Needs Assessment
A Needs Assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs (GAPS) between the current situation (where an organization is today) and the desired situation (where you want to be in the future). The difference between the current and desired situation must be measured so that you can accurately identify the need.
A Needs Assessment is an important part of the organization`s planning and is often used for improvement in individuals, departments and over the entire organization. The NA can be an effective tool to clarify problems and identify the appropriate solutions and/or interventions. Without an accurate NA, an organization may not focus on areas of priority and thereby waste time, money and other resources with no quantifiable ROI (return on investment).
The NA involves five basic steps:
- Identifying the strategic goals and objectives of your organization
- Gathering internal information relating to the efficiency of existing systems policies and procedures to identify the priorities requiring immediate, midrange, and long term attention.
- Gather external information relating to your competition so we can see how best to gain competitive advantage in the area work flow management.
- Analyze all data to determine issues such as:
- Proposed solutions and action plan to be implemented for better alignment with the corporate strategy.