Needs Analysis: The Who, What, When and Where of Training Essay

Needs Analysis: The Who, What, When and Where of Training In a nutshell, (needs) analysis is the planning we do in order to figure out what to do. Allison Rossett, 1999 Needs analysis is the systematic basis for decisions about how to influence performance (Stout, 1995). This is where it all begins -- establishing relationships, exploring strategies, and defining solutions. The key is to seek the gap between the current situation and the desired situation and then to focus resources where they're most needed. The analysis must determine root causes. For example, a question about why something doesn't or won't work is just as critical as what people do and do not know. Needs assessment then is a study conducted to determine the exact nature of an organizational problem and how it can be resolved. That needs assessment becomes the basis for wise recommendations about instruction and supporting organizational strategies, and for enlisting support throughout the organization. Managers are often in too much of a hurry. They implement a solution which is sometimes, but not always, the correct intervention. This can prove to be an expensive error. The largest expense for human resources programs, by far, is attributable to the time spent by the participants in training programs, career development, and organization development activities. In training, costs due to lost production and travel time can be as much as 90-95% of the total program costs (Gilbert, 1988). There are two ways to learn of training needs. The first method takes the proactive approach. An instructional designer goes into the system and searches for problems or potential problems. The goal is to make the system more efficient and ... ...nowledge Management Meets Analysis. Training and Development, 53, pp. 62-68. Rossett, Allison (1997). That was a great class, but†¦ Training and Development, 51(7), pp. 18-24. Rossett, Allison (1995). Needs assessment. In G.J. Anglin (ed.), Instructional Technology: Past, Present, Future (2nd edition) (pp. 183-196). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Rossett, Allison (1991). When performance and instructional technologists talk: Dialog about impact, change and personal growth. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 7(2), pp. 71-80. Rossett, Allison (1989). Assess for success. Training and Development, 43(5), pp. 55-59. Steadman, S.V. (1980). Learning to Select a Needs Assessment Strategy. Training and Development, 30, pp. 56-61. Stout, D. (1995). Performance Analysis for Training, Niagra Paper Company, Niagra, WI