Includes bibliographical references.

"The cases in this book offer insights about the practice of needs assessment in dynamic, real-world organizations and communities. This book invites both novice and seasoned analysts to look over the shoulders of practitioners, to examine needs assessment practice in action, to grasp the real-world issues that arise, and to understand a variety of needs assessment strategies and issues. Each case in this book examines the implementation of needs assessment in a specific situation. As such, it bridges needs assessment theories and actual practice. The book is organized around five major approaches to needs assessment: knowledge and skill assessment, job and task analysis, competency assessment, strategic needs assessment, and complex needs assessment. The last chapter in the book is a summary of lessons learned from all the case studies. It describes the insights and tricks of the trade that the book's editors gained from reviewing all the needs assessment cases. These insights can be used to improve future needs assessment practice and scholarship"--