Neighborhood Needs Assessment Analysis and Strategic Planning Recommendations

Since 1967, Legal Services of New York City’s Brooklyn programs have provided legal advocacy and information on a broad range of topics to low-income residents. Working on behalf of both individual clients and client groups, Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS) partners with neighborhood and legal organizations to promote racial, social, and economic justice. In 2015, BLS undertook its first borough-wide needs assessment in order to better understand neighborhood needs and the challenges that residents in low-income communities face in accessing legal services. BLS engaged the services of a Capstone team to analyze the data gathered during the needs assessment and provide guidance on how to leverage this data in its strategic plan. The team provided feedback on surveys, advised BLS on focus group design, participated in focus groups, interviewed BLS staff, analyzed data, and conducted best practice research on strategic planning.