Although the technology of needs assessment has made progress in recent years, much still remains to be learned about how to determine the kinds of training methods and programs that should exist. Of the technology currently available, most is more suited to application with learner groups that are "closed" and "captive" rather than to learner groups that are "fuzzy" and "free." More work needs to be done on developing a technology for determining what people do and what they value doing. One conceptualization of need that has proved useful in several contexts, including a business training needs assessment, is a model that conceives of need as consisting of the following three components: the competence or ability of an individual to perform a task or skill, the relevance of the task or skill for the individual's particular job role, and the individual's desire to undertake training or education in the task or skill. The most immediate benefit of applying the concept of need components is in being able to determine empirically what activities people do and how they value those activities, with greater convenience and with less negative influence from the characteristics of the target group. (MN)