How does AIRS suggest organizations plan for service expansion?

The correct approach suggested by AIRS for planning service expansion focuses on needs assessments and community input. This method ensures that organizations are directly aligned with the specific requirements and expectations of the communities they serve. By engaging in needs assessments, organizations can identify gaps in services, understand the demographics they serve, and determine which services are the most pressing. Community input is crucial because it allows for the perspectives and insights of those who will ultimately be affected by the services to inform decision-making.

This participatory approach fosters a sense of ownership and trust among community members and can lead to more tailored and effective service provision. It also helps prevent the common pitfall of expanding services based solely on assumptions or inadequate information about community needs.

In contrast, while conducting market surveys can gather useful information, it may not capture the nuanced, qualitative understanding that community input provides. Similarly, increasing staff numbers or financial forecasting are more operational aspects that might not directly correlate with the strategic planning required to effectively meet community needs during an expansion phase. Focusing on those elements without emphasizing community and needs could lead to misaligned services.