The first stage in the planning of a successful sport and recreational facility is the identification of the needs of the community. A Needs Assessment is a comprehensive information gathering process to identify and analyse whether a new facility is required or whether the need can be satisfied in some other way.
This paper describes five stages in the needs assessment process:
1. Identification of key community values and organisational philosophy
2. Review of existing provision
3. Information sources
4. Determination of basic needs
5. The needs assessment report