Needs Assessment Studies
Needs assessments are tools used to identify available strengths and resources within a designated geographic area to meet the needs of a specific population. The assessment focuses on a specific population’s demographic characteristics, community capabilities including its citizens, agencies, and organizations, community needs, and available resources. Need in this context is often considered to be the difference between “what is” and “what should or could be.”
The Datacorp Team uses a variety of needs assessment tools and methods to answer these questions. The tools can include surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and capacity analyses. They may also include secondary data analyses including social indicator analysis and synthetic estimation.
In many cases, a mixed- method approach using two or more methods will provide a more thorough assessment and will capture critical information about populations that a single methodology would miss. Datacorp helps clients select appropriate methodologies based on their needs, budget, and timeline.