A need assessment is a process through which organizations identify and bridge the gap
between the current organization’s state and the desired state (Livergant et al., 2021). The
primary goal of need assessment is to outline the processes that a team should prioritize or
improve to meet its desire goal. A need assessment process helps enhance organizational
performance, enables gathering important information, and helps organizations identify business
needs that should be addressed for better results (Livergant et al., 2021). This paper will discuss
the need assessment process and mention how the process applies to both curriculum
development and curriculum evaluation.
The first step of the need assessment process is defining the target population.
Organizations conducting a need assessment should identify clients’ age bracket, socioeconomic
status, and health conditions. The second step is assessing needs using external data sources,
including community indicators (Livergant et al., 2021). Organizational leaders can also use
census data to understand key success factors such as levels of education, housing, and
employment. The third step is assessing needs using internal data (Livergant et al., 2021). This
helps individuals conducting need assessments to examine the outcomes of the current programs
and services.
The fourth step in the need assessment process is gathering information from ideal
clients. This entails collecting opinions, views, and the challenges faced by clients in a given
organization. In this step, clients express their expectations and mention the kind of services they
would want from an organization. Organizational leaders use methods such as surveys,
questionnaires, and focus groups to gather information from clients. Step five involves
conducting a gap analysis where organizations seek to understand the gap between the desired state and the current state (Livergant et al., 2021). The sixth and last step in this process is
selecting priorities (Livergant et al., 2021). This is where the identified gaps in service and unmet
needs act as a basis for implement change. Individuals conducting a need assessment should
ensure that they match the selected priorities with an organization’s strategic goals and
objectives.
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