Needs assessments that are a part of program evaluation can be similar to making a medical diagnosis. In the chapter devoted to this step of evaluation, Rossi, Lipsey, and Freeman (2004) regard it from a practical viewpoint, focusing on the approach’s effectiveness for the analysis and prioritization of needs. Such assessments can be conducted using social indicators and quantitative methods for prevalence research, and this approach is used in the evaluation of programs that deal with health and disease prevention.
The concepts from the chapter can be illustrated using the example of the obesity reduction program implemented by WHO/Europe (n.d.). It involves monitoring and analyzing the potential causes of weight issues in children and adults to develop focused measures reducing these factors’ impact on people’s health status (WHO/Europe, n.d.). Good needs assessments should specify the problem’s size by gathering data from credible sources (Rossi et al., 2004).
The European office of WHO initiated a study focusing on the social determinants of health in more than fifty countries that confirmed the problem of obesity risks (WHO/Europe, n.d.). Thus, social indicators or periodic measurements helping to track social changes are widely used in program evaluations peculiar to health policies.
Assessments can be conducted using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the mixed methods studies are often effective. Rossi et al. (2004) believe that quantitative research methods help to make the results of the need assessments logically arranged. In needs assessments aimed at proving the necessity of measures for resocialization of the homeless and obesity prevention, quantitative structured interviews are successfully used to single out the most critical needs of the target population (Bauman, Rutter, & Baur, 2019; Rossi et al., 2004). Due to the nature of this approach, it can be effective in many situations that involve controversial problems capable of polarizing society.
In the case of WHO, the assessment of needs was conducted with the help of quantitative data collection and prevalence analysis. The assessment and prioritization of obesity-related needs were the goals achieved using profile compilation (WHO/Europe, n.d.). All statistical information peculiar to the prevalence of obesity was taken from credible sources; it included population statistics, life expectancy figures, GDPs, and obesity prevalence data reported by the EU Member States (WHO/Europe, n.d.).
This approach aligns with the recommendations of Rossi et al. (2004) who consider the studies of censuses a reliable method of establishing the need for change and new programs. Apart from choosing the sources of data based on their reliability, the organization managed to identify populations at risk or particular categories of people with a high probability of developing obesity.
Finally, by conducting needs assessments, it is possible to characterize the problem that new policies and social programs intend to solve. As for obesity reduction policies introduced by WHO and similar health projects, the need for changes can be established using many methods of study. They include social indicator research, quantitative data analysis, and prevalence research, helping to make credible conclusions concerning the most vulnerable regions and populations.
References
Bauman, A., Rutter, H., & Baur, L. (2019). Too little, too slowly: International perspectives on childhood obesity. Public Health Research Practice, 29(1), e2911901.
Rossi, P. H., Lipsey, M. W., & Freeman, H. E. (2004). Evaluation: A systematic approach (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
WHO/Europe. (n.d.). Policy. Web.