Organizational Assessment

Outline & Headings:

Agency Description (1.5-2 pages)

Agency overview and purpose

Provide the mission, programs, objectives (be specific), and the population it aims to serve. The agency may operate multiple programs do your best to briefly summarize each, and then how they connect with each other. 

Interviewee information

Provide a brief summary including date of interview, interviewees name, role in agency, how long they have been in their job, and how long they have worked for the agency. If you are focusing on a specific program inside a larger organization, let me know here.

Size and impact

How many staff in total work at the agency?  You will get into more details about staffing in a later section.    How many clients are served?   

Funding

Find out what you can about the agency’s budget.  At least try to get a annual operating budget total. If you can get more details, like top three budget items, that can be informative. 

If you can get the right details, divide the number of clients by the operating budget to find out roughly how much it costs to serve each client.

How does the agency fund its work? Some examples include state or federal funding, fee for service, donations and endowments, competitive grants and contracts from other entities, or a mix of funding streams. Ask the leader to describe how the agency or program secures funding and what is involved in sustaining funding over time.

Analysis (3-5 pages)

Theoretical Framework

Apply to your agency a management theory from those available in Week 4 Module on Canvas. Give a brief summary of why you chose the theory.  Then, integrate elements of that theory into the sections below. Some theories will be a better fit for some sections do your best.

Structure/hierarchy

In the text, describe the organizational structure. Is it a traditional bureaucratic structure or does it use an alternative structure? Attach an organizational chart at the end of your paper. If the agency does not have one, ask the agency staff to help you sketch out a basic idea of the organizational levels and departments.

Staffing

How many positions turnover each year? Do your interviewees seem to think that is high? Are there social workers employed at the agency? If so, what type of job(s) do they fill? Are there professionals from other fields (e.g., health, education, criminal justice)?  Does your theory say anything about staff morale, job satisfaction, or turnover that may offer a possible explanation for your agencys experience with turnover (good or bad)?

Leadership, power, decision-making, and constituency engagement

How are major decisions made in the agency? How are levels, forms, and spaces of power illustrated in your organization? If applicable, how do you feel about power as an intern/employee of the organization? Do clients, their families, and community members have a voice at the macro-level in your agency? If so, how? Does the agency partner with other organizations? If so, in what way?  Determine this person’s leadership style using the documents available in Week 5 Module: reading on leadership: Hasenfeld, ch. 10 and leadership-instrumental & social emotional . 

Improvement and evaluation

Does your agency monitor program performance? If so, how? Have they been part of a large study or evaluation? What was their experience? How do they use data to inform decision-making?

Organizational culture and climate

What elements of organizational culture and climate were visible to you during your visit? [For this Fall 2020 section,  if you are unable to go inside the agency, what evidence about culture and climate can you collect from the interview with the leader, the agency’s website, or other sources?]

How would you characterize this agencys culture and climate? Draw from your observations/document review/interviews to explain your conclusion. Strive to be objective in your assessment (neither overly critical nor overly praising).