Transcript:
One of the types of research that we’re frequently approached to develop a proposal for is a Member Needs Assessment. What we’ve learned over the years is that Member Needs Assessment means a lot of different things to different individuals and organizations.
For some organizations, it’s simply what are the member benefits that our members are aware of and what are they using. So, it’s an awareness and usage study.
For some of our members, it’s more of a gap analysis. It’s “What are we doing really well and what are the things we need to be improving or maybe offering to fill the gaps in our members’ professional needs?”
What they really want to understand is: what is the strength of the relationship that we have with our members? What are the things that we’re really doing well that are driving stronger relationships? What are the things that we’re not doing well that we need to shore up? And then, what are the things that our members are going to be looking for from us in the future? That’s a more comprehensive assessment. But it’s defined differently.
So when you’re thinking about conducting a Member Needs Assessment, what does that really mean for your organization?