Dani Davis

Article review 2

January 31, 2004

 

Citation

 

AR2: Swist, J. (1999). Conducting a Training Needs Assessment.

http://www.amxi.com/amx_mi30.htm

 

Summary

 

In this article, Jeannette Swist discusses the reasons why a needs assessment should be conducted, as well as provide the reader with three different needs assessment scenarios.  The needs assessment is conducted differently in each of these scenarios.

 

Why conduct a needs assessment?

 

Ÿ         “To determine what training is relevant to your employees’ jobs,

Ÿ         To determine what training will improve performance,

Ÿ         To determine if training will make a difference,

Ÿ         To distinguish needs from organizational problems, and

Ÿ         To link improved job performance with the organization’s goals and bottom line.”

 

Swist states, “A need is not a want or desire. It is a gap between "what is" and "what ought to be".”  Once these gaps are identified, steps can be taken to rectify the problem.  This can be done by providing the training necessary to improve performance and restructuring the organization so that individuals are placed in jobs that complement their skills and abilities. 

 

A needs assessment helps organizations not only to decide what is being done wrong, but also what is being done right.  Conducting needs assessment enables workers within an organization to emulate what is working and to do away with what is not.  Overall, this will increase productivity and achievement.

 

Assessment Method

 

A needs assessment can come in many different forms.  Although the typical format of a need assessment is a survey, it may take the form of “individual interviews or focus groups.”  If the goal is to determine a common need among employees, collection and analysis of “performance data” may yield the most relevant information.  An “on-site observation” is helpful when the goal is to emulate a specific procedure or correct a specific problem.  When trying to determine where a given persons skills will be best utilized, completing in interest and skills assessment at an assessment facility is useful.

 

Assessment Scenario One - Surveying Needs

 

The best time to conduct a needs survey is when an organization is attempting to determine whether or not its current organizational structure optimizes the opportunities to reach the goals and objectives set forth in the mission statement of the said institution.  Participants in these surveys are usually asked to answer yes and no questions, provide written responses to open-ended questions, and to rank needs and/or issues on a sliding scale.

 

Below are examples of needs survey questions:

 

“1. Do you feel the vision of where the company is going over the next several years has been communicated to the management team? Yes No
2a. If yes, describe in a few words what your understanding is of that vision.
2b. By what means was the message communicated?
3. Identify the three most important strengths the company brings to its customers?
4. What three things must the company do better to be a leader among its competition in the marketplace?
5. To become the most valuable supplier to our customers, we must?
6. Rank the following strategic issues from 1 (most important) to 7 (least important):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Improved information system
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Improved product/service pricing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Customer service effectiveness
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Explicit corporate vision
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Defined goals and objectives
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Improved process performance measurement
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total Quality Management”

 

Both the qualitative and quantitative data collected from a needs survey can serve to give direction when planning, “training content or operational changes.”

 

Assessment Scenario Two - Interviewing Methods

 

When there is a specific problem to be solved or a certain area of concern that needs to be addressed, interviewing those who are involved may be the needs assessment tool of choice.  The person who is conducting the interview should be a subject matter expert (SME) Individuals who are experts in the subject matter,” can be of great assistance in regard to work processes, procedures, methods, and practices being observed.

 

All of the interview question should be open-ended.  This allows participants to give lengthy responses that are neither influenced by the interviewer nor biased by the phraseology of the question itself. If done correctly, the responses given in the interview can be analyzed to find a solution to the specified problem.

 

Below are examples of needs interview questions:

 

“1. Describe the situation you have encountered?

2.  What do you observe that indicates there is a problem?

3.  What specifically is the performer doing wrong?                   Doing right?

4.  Probe frequency: How often does it occur?

5.  Probe location: Where does it occur?

6.  Probe timing: When is it a problem?

7. Probe longevity: How long has it been a problem?”

 

Assessment Scenario Three - Data Gathering

Data gathering as a needs assessment tool does not require the anything be produced, such as a survey or a list of interview questions, rather, this method relies solely on gathering the data which already exists within the organization.

 

            First Source -   “Define the abilities desired of ’employees’ - competencies,                                           knowledge, skills, tasks, behaviors and actions.”

 

A job description is an excellent example of this type of needs data.  A job description in and of itself, describes the needs of an organization.  It also describes the skills that a person must possess in order to fulfill this need within the organization.  This prevents people from applying for jobs that they are not qualified for, in turn decreasing the need for additional training.

 

            Second Source - “Performance evaluation data”

 

Most employees have, at the very least, a yearly performance evaluation.  These evaluations can be analyzed by a SME to determine any needs for additional training.

 

            Third Source -  “Use a managerial evaluation or assessment center to develop                                        individuals in career pathing or a succession planning process.”

 

Assessment centers help individuals to discover the skills and aptitudes that they possess.  These evaluations can also be used to find areas where a person may be weak.  Knowing ones strengths and weakness assists individuals in taking steps to improve their skills.

 

            Fourth Source - “The identification of exemplary performers who are meeting and                                    exceeding performance criteria.”

 

Once employers determine those employees who are exceeding the organizations expectations, this information can be utilized to train other employees to emulate the desired skills.  The techniques that these individuals employ can then be implemented throughout the entire organization.

 

Implications of Staff Development by Author

 

Swist feels that if these methods of conducting a needs assessment or implemented, the organization will have increased productivity.  This is achieved by matching an individual’s skills and aptitudes with the job duties that the individual is expected to perform, identifying staff needs, addressing specific problems, and emulating successful employees.  The organization will achieve and surpass its goals and objectives, if these assessment methods are instituted within an institution.

My Reaction

 

Although this article is not specifically addressing technology within the school system, many of the assessment techniques can still be applied.  Teachers can be interviewed regarding their success and unsuccessful experiences with technology in the classroom.  Conducting surveys helps schools to determine which technology needs would be best to address during professional development sessions.  Likewise, reviewing performance evaluations helps to determine who is in need of additional training, as well as who is a knowledgeable resource for assisting other staff members with technology issues in the classroom.

 

Although all of these ideas are good, few are practical to implement in the school setting.  SME would have to be hired for the full-time job of conducting interviews and analyzing performance data.  Also, Teachers are very busy with their teaching responsibilities; they rarely have time to sit down with someone for an interview or to analyze existing school data such as job descriptions.  Therefore, needs survey that can be answered in one sitting is the most practical source of a technology needs assessment.