NEED ASSESSMENT

'Needs Assessment' or 'Community Needs Analysis' provides a method of assessing the total needs of a community of people: of that community, for that community and by that community.
Community needs assessment involves assessing the needs that people have in order to live in:
# an ecologically sustainable environment
# a community that maintains and develops viable social capital
# a way that meets their own economic and financial requirements
# a manner that permits political participation in decisions that affect themselves
Community needs assessment as a technique thus forms a part of an Ecologically Sustainable Community Economic Development (ESCED). It forms a first step in any project that aims to secure:
# Ecological enhancement: minimising ecological impact or ameliorating any ecological damage
# Social vitality: building a community that meets all the social and human needs of its members
# Economic resilience: "shock-proofing" local "green" business enterprises as much as possible
# Political participation in ways that ensure the participation of people in political decisions that affect them
Community needs assessment has especial usefulness in action-learning projects, and in ensuring that organisations meet green objectives of:

★ social justice

★ participatory democracy

★ non-violent resolution of conflict

★ ecologically-sustainable development
The Gaia Foundation of Australia (like its sister-organisations world-wide) requires needs assessment in the "dreaming stage" of any project.

Contents

External links

External links

★ Training Needs Analysis "How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis", a blog archive. Retrieved 2007-07-10.