Question

Needs Assessment and Types of Need - Consider the four types of needs outlined in Bradshaw’s framework cited in Naidoo & Wills (2009) and the competition between individual and population needs, experts and community members as outlined by Stevens (1998) and Wadsworth (2011). What in your opinion are the best ways to determine which needs take priority?

Answer 1

Needs assessment

A needs assessment is a process used by organizations to determine priorities, make organizational improvements, or allocate resources. It involves determining the needs, or gaps, between where the organization envisions itself in the future and the organization's current state.

Steps in need assessment

Exploration and identification: During the first phase of the needs assessment, one  need to determine what already know about their organization's needs, whether it be additional resources, new technologies, or market expansion. It's about figuring out where you are and where you want to be. You also need to discover other undisclosed needs that may be hindering you from moving from where you are to where you want to be. You will often rank these needs in order of importance. You will then set the scope of your research. In other words, the needs you are going to focus on.

Data gathering and analysis: At this stage you are collecting the information you need to better understand the gaps (needs) between where you are and where you want to be. Data may be collected from internal company records or externally through market research techniques such as surveys and analysis of secondary data, including statistical data collected by the federal government. After the data is collected, it is organized and analyzed.

Utilization: This is where the data you analyzed is used to create a plan of action and implement it. You will set priorities, evaluate solutions, apply a cost-benefit analysis to determine which solution is best in light of the relative costs and benefits of each, formulate a plan to implement your solution, and then allocate the resources necessary for implementation. Again, the goal is to develop a plan to close the gaps between the organization's desired future state and its current state.

Evaluation: While many organizations will not evaluate the results of their needs assessment, smart organizations do. You will evaluate the results of the action plan against the results: has the action plan placed you closer to where you want to be? Evaluation can help you determine what made an action plan successful or find the errors in your needs assessment. For example, did you miss an important gap, or were the resources you allocated insufficient to close the gap?

Types of needs

there are different types of needs based on the classification we do

Basically there are

• Primary needs
• Secondary needs
• Safety needs
• Esteem needs
• Social needs
• Social realization needs
• Cognition needs

Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist classification was very popular

according to him

According to Abraham Maslow, human needs are of five kinds 1. physiological needs 2. safety needs 3. social needs 4. esteem needs and 5. self-actualization needs!

Physiological needs (e.g. food, shelter, clothing, water, air, sleep etc.) refer to those needs which are so essential. The survival of human beings would be in danger if these needs are not satisfied. These needs are biological in nature and keep the body fit. There is a famous saying that a man can live on bread alone if there is no butter.

2. Safety Needs:

After the physiological needs are satisfied to a reasonable degree, the safety needs take the place e.g., security of job, pension for old age, insurance plan, compensation for lay off or retrenchment. In choosing a job, security needs play an important role.

3. Social Needs:

Social needs include need for love, affection, friendship, acceptance by group etc. A man is a social being and he has a need ‘to love’ and ‘to be loved’. Workers form informal groups for having a meaningful relationship with others. Management should not object to such groups except when they are detrimental to the organisation.

4. Esteem Needs:

These needs are concerned with one’s self esteem such as self-respect, self confidence, status, recognition, approval, appreciation etc. The satisfaction of these needs produces a feeling of self-confidence among the employees. The employees should be praised for good work done since it amounts to recognition of their work.

5. Self-Actualization Needs:

These needs include need for self-development, self-actualization, self-advancement, desire to take an increased responsibilities etc. Not many employees try to satisfy these needs but an employee who wants to develop, will feel restlessness till he satisfies this need.

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Need

Need is an important concept in public health. It is used in the planning and management of health services including health improvement, resource allocation, and equity. However, need is a multi-faceted concept with no one universal definition.

Bradshaw (1972) sets out 4 types of need.

Normative need

Definition

Need that is defined by experts. Normative needs are not absolute and there may be different standards laid down by different experts.

Examples

Vaccinations, a decision by a surgeon that a patient needs an operation

Felt need

Definition

Need perceived by an individual. Felt needs are limited by individual perceptions and knowledge of services.

Examples

Having a headache, feeling knee pain

Expressed need

Definitions

Felt needs turned into action. Help seeking.

Examples

Going to the dentist for a toothache

Comparative need

Definitions

Needs identified by comparing the services received by one group of individuals with those received by another comparable group.

Examples

A rural village may identify a need for a well or a school if the neighbouring village has one.

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What in your opinion are the best ways to determine which needs take priority?

basically am satisfied with the maslow's need classification. Because here the need demand moves from basic needs to the highest needs.

so prioritising need should be from the most basic things

For example

If am planning to construct a hospital in my village

I should prioritize the basic facilities such us water supply, medication supply, food supply , parking facilities, doctors and nurses.

Next about the Diagnostic facilities like lab, x-ray and other things

thirdly occupational therapy, physiotherapy

finally the reputation and acceptance of the near by hospitals

based on the Bradshaw’s 4 types of social need, I give top priority to felt need because it came from the individual itself so if he realize only he can able to express