Indicators of need play an important role in establishing and developing any accessible service provision. The targeting of initial services has been by the use of available data and therefore often a standard set of indicators. Once a service has been provided it is necessary to compare service take up, and trip patterns with the initial data to discover whether the target areas of most need have produced the greatest patronage. The National Advisory Unit (West Midlands) is engaged in initial research analysing the effectiveness of initial data in service areas and the possible identification of further indicators to enable targeting to be more accurate. The aim of the study, when it is completed, is to develop a planning tool which can quickly and efficiently identify major pockets of need. This identification will allow the development of an appropriate service or the expansion of an existing service and to achieve optimum take up on that service. (A)
Abstract