There are a number of ways to study feasibility. They are variously called feasibility, recommendation, evaluation, and assessment studies. Regardless of the name, they all do roughly the same thing – assess feasibility by providing carefully, systematically studied opinions and, sometimes, recommendations. There are some subtle differences among these types of studies.

For those states that do not have an alternative financing program, there are typically two types of studies. An initial assessment study and then a recommendation study.

Initial Assessment Study. An Initial Assessment Study evaluates a situation, often times a perceived opportunity, such as the need for a financing system, and a plan for addressing it – then determines if the plan is "feasible" – whether it is practical in terms of community needs, economics, social needs, current technology, etc. The feasibility study answers a question such as "Should we implement the plan for starting a statewide financing system" by stating yes, no, or sometimes maybe. It not only makes a recommendation, but gives the rationale behind the recommendation.

This type of study is fundamental to key stakeholders engaged in initial exploration. The study lays a framework for researching potential program products, services and processes.

Recommendation Study. A Recommendation Study starts from a stated need, a selection of choices, or both and then recommends one, some or none. For example, a state may intend to create a loan program. The Recommendation study provides for the research and recommendation of the program design and financial products for approval by review boards, grantee organizations, or other governing bodies. When information is collected, strengths and weaknesses are identified. A comprehensive recommendation study compiles the information and answers the question "Which option(s) should we choose" because it assumes that the stated need is, in fact, valid and all that is left to do is operating design.

This type of study is ideal for organizations that have already completed an Initial Assessment Study, but continues to a second phase where they engaged in further exploration as they determine markets to be pursued, products and services to meet market needs and demands, and processes.

For those states that do have an alternative financing program, there is typically one type of study, an Evaluation Study. However a Recommendation Study could also be used by existing programs as a means to discover the potential for program changes i.e., new markets, products and services for new and existing markets and processes.

Evaluation Study. An Evaluation Study typically provides an opinion or judgment rather than a yes-no-maybe answer or a recommendation. It provides a studied opinion on the value or worth of an existing program and its set of services. For example, when a financing system exists and its effectiveness is questioned by the grantee and/or funder, an Evaluation Report asks: Does it Work? and Is it Worthwhile? This type of study compares the financing system to requirements or criteria, i.e. Federal regulations and/or outcome measures, and determines if it has or how it will meet those requirements. There could also be a recommendation component that acknowledges "next steps" such as continuing the project, ending it, or changing it. If so, this could warrant additional feasibility assessment for new products/services/processes. Evaluation Studies are only applicable to existing financing systems.

The distinctions among the studies are sometimes rather fine, and they overlap. It is possible, and often practical, to combine elements of all these studies. There is no rule to how a feasibility report should be organized. Rather, it should reflect the status of information available to stakeholders and guide them in decision-making.

States will need to A) identify the goal and the type of study or studies that address their current need for information, B) develop a plan for assessing the elements of program feasibility, C) conduct the study and gather data and information, D) develop conclusions based on the data, and E) summarize the information into a readable and usable report. In doing so, a clearer, deeper understanding of program feasibility will be evident.

Designing and implementing a needs assessment includes two phases: planning and organizing for data collection followed by the actual data collection.

The planning and organizing phase begins with establishing partnerships between organizations that have a stake in the potential outcome of the needs assessment and that may be involved in future decision-making. During this first phase, partners work together to develop specific goals and objectives for the needs assessment process. This strategy is particularly effective for organizations that are initially studying the potential for an Alternative Financing Program as it affords them the opportunity to inform their colleagues of their interest and knowledge on the subject. For existing organizations looking to either justify program products/services or refine them, collaborations may be newly established or reaffirmed.

The following steps outline activities that should be completed before moving on to the next phase:

1. Identify Relevant Stakeholders. Stakeholders could include public and private community rehabilitation programs, Centers for Independent Living, publicly funded programs such as Veterans Administration, Services for the Blind, and Vocational Rehabilitation, disability-specific programs such as mental health service providers, youth services, and other non-traditional lending systems such as microlenders, etc.

2. Conduct Planning Meetings. It is important to learn more about the stakeholders, their perceptions of the concept of Alternative Financing Programs, and the constituencies they serve.

• Review materials related to the development or history of stakeholder organizations.
• Discuss common expectations for a needs assessment (information that will benefit each stakeholder).

3. Develop Plan for Needs Assessment. This plan should include:

• The goals for the needs assessment.
• Target populations to be surveyed (e.g. adults with disabilities, families with young children with disabilities, senior adults, etc.)
• Roles and expectations for each participating stakeholder.
• Timeline for the needs assessment.

1. Categories of Questions. Needs assessment surveys for individuals and service providers should be based on a minimum of four categories of information, including:

• Questions related to their use of assistive technology –

- Generally categories of assistive technology

- Current status/availability of assistive technology

- Frequency of use of AT

- Experience acquiring assistive technology

- Eligibility for assistance from public & private programs/services

• For individuals, questions related to funding AT and their credit experience in general

- Status of past and present loan applications

- Experience with credit

- Need for credit

• Basic demographic information –

- Categorized according to target populations

• Open Ended Comments from participants

2. General Guidelines for Developing Assessment Tools. When developing content for surveys in general, make sure that –

• Answers to questions provide stakeholders with information to help with decision-making.
• Questions are both open ended, to ensure opportunity to express opinions, and closed-ended to ensure quick response.
• If coupled with focus groups, questions should reflect information yielded from focus group participants.
• Each item asks only one question.
• The demographic page is placed at the end of the survey and provides a descriptive profile of the individual/service provider as respondent.
• Test your survey with several members of the target populations before implementing it fully.
• When developing assessment tools, consider how the data will be summarized and how they will be presented and formatted upon completion. This early attention will make the process easier in the end.

3. Sample Needs Assessments. Samples of needs assessment surveys designed by Alternative Financing Programs are presented for the following programs

• Wyoming
• South Dakota

Once needs assessment questions are determined, methods need to be identified for collecting the data, followed by the actual collection of the data. Methods commonly used are focus groups, a printed needs assessment survey of individuals, and online survey of relevant stakeholders.

Focus groups are small groups that share a common situation and are representative of the target markets. For example, organizing a focus group in which participants are similar to each other, such as families of youth with disabilities, will ensure a free flowing exchange of ideas and opinions.

• Recording all comments is essential to understanding the context of the conversation and to enter the information as valid data.
• Initial focus group response can help shape questions on printed and online needs surveys that will be employed later in the process.
• Facilitators of the groups should be identified early and should be knowledgeable of the participating target population.
• The same questions should be posed to all focus groups.
• Facilitators should be prepared to engage participants in conversation to deepen the understanding of their ideas and opinions.

Online surveys are a particularly effective when surveying service providers and relevant stakeholders. With the availability of services from companies such as Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey, well organized and professional-looking online surveys are easy to achieve. Both services provide the following:

• Intuitive survey editors for design purposes
• Multiple question formats (single choice, multiple choice, rating scales, drop down menus)
• Options that require answers to questions before advancing
• Control of the flow of questions with custom skip logic
• Customized layout
• Pop up invitations to encourage completion of surveys
• Downloadable survey data for Excel or other data base formats
• Graphics and charts depicting survey data

If printed surveys are used, it is necessary to determine how data will be collected. For example, will printed surveys be mailed and, if so, how will mailing list be derived, what will the cost be for mailing, and what resources are available. If stakeholder organizations choose to implement surveys among their constituents, what protocol will be used when collecting data?