Community Needs Assessment Survey Template

Real-life use case of community needs assessment questionnaire

In a rural town with a population of 5,000, many residents have expressed concerns about limited access to healthcare services.

The nearest hospital is 30 miles away, and the town has only one small clinic with limited hours.

To better understand the community's healthcare needs, the town's local government, in collaboration with a nonprofit organization, conducts a community needs assessment survey.

The questionnaire is sent out to every household via mail, made available online, and distributed in public areas like the local clinic, schools, and community centers. The goal is to ensure maximum participation.

After a few weeks, the town collects the survey results. The data shows that:

• 75% of respondents find it difficult to access healthcare due to distance and lack of transportation.
• 40% of respondents report needing a regular primary care doctor.

There is significant demand for mental health services and urgent care facilities.

Based on the survey responses, the town officials realize that lack of healthcare access is a critical issue.

They decide to use this information to apply for state funding and grants to build a local healthcare center. Additionally, they begin talks with healthcare providers to establish partnerships that would bring doctors to the area for monthly visits.

The results from this community needs assessment survey lead to the development of a new healthcare clinic in the town, offering services like primary care, mental health counseling, and urgent care.

Over time, the quality of life in the community improves as residents no longer have to travel long distances for basic healthcare.

What kinds of issues can be solved using community needs assessment surveys?

The primary purpose of a community needs assessment survey or questionnaire is to improve the overall quality of life in a community. This community can range from residential apartments and neighborhoods to towns or villages. 

By identifying the issues affecting people's standard of living, these surveys help in addressing and resolving key problems. 

Below is a list of common community concerns that can be assessed based on priority. Our template is only an example and can be customized to any of these types.

Healthcare-Related Concerns

• Are there enough hospitals and clinics within a reasonable distance?
• Do these facilities have adequate and up-to-date medical equipment?
• Are healthcare services affordable for the community?
• Is there a streamlined process for claiming insurance?
• Are all necessary healthcare services, such as mental health, pediatric, and dental care, available nearby?

Education-Related Concerns

• Are the local schools providing quality education?
• Are these schools equipped with the necessary infrastructure?
• Do students face challenges with internet access?
• Is there a need for special courses to help students explore their hobbies and interests?
• Are students receiving vocational training to prepare them for the workforce?

Public Safety Concerns

• Do you feel safe within your community?
• Have crime rates increased in the area?
• Do you feel that the community is prepared for unexpected natural disasters?
• Are the streetlights functioning properly?
• Is there a police station nearby?
• How often have you needed to visit a police station?
• Have you experienced difficulties communicating with law enforcement?

Housing & Transportation Concerns

• Is housing in the area affordable?
• What is the condition of the existing homes?
• Are the roads well-maintained?
• Are transportation services easily accessible?
• Are there sidewalks and designated bike lanes?

How can SurveySparrow help you get better responses for your community needs assessment questionnaire?

Using this community needs assessment survey template with SurveySparrow, you can improve the quality of responses and improve participation rates. Each time you circulate a survey you can track the responses on our dashboard and keep improving the amenities in your society.

Collect comprehensive feedback with 20+ question types

With different types of question types in our builder, you can ask all types of community survey questions. Our question types include rating-based, multiple choice, matrix-type, slider-type, also open-ended questions. You can enable sentiment analysis on open-ended questions to get a word cloud. This will help you to know the exact sentiments of the respondents.

Get deeper insights to solve problems with a visual dashboard

Convert the data into actionable insights through our visually insightful dashboard. Use different types of graphs, widgets, and charts to slice and visualize data from multiple perspectives. Collaborate with your team to brainstorm solutions for every community problem.

Get better participation rates with reminders

Configure reminders for your community needs assessment questionnaire to nudge the partial and non-responders to fill out the survey. You only need to set a time interval between reminders and customize the email content. The platform will automatically send reminders as configured.

Collect survey responses even without internet

Install the SurveySparrow app on an offline device like a tablet, mobile phone, or kiosk and collect responses with no dependency on the internet. You can keep a kiosk at your community office where visitors can access the survey easily. For NGOs, this is a great feature as they can conduct community surveys even in remote locations.