Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Ways Of Conducting Community Needs Assessment

By Odessa Edwards


Community needs assessment refers to the art of identifying deficiencies in the society and addressing them. This can be done after set periods of time or when the government of a country or a welfare organization calls for such to be conducted.

The findings are usually needed by a variety of people, for various reasons. Some people conduct the studies as part of their studying curriculum. A place is identified for them and students are sent out to that place to conduct their studies. In this research, the activity ends here. No remedy is provided for the needs that are identified as deficient. Another group of people may be the welfare organizations that seek to help the people of a given place. Studies are conducted and the deficient essentials are catered for to ensure comfort of the people living in those places.

The study usually covers a very wide range of aspects. Most of them are in the form of basic needs by the people. The most considered among them all is the amount of food available among a given community of people. Where a deficiency is found in this aspect for instance, food aid is sought. Food stuffs are availed to the people, as well as education on how to curb such deficiencies addressed. Other lesser but important needs such as availability of schools are considered last and addressed where possible.

This practice comes with a lot of advantages. The most common is the provision of the basic needs where deficiencies have been identified. This ensures that people are healthy and also that the mortality rate is lowered as well as reducing susceptibility to diseases, . For those giving the aid, there is usually that feeling of satisfaction of having assisted people in need. The people conducting the studies also gain a lot of experience and knowledge on the challenges facing other people in the society.

Besides the advantages, this activity also has got its own disadvantages. Some people conducting the assessment, especially those doing it as a research for their academics, may intimidate the residents of the place involved. This may arise when they end up discriminating them basing on what they lack, instead of looking for ways of helping them. The people doing the assessment may also at times face hostility from the people of those regions even if their intentions are clean.

After the research is conducted, measures are then put in place to remedy the deficient areas. To do this, funds are needed for effective implementation. If the organizations have funds, then it is much easier, if not, then they have to be sought for from the public.

The activity may also require more people in case the area under study is too large. In these circumstances, people from the public may be contracted at a fee. It also has been very beneficial, especially for those with no jobs.

Community needs assessment is an activity that has become extremely popular for whatever reasons. Developmental plans have also been increased in order to cater for the areas that face challenges in terms of resource allocation.




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