What should be the first question when determining additional information sources for a climate assessment?

The first question when determining additional information sources for a climate assessment should focus on the existence of existing data that can address the inquiry. This approach is essential because utilizing pre-existing information can save time and resources, streamline the assessment process, and provide a contextual foundation upon which further analysis can be built.

Assessing existing data helps in identifying trends, patterns, or gaps in knowledge that might not require new data collection. It allows the assessor to leverage valuable insights that may already be available from previous surveys, reports, or studies within the organization. This can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the organizational climate and help inform the focus areas of the assessment.

Understanding overall satisfaction levels, perceptions by other units, and participant demographics are all important aspects of a climate assessment, but they follow in significance after determining whether there is existing data. They are important factors that can be explored in depth once it is established what information is already at hand.