What is a Global Needs Assessment—And Why It Matters for CFS Reform Funding

The challenge: Funding formulas based on past expenditures don't reflect actual community needs.

The opportunity: A Global Needs Assessment provides the documentation to prove what your community actually requires—and positions you for fair funding under the new system.

What is a Global Needs Assessment?

A Global Needs Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of your community's operations, infrastructure, programming, and capacity.

It looks at everything:

• Capital needs (buildings, equipment, infrastructure)
• Programming needs (services, staffing, delivery)
• Operational gaps (what's missing, what's underfunded)
• Community priorities (what leadership and members identify as critical)

The result is a detailed report that documents actual needs—not just what's been spent in the past.

Why This Matters for CFS Reform

Here's the problem with funding based on past expenditures:

1. Past spending doesn't equal actual needs.

If your community received limited funding in previous years, your expenditures were limited by that funding. You spent what you had—not what you needed.

Now, as CFS reform moves forward, funding formulas may be based on those historical expenditures plus inflation. But if your baseline was already inadequate, inflation on top of an inadequate number still leaves you underfunded.

2. A Global Needs Assessment changes the conversation.

Instead of saying "we spent X last year," you can say "here's documentation showing what we actually need." It shifts from a formula based on past limitations to a negotiation based on comprehensive evidence.

What Gets Evaluated?

A proper Global Needs Assessment examines:

Capital and Infrastructure:

• Housing (current stock, condition, shortages)
• Community buildings (health centers, schools, recreation facilities)
• Equipment (staff vehicles, passenger vans for transport, land-based assets)
• Systems (IT infrastructure, security systems, backup power for safe homes)

Programming and Services:

• Child and family services capacity
• Health and wellness programming
• Education and youth services
• Elder care and support
• Cultural programming

Staffing and Capacity:

• Current staffing levels vs. needs
• Training and professional development gaps
• Recruitment and retention challenges

Operational Gaps:

• What services aren't being delivered?
• What's underfunded or under-resourced?
• Where are the risks?

How Long Does It Take?

This isn't a quick process—but the value is significant.

Typical timeline:

Why the RFP process?

Assessments over $100,000 typically require a public or private tender. That means preparing a Request for Proposal, evaluating submissions, and selecting a qualified organization to conduct the work.

Is it worth the time investment?

Yes. The report that comes out of this process supports funding requests across multiple areas for years to come. It's not just one project—it's a foundation for everything from housing to programming to equipment.

How to Fund a Global Needs Assessment

Global Needs Assessments can be funded through capital funding programs. The assessment itself is an eligible expense.

This means you don't necessarily need to pay for it out of existing operating budgets. You can apply for funding specifically to conduct the assessment.

We can help communities navigate the funding application process for this and connect with qualified organizations to conduct the assessment work.

How This Connects to Equipment and Infrastructure

While a Global Needs Assessment is often pursued in the context of CFS reform, the assessment itself examines community-wide infrastructure and operational realities.

As part of that process, the assessment may document:

• Aging or insufficient vehicles required to support child and family service delivery
• Transportation gaps that affect access to programs and supports
• Infrastructure or equipment limitations that create operational risk

In some cases, the assessment may also identify broader capital needs—such as water delivery or emergency response capacity—that fall outside CFS funding but are relevant for other funding streams.

The value of a Global Needs Assessment is that it creates a single, credible evidence base that communities can use to pursue appropriate funding sources, rather than relying on fragmented or outdated documentation.

Getting Started

If your community is interested in pursuing a Global Needs Assessment, here's where to begin:

1. Discuss with leadership — This is a significant undertaking that requires buy-in from Chief and Council
2. Explore funding options — Capital funding can cover assessment costs
3. Prepare for the RFP process — Assessments typically require a tender process
4. Plan for the timeline — This is a 9–15 month process, so start when you're ready to commit