Discussion Topic: Collecting Feedback on Adding Needs when Submitting a Request

Quick update on where we're headed. Our next focus for improving request quality is improving the needs catalog and how workers select needs when creating a request.

Here's why: the catalog exists so a responder can look at a request and know exactly what items are needed— and so a worker can easily add needs to a request. 

A few specific problems we've identified:

- Needs are hard to find — so workers create a custom need instead of using the catalog.

- Needs are hard to add — building a request with several needs takes longer than it should.

- Some needs that are acceptable to submit just aren't in the catalog — another reason custom needs pile up.

- There's nowhere to add detail about a need beyond the story — so those details either clutter the story, get shoved into a custom need just to fit them in, or never make it into the request at all, leaving responders without what they need to act.

1. What feedback have you heard from agencies about any difficulties around adding needs to a request?

2. What feedback have you heard from responders about responding to needs on a request?

3. Are there any needs you think should be in the catalog but aren't?

4. Are there any details about a need that would help a responder, but that workers sometimes forget to include in the story?

Drop what you're hearing in the comments!