SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

Extension programs exist within a situation or environment that is often complex and changing. Understanding the situation is the beginning step in designing the educational response. The more we know about the situation, the more solid will be the foundation of our program. In UW-Extension, situational analysis involves analyzing needs and assets, problem diagnosis and examining relevant research, knowledge and experience. Involving others in situational analysis helps to build a better understanding of the context or situation.

Once every four years, UW-Extension as an institution, engages in a comprehensive statewide situational analysis as part of multi-year planning. Program teams and individual faculty and staff, however, engage in situational analysis on an ongoing basis given the dynamics of changing situations.

RESOURCES

• Situational analysis: Building involvement and ownership (2 pages, 10 KB)
• Diversity Matrix (5 pages, 472 KB)
• Identifying, Mapping and Mobilizing Our Assets by Boyd Rossing (11 pages, 100 KB)

TOOLS FOR SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

• County Advisory Committee (7 pages, 183 KB)
  
• County wide mail survey (5 pages, 44 KB)
  
• Key informant approach (3 pages, 44 KB)
  
• Existing assessments (2 pages, 44 KB)
  
• Dual scan approach (2 pages, 44 KB)

LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES

Excellent data are available on communities around the state at the following University of Wisconsin web sites:

• Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin - Madison
• WisStat, University of Wisconsin Extension