SayPro 100 key questions to ask stakeholders during a needs assessment

1. Project Goals and Objectives

1. What are the primary goals of this project?
2. What specific outcomes do you hope to achieve?
3. How will success be defined for this project?
4. Are there any short-term objectives you’d like to prioritize?
5. How do the project goals align with your organization’s mission or strategy?
6. Are there any measurable benchmarks or milestones?
7. What challenges do you foresee in achieving these objectives?
8. How will this project benefit key stakeholders or the community?
9. What is the timeline for achieving these goals?
10. Are there any secondary objectives that should be considered?

2. Target Audience or Beneficiaries

11. Who are the primary beneficiaries of this project?
12. What are the key needs of the target audience?
13. How do you currently engage with your audience?
14. Are there any subgroups within the audience with unique needs?
15. What feedback have you received from the target audience about their challenges?
16. How do you plan to measure the impact on beneficiaries?
17. What demographic, cultural, or economic factors should be considered?
18. Are there any underserved groups that require specific attention?
19. How will beneficiaries provide input throughout the project?
20. Are there risks of excluding key stakeholders or audience groups?

3. Resources and Constraints

21. What resources (financial, human, technological) are available for this project?
22. Are there any significant budgetary constraints?
23. What tools or infrastructure are already in place?
24. Are there any external resources or partners that could be leveraged?
25. What is your capacity for implementing proposed solutions?
26. Are there competing priorities that might limit resource allocation?
27. What constraints might affect the project timeline?
28. What is the current skill level of the team in key areas?
29. Are there any gaps in available tools or expertise?
30. What areas require external support or expertise?

4. Current Processes or Systems

31. What systems or processes are currently in place to address these needs?
32. What are the strengths of the existing processes?
33. What inefficiencies or pain points have been identified?
34. Are there any overlapping or redundant systems?
35. How are current processes being evaluated for effectiveness?
36. What has worked well in the past for similar projects?
37. Are there specific workflows that need to be improved?
38. What role does technology play in current systems?
39. Are team members satisfied with existing tools or methods?
40. Are there any industry best practices you’d like to adopt?

5. Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities

41. Who are the key stakeholders involved in this project?
42. What roles and responsibilities does each stakeholder hold?
43. How will stakeholders be engaged throughout the project?
44. Are there any potential conflicts among stakeholders?
45. How do stakeholders currently collaborate?
46. How do you envision stakeholder involvement evolving?
47. Are there specific expectations from each stakeholder group?
48. Who will serve as the primary point of contact?
49. What level of decision-making authority do stakeholders have?
50. How will stakeholder input be gathered and incorporated?

6. Risks and Challenges

51. What risks could impact the success of this project?
52. Are there potential barriers to stakeholder participation?
53. How do you plan to mitigate external risks (e.g., economic, political)?
54. What internal risks could hinder progress?
55. Are there regulatory or compliance issues to consider?
56. How has the organization historically managed similar challenges?
57. Are there contingency plans for addressing unforeseen setbacks?
58. What are your biggest concerns about this project?
59. Are there any external factors that could delay or derail the project?
60. How will risks be monitored and managed throughout the project?

7. Prioritization and Trade-Offs

61. Which needs are considered most critical?
62. Are there any “non-negotiable” objectives or requirements?
63. How will you prioritize tasks if resources become limited?
64. Are there any trade-offs you are willing to accept?
65. What happens if certain goals cannot be met within the timeline?
66. Are there areas where flexibility is possible?
67. Are there low-priority needs that could be postponed?
68. What would an ideal solution look like?
69. How do competing priorities influence the project scope?
70. Are there any features or goals you’d be willing to exclude if needed?

8. Desired Solutions

71. What solutions do you envision addressing the identified needs?
72. Are there any preferred tools, platforms, or methods?
73. Have you evaluated similar solutions implemented elsewhere?
74. What criteria will determine the selection of proposed solutions?
75. How do you expect the proposed solutions to work?
76. Are there features or functionalities that are essential?
77. What examples or models could guide the solution development?
78. Are there specific timelines for delivering proposed solutions?
79. How will you measure the success of implemented solutions?
80. Are there any immediate steps that can be taken before a full solution is implemented?