What is a needs assessment?

Conducting a needs assessment is a systematic process of investigating a population or community to assess the state of current resources such as knowledge, abilities, interests, and approaches pertinent to the focus of the needs assessment such as a concern, aspiration, or intention. 

A needs assessment is a focused examination of the way things currently are and the way things can or should be in order to fill a gap in services, (e.g., establish trainings to address a specific need).

Why conduct a needs assessment?

A needs assessment is most commonly conducted to guarantee that there is a need for a type of program or service and to determine what type of content should be included the program curriculum, for example.The needs assessment process includes a few steps:

• Collecting information about a target population or community
• Deciding what needs are being met and what resources exist
• Determining what needs are not being addressed

How do you conduct a needs assessment?

Several methods can be used when conducting a needs assessment. These can include conducting focus groups, key informant interviews, community meetings, and administering surveys, which are outlined below.  Referring to existing data sources, such as census or hospital data, can provide you with information specific to an issue in the community.