COMMUNITY NEEDS

ASSESSMENT

_DR. MAE JOY T. ESPINAR

CWTS, Coordinator
• Learning Objectives:

• After reading this lesson, you are expected to:

• 1. understand the meaning of community needs
assessment;
• 2. know the importance of assessing needs of the community;
• 3. know the methods in conducting needs assessment; and
• 4. be familiar with how to conduct needs assessment in a
community.
 The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that, “The state
recognizes the vital role of youth in nation building…xxx. It shall
inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their
involvement in public and civic affairs” (Art. II, Sec. 13).

• Also enshrined in the constitution in its Declaration of Principles

that,“ The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect its
people. The government may call upon people to defend the state
and in fulfillment thereof, all citizens maybe required under conditions
provided by law, to render personal military or civil service.
• These constitutional mandates and tenets served as the basis for the
enactment of Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the
National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001 that aims to
motivate, train, organize and mobilize the youth in military training,
literacy, civic welfare and other similar endeavors in the service and
patriotism while undergoing training.
• In the second phase training the students are encouraged to
develop an in-depth understanding on the value of community service
through various programs with selected families and children in the
community.
•
 Assessing the needs of the community is a prelude to
effective programs offered to clients. This will ensure solutions to
problems, issues and concerns of the people in the locality.

Needs assessment is an important first step in designing and

developing an effective community project or program.
•
What is Community Needs Assessment?

The needs assessment is an important process

used to determine the needs of the individuals or a
group of individuals in order to design a program
that will respond effectively to the needs and bring
about desired changes in behavior. It encourages the
participation of the community, as they are
stakeholders to the findings in the assessment.
Importance of Needs Assessment

1. Gather information about citizens’ attitudes and options in

order of importance.
2. Determine how citizens rank issues, problems and
opportunities in order of importance or urgency.
3. Give citizens a voice in determining policies goals and priorities.
4. Evaluate current program and policies.
5. Provide speculations about what people are thinking,
6. Provide speculations about what people really want.
Information to be included in Assessing Community Needs

1. Historical development- this refers to data on how the community became

what it is today and provides insights into the kind of resources to collect
and weed.
2. Geographical and Transportation Information - this includes information on
the community’s pattern and population contributions.
3. Political and Legal Functions- this includes strategies for community based
selection
4. Demographic data- this includes data on age, characteristics, size, race,
and transience of population.
5. Economic data-this refers to the economic base, social, cultural,
educational, recreational organizations. This includes the values and social
patterns.
Methods in Collecting Data for
Community Needs Assessment
1. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with Key
informants.
2. Community Forum Assembly
3. Public records
4. Survey
Steps in Conducting Needs Assessment
1. Establish a working committee to solicit citizen and community
involvement and develop a plan of action.
2. List important aspects that are needed to be looked upon.
3. Identify the population to be surveyed.
4. Determine the information that is needed.
5. Select a random sample of person to survey
6. Develop and pretest questionnaire
7. Collate the information
8. Analyze the data
9. Go back to the community for validation of information
10. Finalize the document
ACTIVITY

1. What is community needs assessment? Why is it important in formulating

NSTP projects?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________
2. What are the information to be included in assessing community needs?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________
3. How are data collected for meaningful results of community needs
assessment?
___________________________________________________________
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Tagay Party List
5.

5.
WHAT ARE HUMAN VALUES?