Needs assessment can demonstrate and document a known community need and has the added benefit of involving the public in problem solving and goal setting. Techniques Existing Data Approach Already existing statistical data is used to obtain insights about the well-being of people. This approach uses descriptive statistics such as census data, labor surveys, bank deposit data, sales tax reports, police reports, school and hospital information to prepare an assessment report for the community. Attitude Survey Approach Information is gathered from a representative sample of community residents about issues pertaining to their well-being. Data is collected by personal interviews, telephone surveys, hand-delivered questionnaires or mail questionnaires.
Responses are generally representative of the whole community.
The Key Informant Approach identifies community leaders and decision makers who are knowledgeable about the community and can accurately identify priority needs and concerns. Key informants complete a questionnaire or are interviewed to obtain their impressions of community needs. The information is then analyzed and reported to the community. All members of the community are encouraged to attend and express their concerns pertaining to their well-being and perceived needs. Group interaction is used to obtain detailed information about a particular issue.