Assessing Social Needs - Baalbek-Hermel governorate: Social Workers’ Perspectives on Challenges and Their Impact on Social Planning

Abstract

Social needs assessment is considered the cornerstone of effective social planning, as it helps design policies and programs that respond to the actual priorities of individuals and communities, thereby enhancing social justice and ensuring the fair distribution of services.

In communities facing social and economic challenges, such as the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, there is an increasing need for precise scientific mechanisms to monitor needs and allocate resources effectively. Therefore, in the context of preparing my dissertation on the reality of social services provided to families residing in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate and their alignment with the principles of social planning, it was essential to highlight social needs assessment as a fundamental process in social planning, in order to understand the factors that govern the planning process The process of delivering social services by civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the governorate from the perspective of social workers there.

Through the results of this study, the researcher found that the needs assessment process in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate faces many challenges that affect the accuracy and efficiency of the social services provided to families. Most social programs and projects are not built on a clear and comprehensive scientific methodology, but rather often rely on immediate responses to crises.

Additionally, the needs assessment process in the governorate is influenced by various social, economic, and political factors, leading to a gap between the services provided and the actual needs of the local community residents, which reduces the effectiveness of social services and results in the waste of available resources.