ASSESSMENT OF TECHNIQUES OF SOCIAL NEEDS ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

eeds assessment is regarded as a powerful tool for addressing the needs
for a program, and for various other purposes including strategic planning
for resource allocation, priority setting, and improving the course of an
ongoing program. As such, it is portrayed as an ideal and necessary step in
policymaking. On the other hand, however, there are some growing
concerns about the actual needs assessment practice which is believed by
many to be prejudicing the performance of countless policies and
programs. Hence, looking into this dichotomy of views and the way social
needs are actually assessed are of particular interest. The present
contribution seeks to delve deep into the technique of needs assessment and
to give an insight on what ought to be done in the field and what is being
done in fact. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify and
analyze all available research studies that address the function of needs
assessment, the problem definition in need assessment, the identification
and classification of needs, the definition, description, and specification of
target populations, and the description of the nature of service needs. The
content of the relevant sections in each study was then read and reread with
the aim of determining how social needs are assessed indeed. The result
has shown that needs, their identification, and the way they are met, are in
most cases determined by experts and agencies, not the needy populations.
The search has also revealed the existence of significant gaps between the
needs identified by professionals and those seen as important by the people
who they are supposed to benefit. Finally, the result suggests that experts
DQGDJHQFLHV¶GHILQLWLRQDQGLGHQWLILFDWLRQRIQHHGVRUWDUJHWSRSXODWLRQV
only reflect their own views or choices of program activity and the reasons
they brandish in seeking for funding