Template
Contents
Definitions and Scope
Target Population: (Name of target group, e.g. children)
- Identify and define your target group, and state who is included or excluded.Look at research reports, national guidelines, laws , etc.
- You want to get it just right; not too broad that it includes those you may not want to include, and not too narrow that it excludes those you want to help.
- You might be too exclusive: e.g. defining ‘vulnerable’ seniors as ‘low-income’, but you may want to include those without family support. Therefore, you may want to define vulnerable as ‘poor and/or with low family support’.
- You might be too inclusive: e.g. ‘latchkey kids’ may include those who have working parents, or those with serious behavioural problems.
Client Segments
- Identify more specific types of clients where necessary from research or national guidelines, e.g. children from low-income families, children of single parent families, especially where each sub-type's needs are different
Size of Target Population
- Ideally, it would be the total number of people in your target group, identified by national censuses, surveys or research
- Often, such data isn't available - choose the best available proxy, e.g., children receiving services and those on waitlists
Desired Outcomes
- State what are the ideal outcomes for this target group are, and what do they mean?
- Outcomes measure actual change tangibly and are not the same as outputs - a programme serving a large number of clients (output) may not mean that all clients benefit from it (outcome).
- Knowing outcomes helps determine whether our policies and services are performing well.
- Examples include having a ‘good death’ for the terminally ill, ‘social inclusion’ of people with disabilities, or ‘engaged youth’
Needs of (name of target group)
Need for (insert description)
- A need should be defined from the perspective of the target group, and not others such as the people or services serving them.
- Needs should not be identified in term of its specific solutions, e.g. youths need mentoring, seniors need hospice care, people with disabilities need day care. Instead, they should be defined in more ‘perennial terms’ because the solutions can change where needs remain
- For example, I don’t need a CD player, or even an mp3 player, I need ‘portable music’ and currently the best solution seems to be Spotify.
- Try to indicate the size of this specific need & projected demand where data is available - from research, or inputs from key stakeholders such as the government, community agencies, legislators etc.
- Include a synoptic statement - a summary of how existing resources (if any) have been meeting the need, and gaps that still exist
- For example, "Even though there are 15 childcare centres across
Existing Resources
[e.g. existing services or programmes both private or public; relevant policies and legislation]
Gaps and Their Causes
[Some gaps could be due to 1) capacity of solution to meet size & projected demand, 2) quality of solution (effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, scalability etc.), 3) accessibility (geographical, cost to client)]
Possible Solutions
[Based on the specific gaps and reasons for those gaps, what might be solutions that can help? Insert existing but untapped resources, or new ideas that have not been considered yet]
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Need for [ insert description ]
Existing Resources
Gaps and Their Causes
Possible Solutions
Resource Directory
[insert organization name]
Insert web link
[insert organization name]
Insert web link