Lesson 2.1 — Agenda
Welcome & Agenda
Use this short orientation to understand why needs assessment comes first, what Section 2 covers, who guides each part and how the learning pathway moves from an operational problem to measurable functional requirements.
Purpose of Section 2
Needs assessment prevents innovation procurement from starting with a preferred technology or procedure. It creates a shared, evidence-based definition of the problem and translates it into measurable outcomes that leave room for competing solutions.
Main topics at a glance
Your guides
The section combines needs-assessment practice with requirement-design expertise.
Jozef KubinecInnovation procurement practitioner and INPROCAP trainer. Covers the purpose, stakeholder methods, evidence gathering and prioritisation of unmet needs.
Jan ZahalkaGuides the transition from identified needs to functional, measurable and innovation-friendly procurement requirements.
Application: Lesson 2.5 brings both perspectives together in a self-guided requirement-writing exercise.
What you will learn
- Explain why needs assessment is the starting point for innovation procurement
- Identify and prioritise unmet needs with relevant stakeholders
- Distinguish outcomes from technologies and pre-selected solutions
- Translate a need into measurable functional requirements
- Apply the method in a self-guided procurement exercise
From operational problem to open specification
Each lesson strengthens the evidence before the buyer asks the market for solutions.
Key terms
| Unmet need | A requirement that current products, services or arrangements cannot meet, or can meet only at excessive cost or unacceptable risk. |
|---|---|
| Outcome | The result or improvement the organisation needs to achieve. |
| Functional requirement | A measurable statement of what a solution must achieve, without prescribing how. |
| Needs assessment | A structured process for identifying, validating and prioritising needs. |
Core principle
Start with the need—not the technology, product or procurement procedure.
Before you continue
Orientation check: Which current operational problem in your organisation is still being described as a preferred solution rather than a measurable need?
Optional resource: S2-L1 — concise orientation slides covering the Section 2 objectives, topics, guides and learning pathway. No video is required for this lesson.
