Needs Assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions or "wants" (Wikipedia).

NACADA resources:

Assessment of advisors' needs for training and development:

• Needs Assessment for advisor training and development, by Terry Musser, Tracy Hoover, and Marcos Fernandez, 2008
• Advisor Satisfaction Survey Results

Assessment of student needs:

• Assessing and Meeting Student Needs via Academic Impressions, 2016
• Meeting student needs in tough economic times, by Lynda J. Sukolsky, 2003
• Advisee e-Folio: Measurable effects on persistence, retention, and graduation rates, by C. Annette Wilson and Theresa Gerson, 2011
• Learning Outcomes for Academic Advising

Other resources:

• First-year seminar resources, via the University of Wisconsin
• Success and Happiness Attributes Questionnaire (SHAQ) instrument to assess student academic motivation via California State University, Long Beach

Related topics:

• Professional development for advisors
• Resources for professional advisors
• Student intake forms
• Assessment and evaluation of academic advising