CPP Needs Assessment & Gap Analysis Flashcards

A community needs assessment in program planning is best defined as:

Answer: A systematic process of identifying gaps between current conditions and desired outcomes in a community

A community needs assessment systematically identifies the gap between current community conditions and desired outcomes to inform program design.

Which data collection method is best suited for gathering in-depth qualitative information about community needs?

Answer: Focus groups and key informant interviews

Focus groups and key informant interviews provide rich, qualitative insight into community perspectives that surveys alone cannot capture.

In a needs assessment, 'normative need' refers to:

Answer: A gap identified by professionals compared to an established standard

Normative need is defined by experts against a recognized standard, identifying gaps where a population falls below that benchmark.

Which of the following represents 'expressed need' in a community needs assessment?

Answer: Need demonstrated by the number of people seeking a service

Expressed need is revealed through actual demand for services, such as waitlists, service utilization rates, or requests for assistance.

A CPP professional uses secondary data in a needs assessment primarily to:

Answer: Leverage existing research and data to understand community context before primary data collection

Secondary data provides existing context and baselines, allowing CPP professionals to design more targeted and efficient primary data collection.

Prioritizing needs identified in a community needs assessment should be based on:

Answer: Criteria such as severity, prevalence, feasibility, and alignment with organizational mission

Need prioritization should use multiple criteria including severity, prevalence, feasibility, and strategic alignment to guide program investment decisions.