Auditing Social Needs

In: Policy & politics, Band 20, Heft 1, S. 29-34

Abstract

The idea of social auditing has attracted considerable interest in recent years. This paper outlines a model of a social audit that has at its heart the concept of social needs as both a basis for policy formulation and a criterion for policy evaluation. The author presents the arguments in favour of regular social audits, describes the processes involved in conducting a social audit and, finally, outlines a practical example of an audit of health and welfare needs. While the auditing of social needs is not without its difficulties, the author concludes that, nevertheless, it is a vital component in the policy process.