Simply put, a need is the difference between what an organization has and what should be. For example, a nonprofit in a rural community serving low-income individuals may lack availability for public transportation leading to a large rate of no-shows for their participants. The organization now must consider how to overcome this barrier and perhaps what they can do to bridge the gap between what is available and what is needed.

Needs are generally multi-faceted and affect not just the organization, but also the entire community being served. An organization must look closely at its resources including the assets, human capital, and any other available resources to determine how to they can best serve their respective populations. A comprehensive gap and needs assessment is an excellent planning tool for an organization.

Review the following Community Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis for Alliance Behavioral HealthcareLinks to an external site..

The role an administrator is to stay abreast on how the organization is currently functioning and what issues to anticipate in the future. For this weeks discussion, imagine that you to assume the role of administrator of a local prenatal clinic that provides services to low-income mothers. Youre in the process of developing a plan to assess the needs and resources of the community. Create an agenda for the first team meeting as your initial discussion. Consider who the relevant stakeholders are and what information is needed to successfully develop the plan. Be creative!

Support the initial posting with at least 3 references of credible or peer-reviewed sources.