[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-243297-105":53,"doc-detail-243297-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":120,"head_meta":122,"extra_data":124,"updated_unix":126},105,"en","needs-assessment-definition-history-and-application","Needs Assessment - Definition, History and Application","","Needs assessment is a systematic way to identify and address gaps between current conditions and desired results. It measures the discrepancy to determine whether a need is an improvement opportunity or a deficiency that must be corrected. Used across individuals, education/training, organizations, and communities, it supports planning by clarifying problems, guiding feasible interventions, and aligning limited resources with evidence-based decisions. Effective assessments remain ends-focused and data-informed to choose the most efficient means to reach intended outcomes.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":11,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/needs-assessment-definition-history-and-application/243297/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/needs-assessment-definition-history-and-application/243297.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Maeve","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-19","2026-09-12",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"What is a needs assessment and how does it identify a need?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"A needs assessment determines and addresses gaps between current and desired conditions by measuring the discrepancy between results. The identified gap becomes the actual need that can guide appropriate interventions.","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"Who developed a foundational model for needs assessment, and what is the core idea?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"Roger Kaufman is described as the “father of needs assessment.” His model defines needs as gaps in results and emphasizes identifying current results, articulating desired results, and then selecting solutions targeted to closing the gap.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What is the difference between extensive and intensive needs assessment?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"Extensive needs assessment uses many cases to characterize a population and focuses on population-based indicators, while intensive needs assessment examines one or a few cases in depth to understand cause and effect.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},243297,1791405867,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":8,"category_name":11,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":20,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":47},5909877438554,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/5600025385ad2bf12a7?_k=1778553567797529272","Needs assessment  \nA needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or \"gaps\" between current conditions and desired conditions or \"wants\". The discrepancy between the current condition and wanted condition must be measured to appropriately identify the need. The need can be a desire to improve current performance or to correct a deficiency. [1]  \nA needs assessment is a part of planning processes, often used for improvement in individuals, education/training, organizations, or communities. It can refine and improve a product such as a training or service a client receives. It can be an effective tool to clarify problems and identify appropriate interventions or solutions. By clearly identifying the problem, finite resources can be directed towards developing and implementing a feasible and applicable solution. Gathering appropriate and sufficient data informs the process of developing an effective product that will address the groups needs and wants. Needs assessments are only effective when they are ends-focused and provide concrete evidence that can be used to determine which of the possible means-to-the-ends are most effective and efficient for achieving the desired results.  \nHistory  \nConsidered the \"father of needs assessment,\"[2] Roger Kaufman first developed a model for determining needs defined as a gap in results. [3] This particular emphasis in results focuses on the outcomes (or ends) that result from an organization's products, processes, or inputs (the means to the ends) . Kaufman argues that an actual need can only be identified independent of premature selection of a solution (wherein processes are defined as means to an end, not an end unto themselves) . To conduct a quality needs assessment according to Kaufman, first determine the current results, articulate the desired results, and the distance between results is the actual need. Once a need is identified, then a solution can be selected that is targeted to closing the gap. Kaufman's model in particular identifies gaps in needs at the societal level, what Kaufman calls \"Mega\" planning, along with gaps at the Macro (or organizational) and Micro level (the level of individuals and small groups) . [4] Organizational elements vary among the three different levels: they are outcomes at the Mega level, outputs at the Macro level, and products at the Micro level. A Mega level needs assessment should be conducted if the primary beneficiary of the desired results is society itself (as with the results of a clean environment or continuing profit) . If the desired resulted are not directly societal, but are delivered to society (such as automobiles or college graduates), then a Macro level assessment should be performed. If the desired results are building blocks for larger results (such as a single sale or a passed inspection), then a Micro level needs assessment is appropriate.  \nKaufman articulated 13 indicators for societal well-being, which there will be no losses of life nor elimination or reduction of levels of well-being, survival, self-sufficiency, and quality of life from any source, including (but not limited to):[5]  \n1. War and/or riot and/or terrorism  \n2. Shelter  \n3. Unintended human-caused changes to the environment, including permanent destruction of the environment and/or rendering it non-renewable  \n4. Murder, rape, or crimes of violence, robbery, or destruction of property  \n5. Substance abuse  \n6. Disease  \n7. Pollution  \n8. Starvation and/or malnutrition  \n9. Child abuse  \n10. Partner/spouse/elder abuse  \n11. Destructive behavior, including child, partner, spouse, self, elder, and others  \n12. Discrimination based on irrelevant variables including color, race, creed, sex, religion, national origin, age, and location  \n13. Poverty  \nApplication  \nDepending on the scope of the project a needs assessment can be a costly and labor intensive project. A general twelve step process might entail the following:  \n1. Confi","cbCaijSJlFUe1MaH","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaijSJlFUe1MaH","pdf",119176,"English","# Needs assessment\n## Definition and purpose\n## History and Kaufman’s model\n## Application and 12-step process\n## Extensive vs. intensive needs assessment","[{\"question\":\"What is a needs assessment and how does it identify a need?\",\"answer\":\"A needs assessment determines and addresses gaps between current and desired conditions by measuring the discrepancy between results. The identified gap becomes the actual need that can guide appropriate interventions.\"},{\"question\":\"Who developed a foundational model for needs assessment, and what is the core idea?\",\"answer\":\"Roger Kaufman is described as the “father of needs assessment.” His model defines needs as gaps in results and emphasizes identifying current results, articulating desired results, and then selecting solutions targeted to closing the gap.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the difference between extensive and intensive needs assessment?\",\"answer\":\"Extensive needs assessment uses many cases to characterize a population and focuses on population-based indicators, while intensive needs assessment examines one or a few cases in depth to understand cause and effect.\"}]","Needs Assessment - Definition, History and Application | PDF",1789202368]