The Purpose of Conducting a Needs Assessment
The purpose of conducting a needs assessment in stage one is to frame and define the client’s problem(s). Both technical expertise and good human relations skills are required to conduct a successful needs assessment. After all, clients may hesitate to be open and honest in sharing their problems so early in the relationship, in part because of conscious and unconscious fears and natural caution. Nevertheless, consultants must do their best to frame the problem because it is the basis for crafting a proposal.
As a practical matter, needs assessment is an analysis of the gap between the client’s current state (as is) and a desired future state (should ...
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