What is an organizational assessment and what does that mean to non-profits during critical junctures of their organizational life? An organizational assessment is a review of the management functions for a fixed period in time to offer an operational course of short-term action. Essentially an assessment seeks to know exactly what is the current state of affairs.

An assessment can be used as a basis to inform long-term strategic thinking, but it is not concerned with three- or five-year planning, as a strategic plan would be. The fixed time period covered by this organizational assessment is primarily focused on present dilemmas and those faced over the past nine months.

Overall, the need for effective assessments is heightened by the rapid pace of change in contemporary society and within needs of the communities that non-profits serve. Wise organizational leaders feel compelled to pay attention.

The first important step in any assessment is to achieve clarity on the organizational questions driving the assessment need.

A important question that an assessment may address is "What can a non-profit organization do over the next year to effectively utilize its management to deliver the most compelling programs and services to the communities it serves?" Factors to consider in addressing this question include:

Success and failure of past efforts of organizational change
Current structure of departmental management, including funding
Applicability and scope of a current strategic plan
Planned efforts of the Board of the Directors
The function of personnel evaluation and supervision
Time management for staff and board members
Overall internal Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)

Typically, we conduct one-hour interviews with upper management staff (including the Board) to review, evaluate and sum up the organization’s management capabilities. Review the governance structure, including the job descriptions, policies, and procedures that shape the management structure. Prepare a report of findings describing change recommendations from both program delivery and organizational management perspectives, and make some recommendations about consolidation and growth, including a summary of both physical and technological resources needed to support the corporation.