A needs assessment provides a data-driven understanding of factors that must be considered to determine, at the beginning, the appropriate and cost effective direction for your new forensic facility. A perfect way to assess your current situation, a needs assessment develops consensus with the owners, users, and staff. It is the first step to programming, planning, designing, and constructing your project. It answers the big picture questions:

• Why is the forensic lab facility needed?
• What spaces should be included in the facility?
• How big should the facility be?
• How much will it cost?

This article is the first of a two part series. The objective is not only to thoroughly convey the true advantage of a needs assessment, but prepare you for the question “Why do you need a new facility?” Parts of the text within the article are intended to be used as the ground work for your organization’s justification letter to your superiors. The purpose of the letter is to depict your need for a new facility and open the door for a needs assessment.

A needs assessment is a collaborative process involving representatives from the agency, forensic laboratory specialists, and city, county, and/or state peers. In a 12 to 24 week duration, the process starts by gathering and reviewing existing data. For example:

• Organizational structure identifying staff and position
• Growth projections, 10 to 20 to even 30 years out
• Mission, scope, and objectives for the project
• Functions and operations of current departments and sections
• Needs of the lab’s client base
• Current backlog
• Quantity and type of long-term evidence storage
• Proposed site(s) for the new facility or areas for renovation
• Any ASCLD/LAB or N.A.M.E. accreditation; and ISO 17025 issues

The next step involves conducting team meetings, tours, and interviews. After that effort is complete, all of the data is analyzed and details are mapped out. This entails:

• Space program by section
• Net square feet, grossing factor, and gross square feet
• Number of occupants per space
• Critical paths and scientific workflows
• Space adjacencies and critical factors
• Conceptual building diagram and construction cost model

From the comprehensive process used to analyze data, a draft document is developed. After the draft document is thoroughly reviewed and revised, the needs assessment is finalized and a detailed report is presented. A needs assessment, combined with a design program, documents the requirements for the new facility and guides the design process.