6 steps to an effective needs assessment

6 Easy Steps to an Effective

Needs Assessment

Michael Management Corporation

www.michaelmanagement.com

Copyright © Michael Management Corporation - All rights reserved www.michaelmanagement.com

Meet Your Host & Speaker

Erin Lett

• Operations Manager

• Joined MMC in 2010

• BA in Communications from Stetson

• [email protected]


Meet Your Co-Speaker

Leslie Bass

• Project Manager &

• Senior Instructional Designer

• Over 25 years IT experience

• Joined MMC as Lead Instructional Designer

• Created hundreds of eLearning simulations

• [email protected]

Copyright © Michael Management Corporation - All rights reserved

Agenda

• What is a Needs Assessment?

• Why Are Needs Assessments Important?

• 6 Easy Steps to an Effective Needs Assessment

• Summary

• Q&A



What Is A Needs Assessment?

A systematic process of:

�Asking questions

�Comparing answers

�Making informed decisions

about what to do to improve

human or organizational

performance


Agenda




• Summary

• Q&A



Why Are Needs Assessments Important?

• A needs assessment is the first step in the training

process and is critical for a successful program.

– Determines that training is the best solution and identifies

what training is required to fill a particular skill gap.

• Get Leadership Buy-In

• Key leaders should agree upon which are

the most important competencies needed to

push the business strategy forward.

Evaluate

Analyze

Design

Develop

Implement



• A needs assessment is most appropriate when:

– Training is requested for a performance issue

– New information systems & business processes are introduced

– Organization mandates training

• There can be a number of possible

causes of poor performance that do

not include a lack of knowledge/skills:

– Unclear strategy

– Mismatched talent

– Insufficient resources & systems

– Insufficient processes or support


• Conduct a needs assessment to determine:

– Whether training is required

– Causes of poor performance

– Content & scope of training

– Desired training outcomes & measurement

– Gain management support


• Analysis should be based on your overall training

goal but should consider factors such as:

– Time

– Money

– Resources


Agenda




• Summary

• Q&A



# 1 Perform a “Gap” Analysis

• Compare the performance of your organization/people

against existing standards, or set new standards.

• Determine current state of skills/knowledge/abilities.- Uncover strengths and weaknesses

- Uncover gaps between high/low performers

- Determine success barriers

• Examine the current situation.


# 1 Perform a “Gap” Analysis

• Determine the desired or necessary situation.

- Conditions for success

• Focus on necessary job tasks & standards.

- Required skills, knowledge & abilities

- Identify critical tasks, don’t just observe current practices

- Actual needs vs. perceived needs

• The “gap” between the current and the necessary

will identify your needs, purposes and objectives.


# 2 Identify Priorities & Importance

• The “Gap” analysis should have produced a list of needs for:

– Training & development

– Career development

– Organizational development

– Other interventions

• Examine those needs in view of their importance to your

organizational goals, realities and constraints.


• Determine who you should ask.

– Start with senior-level management

– Front line managers

– Employees performing the job role

# 3 Collect Appropriate Data

• Develop the right questions to ask.



• Senior/Front Line Management

– What operational/business results do you expect?

– What is hindering results?

– What are ideal job roles/responsibilities?

– What tools/resources are currently in place?

– What would an ideal curriculum look like?

• Workers

– What is your current/desired level of performance?

– What would help you perform at a higher level?

– What learning opportunities would you like to see offered?



• Use anonymous questions to allow for honest answers.

• Provide examples of external & internal factors.

• Acknowledge gaps between what management feels

is occurring and what the employee feels.

• Interview employees from various

departments & levels of your organization.


# 4 Analyze Data Effectively

• Tabulate the results to get a clear picture of action steps.

– Training needs assessments don’t begin with a solution in mind

– Taking time to review & organize results is critical

• Organize the results to determine performance objectives

and instructional objectives.


# 5 Provide Appropriate Feedback

• Identify causes of performance problems.- Explain the performance requirements

- Report if they are being met

- Explain what training solutions are required

- Explain how solutions can be accomplished

• For every identified need, ask:- Are employees doing their job effectively?

- Do they know how to do their job?


• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

• If training or interventions are required it is important to

share those to improve performance/move in new directions.

– Share strategic planning/organizational restructuring needs

– Talk about performance management & effective team building ideas.

# 5 Provide Appropriate Feedback

• Determine the next step – is training required?


• Use analysis results as the basis for training

design, development and evaluation.

• Identify and analyze causes.

– Determine general and specific causes of

high priority needs.

– Identify the items that are controllable

with training.

• What is the need?

• What is the cause?

• What are the consequences?

• Difficulty to correct

• Criticality

# 6 Develop An Action Plan

Evaluate

Analyze

Design

Develop

Implement



• Determine learning activities/strategies/methods.

– What activities will you undertake to reach learning objectives?

• Document/Evidence & evaluation of learning.

Evaluate

Analyze

Design

Develop

Implement

• What do I want to be able to do as a result of learning

achieved from implementing this training plan?



• S.M.A.R.T.E.R– Specific

– Measurable

– Acceptable

– Realistic to achieve

– Time-bound with a deadline

– Extending your capabilities

– Rewarding to you


Agenda




• Summary

• Q&A



• # 5 Provide Appropriate Feedback

• # 2 Identify Priorities and Importance

Summary

• # 1 Perform a “Gap” analysis

• # 4 Analyze Data Effectively

• # 3 Collect Appropriate Data

• # 6 Develop An Action Plan


Agenda




• Summary

• Q&A



Questions & Answers

Have additional questions?

Contact us at (800) 608-0490

[email protected]

6 steps to an effective needs assessment

Education