Lesson 2.3 — Methods for Identifying Unmet Needs
Methods for Identifying Unmet Needs
Watch the embedded video above, then use this page as a practical map for stakeholder engagement, evidence gathering, analysis and prioritisation.
Lesson content
This lesson introduces Voice of the Client, the five-step Needs Identification Process and the “Wouldn’t It Be Great If…” method. It shows how to combine stakeholder evidence, convert findings into functional need statements and rank competing priorities.
What you will learn
- Select an appropriate method for identifying unmet needs
- Engage end-users, decision-makers, technical experts and procurement
- Gather evidence through interviews, workshops, surveys and observation
- Analyse patterns and validate findings across sources
- Prioritise needs by urgency, impact and feasibility
The five-step process
Key terms
| Voice of the Client | Structured engagement that captures users’ challenges, priorities and desired outcomes. |
|---|---|
| WIBGIF | “Wouldn’t It Be Great If…”—a prompt that helps participants imagine better outcomes without prescribing solutions. |
| Triangulation | Validating a finding by checking it against more than one source or method. |
| Prioritisation | Ranking needs so resources focus on the challenges with the strongest case for action. |
Priority test
Urgency × Impact × Feasibility = Priority
Ask challenge-focused questions such as “Where does the current process break down?” and outcome-focused questions such as “What would success look like?” Avoid leading questions such as “Would AI help?”
Before you continue
Reflection: Which stakeholder group could reveal a need your organisation is currently overlooking?
Lesson resource: download “S2-L3 — Methods for Identifying Unmet Needs” for the engagement methods, process and prioritisation matrix.
