NEED IDENTIFICATION AND PROGRAM PLANNING IN THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT (FROM EVALUATION OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS, 1978, BY C CLIFFORD ATTKISSON ET AL - SEE NCJ-51554)

• NCJ Number: 51563
• Author(s): L M SIEGEL; C C ATTKISSON; L G CARSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 38 pages
• Corporate Author: Academic Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PURPOSES AND METHODS OF NEED IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT AS ASPECTS OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAM PLANNING ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

NEED IDENTIFICATION INVOLVES DESCRIBING THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS OF A GEOGRAPHIC AREA. IN THE NEED ASSESSMENT PROCESS, PLANNERS SET PRIORITIES AMONG IDENTIFIED NEEDS, REFERRING TO RELATIVE IMPORTANCE, AVAILABLE RESOURCES, AND AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY. THE INTERPRETATION OF HUMAN SERVICE NEED IS INFLUENCED BY THE VESTED INTERESTS AND VALUES OF THOSE WHO FORMULATE PROGRAM GOALS, BY THE DIFFUSE AND INTERRELATED NATURE OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH NEEDS, BY THE RAPIDLY CHANGING CHARACTER OF SUCH NEEDS, BY THE CAPABILITIES AND INTERESTS OF STAFF, AND BY THE AVAILABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCING. INFORMATION ABOUT NEEDS IS USEFUL IN DESCRIBING DEMANDS FOR SERVICES, ASSESSING SERVICE RESOURCES, DEVELOPING DETAILED COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS, DELINEATING GROUP AT RISK, EXAMINING THE RELEVANCE OF EXISTING SERVICES, CLARIFYING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE OCCURRENCE OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH PROBLEMS, AND IDENTIFYING FACTORS THAT AID OR IMPEDE EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY. THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF HUMAN SERVICE NEED CAN BE OBTAINED THROUGH CONVERGENT ANALYSIS, A PROCESS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE DESIRABILITY OF INCLUDING AS MANY PERSPECTIVES AS POSSIBLE IN THE NEED ASSESSMENT. NEED ASSESSMENTS CAN SERVE TO COMPILE EXISTING INFORMATION, DEVELOP NEW INFORMATION, AND/OR INTEGRATE EXISTING AND NEWLY DEVELOPED INFORMATION. THREE BASIC STRATEGIES ARE EMPLOYED FOR ASSESSING HUMAN SERVICE NEED: SOCIAL AND HEALTH INDICATORS; SOCIAL AREA SURVEYS; AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. THE SOCIAL/HEALTH INDICATOR APPROACH INVOLVES COMPILING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA AND INFERRING NEEDS FROM THEM. SOCIAL AREA SURVEYS INCLUDE ANALYSES OF DEMAND FOR SERVICE. EXISTING SERVICE RESOURCES, AND INTERAGENCY RELATIONSHIPS, AS WELL AS SURVEYS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF HUMAN SERVICE NEEDS. COMMUNITY GROUP APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT ARE QUICK, RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE METHODS TO USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES. GROUP APPROACHES INCLUDE COMMUNITY FORUMS, WORKSHOPS USING THE NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE, THE DELPHI PROCESS, AND THE COMMUNITY IMPRESSIONS APPROACH. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)