Questions (AllRoundBest Tutor)

65 word minimum

1.  Why is it important for a needs statement to communicate a problem?

2.How would you handle it if you had two separate agencies asking for grant funds for the same objective and in the same geographic location?

3.  How critical is communications in this piece where we may be unable to say definitively that our proposed solution will be beneficial and worth the money?

4. These are contingencies, and grant funded programs need to plan for them.  Now, it’s your turn…what kinds of contingencies should grant requesting agencies consider?  Personnel?  Competition?  Weather?  Obsolescence?  Opposition from the community (e.g., traffic grants)?

5.  Should programs like DARE  that are controversial be continuously funded? Could it be fixed? Is it worth the effort or should we look for a replacement? Is this even an appropriate function of the federal government?

6. Why is it important for the objectives of a program to match the needs statement?

7. Read the following and offer thoughts on upcoming topics

Narrator: Welcome to the Week Two Podcast. This week’s topic is defining the problem and addressing the need.

Narrator: Why is it important to define the problem and address the need in grant writing?

SME: Criminal justice agencies throughout the nation waste millions of dollars on unneeded and unproven programs. The piece they miss is developing the programs without understanding the problem. When applying for grants, funders want to know that your program was developed with a problem in mind. The better you define the problem, and the clearer your objectives are, the better your solution will be, and the more likely you’ll be to obtain funding to implement your solution.

Narrator: What key point should students focus on this week?

SME: The most important point of this week is to understand the difference between a problem and a solution. So often, a grant request starts off with a statement of need, such as “We need computers in the cars.” or something along those lines. Why do you need computers in the cars?  You are offering a solution without understanding the basic problem. However, you could say, “Our officers in cars must wait several minutes to receive needed information over the radio. Because of the wait, many officers do not bother to check the wanted information, which led to 79 wanted persons being released without arrest last year.” Now that’s a problem, and in-car computers may be a possible solution. The key point? Know what your problem is.

  8. Read and offer anything that was important and or interesting.

Speaker: Narrator

Narrator:     Whoa. See that? Yeah. That’s—a problem. A drag racing problem that’s going fast and growing fast in your town. Little measures aren’t stopping it. New solutions go up in flames. And your squad cars can’t catch up with those drag racing delinquents.

You apply for grants, but your applications get denied because while YOU know you have a problem, your request doesn’t make the problem and solution clear. So let’s try another approach: The Herring Problem Solving Method. 9 steps. 1 result.

First, identify the problem. It’s not about drag racing. It’s about how drag racing is affecting the community. Then, the next step.

Quantify the problem. Get some numbers down. Damages? Taxpayer burden? Injuries? And then—

Develop a problem statement.

Use your numbers to describe the problem at its most basic level without hinting at possible solutions. In our case—not just “drag racing.” The fact that drag racing is hurting your economy and crime rate.

Next, identify and include stakeholders. Who’s affected? Law enforcement? Sure. But also businesses where racers drive off patrons. Citizens bothered at night. People with damaged property or damaged bodies.

With the stakeholders’ help, propose solutions. Don’t stop at the first one. Take some time. Get every idea on the table. Yeah, faster squad cars, why not, Chief?

Great. Now, choose the best. The ones that really should work that are practical, cost effective, and implementable. Then, develop them. Build out programs that encompass education, enforcement, and environment—like teaching about dangers to prevent future racing, seizing cars to cut down on current racing, redesigning roads to deter racing.

Identify what resources you need for these programs and perhaps apply for a grant.

With a well-defined problem and clear solutions, you’ll be far more likely to get it.

And then implement the programs. People to teach. New squad cars to catch racers. Crews to pave the roads. Once they’re in place, assess them. Find results. Are fewer people interested in racing? Have you caught all the cars that used to zoom around each Friday?

Then, publish the results and establish program effectiveness. If something’s not quite working, go back to where in the process it broke down and get everything just right—until the next problem pops up. But you’ll be ready. You have the Herring Method—nine clear steps to clear up problems.