YMCA

Project Title: Needs Assessment of the Leadership Development Group Training Program at the Monroe County YMCA
Team Members: Cheryl Hughes, Gina Howard, Jeff Barnette, Meize Guo, Rosanne Samir, Vladan Jacimovic
Project Duration: 2 months

The Monroe County YMCA is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The purpose of this study was to identify, analyze, and prioritize the training needs of the Leadership Development Group (LDG), comprised of 45 members from a wide range of departments within the organization. Training sessions are regularly provided to the LDG by Dr. Jason Winkle, the CEO of YMCA. However, no formal assessment was conducted prior to the LDG training; thus, strategic planning may be required to make informed decisions and meet the needs of the group.

This needs assessment project used a four-step methodological approach: initiation, data collection, data analysis and final production.

After conducting content and statistical analysis, we found that the past training sessions were well received and attended by trainees. In addition, we found a positive correlation between sessions with higher attendance and those taught by Dr. Winkle, who was praised as inspirational and energetic. The training model was, however, loosely structured and lacked a defined strategic business model. Similarly, the training was not evaluated for its effectiveness or relevance, and attendance was not consistently recorded.

Roles: This needs assessment was a joint effort of six team members. As a team leader, I ensured that all members were meaningfully contributing to the project and respected the timeline. All data collection methods were designed jointly, but implemented individually, with some members focusing on interviews and observations, and others focusing on surveys. Additionally, I created the layout design for the printed report.

A full needs assessment report with recommendations is available here.