James W Altschuld and Belle Ruth Witkin argue that needs assessment too often becomes an end in itself and offer the solution by showing how to use the resulting data practically. The authors: provide definitions and a review of the concepts of needs assessment; examine the manager's perspective in needs assessment; describe the processes involved in using information to create action plans; highlight the principles through case examples with analytical notes.

This practical book builds on the success of the authors' Planning and Conducting Needs Assessment (Sage, 1995).