What ‘definitions’ are found in the literature and
why are these used?
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
What are the concepts that ‘inform’ our understanding and definitions of need, needs, community
needs and assessment of needs? Where do these concepts come from? (refer to lectures and
your prescribed readings)
What kinds of groups or organisations express needs in community, and what kind of needs do
they express? What is a community ‘stakeholder’? How do organisations and stakeholders
relate/interact through community to articulate needs? And what forms do they take at different
scales, local to global? What role does community needs assessment play in helping different
stakeholders to work together? Focus on “visions of community”, “shared goals” and “working
together”.
Conclusion
Concluding synthesis of how you’ve answered the questions and reflection on the key distinction
between what a qualified professional would be doing and the limited needs assessment your
group will conduct in the coming weeks.
Do This!
? Submit an electronic copy ONLY via the link on the Submit Assessments page of vUWS
? Make use of the prescribed readings and additional ones to reference your work
? Format your submission as a report
? Submit your drafts to the submission link so you can get the Originality Report on your writing
? Fix the originality problems Turnitin identified for you
? Include a properly formatted Reference List
Do Not!
? Include an Assignment Cover Sheet with your submission
? Submit a final version with more than 20% Similarity Index
? Submit a Report with less than the required references
? Submit a Report that has problems with written expression, spelling and grammar.
Getting Help
See the WWC vUWS site for:
? Library link to prescribed readings
? Library Web Tutorials on:
1. ‘Finding information on Communities’
2. The various web tutes on referencing

Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC/Assessment Task 1: Needs Assessment Report

This is a basic reading and writing task designed to test simple knowledge acquisition and
academic skills. It highlights the importance of ‘concepts’ in the building and transmission of
knowledge, and the distinction between different forms of writing.
Purpose:
1. Have students demonstrate engagement with and comprehension of unit content and
acquisition of knowledge.
2. Have students gain foundation knowledge about community needs assessment in
preparation for the Community Case Study activities.
3. Have students demonstrate capabilities in reading-for-a-purpose, literature search and
academic writing skills.
4. Have students understand the purpose of, and conventions for, a document produced in
report format.
5. Have students demonstrate effective use of Turnitin as a quality improvement tool and
plagiarism monitoring system.
Learning Outcomes Tested
1. Explain how different organisations, stakeholders and groups within society can work
together to achieve shared goals and visions.
2. Identify factors from local to global that influence the concepts and modalities of
community.
5. Demonstrate generic academic skills – including sourcing information, writing and
referencing with an appreciation of how theory and practice inform one another.
Assessment Criteria:
1. Evidence of understanding key concepts of community needs assessment.
2. Evidence of relevant literature research and reading from the recommended readings.
3. Logical structure in your report. The content and discussion have been properly
developed.
4. Well written: proper sentence construction, grammar, spelling and layout.
5. Correct referencing using full in-text citation format – (Author, Date: Page Number).
6. Well presented: overall professional look to the report.
Assessment Value, Length and Submission:
? This task is worth 30%.
? 1000 words plus or minus 10%
? This is an individual piece of work, each student to submit their own work.
? Electronic file submission ONLY – no paper copies will be accepted.
? Submission via Turnitin link on the Unit vUWS site.
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
Needs Assessment Report – Structure Guide
This is a basic guide to the structure of your report and the typical report formatting required for
your Needs Assessment Report. ‘Structure’ refers to the way the document is laid out and the
expected ‘conventions’ or ways of doing this that we expect to see in a report. This structure
guide is written in Report Format, except for the last part which, as a contrast, is in Essay
Format, where it describes how essays differ from reports. Assessment Criteria 2-6 look for the
things described below.
1. Features of a Report Structure:
1.1. Has a Title Page.
1.2. Has a Table of Contents
1.3. Presents information you have found from your secondary research into community
needs assessment.
1.3.1. See the Task Description in the Learning Guide
1.3.2. See the Needs Assessment Report – Content Guide on the next page.
1.4. Uses in-text citations to demonstrate where you have sourced the information.
1.5. Should use numbered sections and headings that logically sort and categorize the
information you have found.
1.6. Is written in third person, uses short and concise paragraphs, and may include dotpoints.
1.7. Uses graphics, tables and other ‘objects’ to illustrate concepts or present exhibits
1.7.1. These must be captioned so that the reader knows what they are and from where
you have sourced them.
1.8. Includes a Conclusion section where you draw together what you have found – a
synthesis.
1.9. Is designed with these features because it allows for quick and selective reading as the
reader can jump to the sections they wish to read, in the order they choose.
1.10. Includes a detailed and correct Reference List in Harvard style.
2. Reports and Essays are the same in regards to:
? They present a formal style of writing
o The language used is correct written English with no use of colloquialism,
slang, texting abbreviations and other informal language devices.
? They are carefully edited and proof-read before submission.
? They have the basic content of Introduction, Body of the Document, and Conclusion
? They require critical and analytical thinking and work in order to organize the content.
? They usually require detailed Reference Lists presented according to an accepted
style
o The required style for this unit is Harvard Referencing
How Essays Differ From Reports
Essays differ from Reports because an Essay presents an argument using sources found in
order to establish the authority of the writer on the subject/topic of the essay. An Essay is
meant to be read carefully and from start to finish so that the logic of the argument is presented
as the author wishes it to be. Essays rarely include ‘recommendations’ as would be found in
management reports, but they do include concluding paragraphs that complete the argument
and put the case.
They use no or limited headings and sub-headings to structure the body of the essay, and in
contrast to a report, will link paragraphs in a logical sequence in order to make the argument.
The writing exhibits flow, cohesiveness and reads like that which you would hear if you were
verbally making the case for your argument. Essays rarely use graphics or other objects to
illustrate the content.
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
Needs Assessment Report – Content Guide
The Task Description (from the Learning Guide)
? Title: What is Needs Assessment and Why is it Important?
? Purpose: To build knowledge of needs and needs assessment in preparation for the group work
activity.
? Task: Using a minimum of 4 references from the recommended reading list and 4 from your own
searching, prepare a 1000 word report that answers the questions; “What is Needs
Assessment?” “Why is this important to professions in the social sciences?” “How does this
apply to my chosen profession?”
? Format: Report – use the questions above as major section headings.
? Approach: Do the required reading. In the process, make notes (and record citation information)
about the key concepts that define needs and needs assessment. Organize these in a logical
structure. Answer the questions by referencing what you write to the literature you have read.
o IMPORTANT! For this task all cited works MUST have the correct page reference as part
of the citation. The usual practice for Harvard citation is (Author, Date), but you are
required to use the expanded form (Author, Date: Page Number).
o References (minimum) required for higher grades: Recommended + Self-sourced
Pass = 4 + 4; Credit = 6 + 6; Distinction = 8 + 8; High Dist. = 10 + 10
? Hint: To find other self-sourced references look at the reference lists in the recommended
readings.
? Turnitin Similarity Threashold: 20% – Assessment 1 is submitted via Turnitin on vUWS. Students
must leave enough time to get feedback from Turnitin and make corrections to their work. So DO
NOT try to do this on day it is due. You may need to submit to Turnitin several times. If your work
comes back from Turnitin with a Similarity Index of more than 20%, you will need to address
where you have submitted copied content in your assignment, and correct it accordingly.
This is a basic guide to how you might approach the content of your Needs Assessment Report.
‘Content’ refers to what the report actually says, what knowledge it uses to establish what is said, and
the kind of ‘reporting’ it sets out to achieve.
Reporting on Needs Assessment as a Social Science Construct.
You are asked to ‘report’ on ‘community needs assessment’. The first thing you need to do is identify
what the concept of ‘needs’ means, what ‘community needs’ are, and what ‘assessment’ of these is
about. The lecture content and reading we ask you to complete covers this from the fundamental
definitions and processes, through to more developed conceptual frameworks, constructs and related
theory.
Your Needs Assessment Report explores ideas and shows, through referring to the literature you read,
evidence that you understand key concepts and how organisations and community stakeholders interact
through ‘community’, and what our professional role is in community needs assessment.
With careful reading of the Assessment Criteria for Task 1 outlined in the LG and the Assessment Rubric
(See the attached rubric with the assessment submission link on vUWS), a possible outline might look
like the following.
Introduction to the Report – why the topic ‘community needs assessment’ is of interest to us
and what the report will cover.
Body of the Report
As suggested in the task description above, you should create three major section headings:
“What is Needs Assessment?” “Why is this important to professions in the social sciences?”
“How does this apply to my chosen profession?”
In building the content of your report under these headings, find and elaborate on the
fundamental definition(s), including their roots. What ‘definitions’ are found in the literature and
why are these used?
Concepts of Community Report Guide 101900: WWC
What are the concepts that ‘inform’ our understanding and definitions of need, needs, community
needs and assessment of needs? Where do these concepts come from? (refer to lectures and
your prescribed readings)
What kinds of groups or organisations express needs in community, and what kind of needs do
they express? What is a community ‘stakeholder’? How do organisations and stakeholders
relate/interact through community to articulate needs? And what forms do they take at different
scales, local to global? What role does community needs assessment play in helping different
stakeholders to work together? Focus on “visions of community”, “shared goals” and “working
together”.
Conclusion
Concluding synthesis of how you’ve answered the questions and reflection on the key distinction
between what a qualified professional would be doing and the limited needs assessment your
group will conduct in the coming weeks.
Do This!
? Submit an electronic copy ONLY via the link on the Submit Assessments page of vUWS
? Make use of the prescribed readings and additional ones to reference your work
? Format your submission as a report
? Submit your drafts to the submission link so you can get the Originality Report on your writing
? Fix the originality problems Turnitin identified for you
? Include a properly formatted Reference List
Do Not!
? Include an Assignment Cover Sheet with your submission
? Submit a final version with more than 20% Similarity Index
? Submit a Report with less than the required references
? Submit a Report that has problems with written expression, spelling and grammar.
Getting Help
See the WWC vUWS site for:
? Library link to prescribed readings
? Library Web Tutorials on:
1. ‘Finding information on Communities’
2. The various web tutes on referencing