Evaluation in practice: needs assessment Women’s health needs assessment using rapid participatory appraisal

The following project provides a valuable case study to illustrate needs assessment or the collection of baseline information. Needs assessment is a practical research culminating in a description of a specific group or community’s health and social need status, as well as the adequacy of resources available to that population. The process enables practitioners to uncover an unmet need or an under-served group within a community and use that information to design a solution to the identified problem. Rapid Participatory Appraisal (RPA) is a research process which deals with needs-based community assessments. It is a tool for participatory diagnosis and planning, culminating in the formulation of action plans with managers who have the resources to meet the identified need.