Needs Assessment:
Needs Assessment: The process by which the program planner identifies and measures gaps between what is and what ought to be through identifying the needs of the target population and determining whether these needs are being metTwo basic types of information (data) are used to describe a community:
- Primary Data is data that is gathered through new surveys,
interviews or observations and reflects the beliefs, attitudes, behaviors
and cultural values of the community.
Techniques for collecting primary data:
- Formal Interview
- Informal Interview
- Focus Groups
- Surveys
- Observation
- Community Meeting or Forum
- Facilitated Discussion
- Mapping
- Secondary Data/Existing Data is data that is derived from existing
assessments or studies of community characteristics.
Steps for Needs Assessment:
STEP 1-Determine the purpose and scope of the needs assessment
STEP 2-Gather data
STEP 3-Analyze data
STEP 4-Identify the factors linked to the health problem
STEP 5-Identify the program focus
STEP 6-Validate the prioritized needs
- Steps for Developing a Questionnaire (PDF: 4 KB 1 page)
- Examples of Self-Report Questions (PDF: 8 KB 1 page)
- Sample Surveys (PDF: 6 KB 1 page)
- Community Health Check Main Page
- What's the Health of the Community? How to Get Information!
- Components of Community Assessment
- Preparation For Data Collection
- Desirable Characteristics of Data
- Methods of Data Collection
- How to Find Existing Data
- How to Use the Data-Data Analysis
Community Health Promotion Guide Main Page
See also > Center for Health Promotion > Health Promotion and Chronic Disease