Introduction to Needs Assessment

In practical terms, an assessment is a process used by individuals or organizations to determine the value or worth of something. Assessments often relate to the determination of monetary values, but professionals who focus on improving results pragmatically focus on the assess­ment of performance. Value or worth is then derived from the relationship of current performance (i.e., results being achieved) and desired performance (i.e., results required for continuing success). This process is commonly referred to as “needs assessment,” although not all needs assessments focus on performance and results.

Performance-focused assessments define “needs” as the discrepancies between current results and the results required for the accomplishment of objectives (see Figure below). These results-based needs are then best assessed by an assortment of measures. For example, the quality of client services might be important to your organization and its partners. If so, don’t rely on a single measure (such as client satisfaction surveys) to accurately measure the need between current and/or desired results. You would be better served with an expanded set of measures (e.g., filed complaints, interviews with customer service representatives, surveys of sales staff, focus groups with clients, organizational performance records, repurchase rates, referral rates, and/or the number of contracts that were extended upon the completion of initial work). Together, these various measures, each discrete factors of quality, can provide you with a more accurate picture of the quality of client service and the current need.

Figure: Relating needs to discrepancies between
What Is and What Should Be

Note: Introduction to Needs Assessment is from Watkins, R. (2007). Performance By Design: The systematic selection, design, and development of performance technologies that produce useful results. Amherst, Ma:HRD Press