Chapter Four
The Needs-Analysis
Process
© 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
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Learning Outcomes






Define needs analysis and describe the needs analysis
process
Define and explain how to conduct an organizational, task,
and person analysis
Define and describe the purpose of a cognitive task analysis
and a team task analysis
Describe the process of determining if training is the best
solution to performance problems
Describe the different methods and sources for conducting a
needs analysis
Describe the obstacles to conducting a needs analysis and
how to overcome them
© 2010 by Nelson Education Ltd.
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Instructional Systems
Design Model


Introduced to ISD model in Chapter 1
Training and Development is a rational and
scientific process that begins with an analysis of
current performance and leads to improved
performance.
 It consists of three major steps:
1. Needs Analysis
2. Design and Delivery
3. Evaluation
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Instructional Systems
Design Model
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Needs Analysis
A process to identify gaps or deficiencies in
employee and organizational performance
 Goal: Identify differences between what is, and
what is desired or required in terms of results,
and to compare the magnitude of gaps against
the cost of reducing them or ignoring them
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Needs Analysis
Process
Four steps
Step one: A concern
 Sometimes referred to
as an itch or a pressure
point, something that
causes managers to
notice it
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Needs Analysis
Process
Step two: Importance
 Is it central to the effectiveness of the
organization?
Step three: Consult stakeholders
 Involve stakeholders who have a vested interest in
the process and outcomes of the needs analysis
process
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Needs Analysis
Process
Step four: Data collection

Collection of information
from three levels of
analysis
I. Organization
II. Task
III. Person/Employee
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Needs Analysis
Process
Concern
Important?
Yes
No
Terminate
Consult Stakeholders
Collect Information
Organizational Analysis
See Figure 4.1 on p. 101
in text for more details.
Task Analysis
Person Analysis
Outcomes
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Needs Analysis
Outcomes
 Clarifies nature of performance gaps
 Determines if training and development is
necessary
 Identifies where (what/for who) training and
development is necessary
 Specify training objectives and design training
programs
 Develop measures for training evaluation
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Organizational Analysis
Study of the entire organization including its
strategy, environment, resources, and context
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Organizational Analysis
1. Strategy
Consists of an organization’s mission, goals, and
objectives such as a dedication to quality or
innovation
Strategic training: Alignment of
an organization’s training needs and
programs with the organization’s
strategy and objectives (SHRM)
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Organizational Analysis
2. Environment
New technologies, laws,
competitors, recessions,
and trade agreements
can profoundly affect
not only the need for
and content of training,
but also employees’
receptivity to being
trained
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Organizational Analysis
3. Resource analysis: Identification of the
resources available in an organization that might
be required to design and implement training and
development programs
4. Context climate: The collective attitudes of
employees toward work, supervision and company
goals, policies, and procedures.
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Organizational Analysis
5. Training transfer climate: Characteristics in
the work environment that can either facilitate or
inhibit the application of training on-the-job
6. Learning culture: Culture in which members of
an organization believe that knowledge and skill
acquisition are part of their job responsibilities and
that learning is an important part of work life in the
organization
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Task Analysis
Process of obtaining information about a job by
determining the duties, tasks, and activities
involved and the knowledge, skills, and abilities
required to perform the tasks
 Job: Consists of a number of related activities,
duties, and tasks
 Task: Smallest unit of behaviour studied by the
analyst and describes specific sequence of
events necessary to complete a unit of work
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Task Analysis
6 steps:
1. Identify the target jobs
2. Obtain a job description
3. Develop rating to rate the
importance of each task and the
frequency that it is performed
4. Survey a sample of job incumbents
5. Analyze and interpret the
information
6. Provide feedback on the results
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Task Analysis
Obtaining a job description
 Job description : A statement of tasks, duties, and
responsibilities of a job; lists the specific duties
carried out through the completion of several tasks
 Rapid change has led to development of
competencies in job descriptions
 Competency : A cluster of related knowledge, skills,
and abilities that enables the job holder to perform
effectively
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Cognitive Task
Analysis
Set of procedures that focus on understanding
the mental processes and requirements for
performing a job
 Differs from traditional task analysis in that it
describes mental and cognitive activities that
are not directly observable, such as decision
making and pattern recognition
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Team Task Analysis
Analysis of tasks of the job, as well as the teambased competencies (knowledge, skills, and
attitudes) associated with the tasks
 Differs from traditional task analysis in that
interdependencies of the job, skills required for
task coordination, and cognitive skills required
for interacting in a team must be identified
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Person Analysis
Process of studying employee behaviour to
determine whether performance meets standards
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Person Analysis
Three step process:
1. Define the desired performance
2. Determine the gap between desired and actual
performance
3. Identify the obstacles to effective performance
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Barriers to Effective
Performance
Human
Technical
Information
Structural
Lack of knowledge
Poor job design
Ill-defined goals/
objectives
Overlapping roles &
responsibilities
Lack of skills
Lack of tools/
equipment
Lack of performance
measurements
Lack of flexibility
Lack of motivation
Lack of standardized
procedures
Raw data, not normative
or comparative data
Lack of control
systems
Counterproductive
reward systems
Rapid change in
technology
Resources sub-optimized
Group norms
Ineffective feedback
Informal leaders
Organizational
political climate
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Determining Solutions to
Performance Problems
Mager & Pipe’s Performance Analysis Flowchart for
Determining Solutions to Performance Problems
• Aim is to effectively identify root cause of
performance problem and choose right solution
• Many solutions including contingency
management are explored
• Appropriate solutions may or may not include
training and development
(See Fig 4.2 on p. 115)
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When is Training the Best
Solution?
 Training is just one solution for managing
performance problems
 Other solutions may be more effective
 Even when training is the best solution its
effectiveness can be compromised due to other
factors
 If training is identified as best solution costs and
benefits must also be considered before final
decision is made
 A needs analysis will identify best course of action
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Needs Analysis
Methods
9 Methods (Steadham)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Observation
Questionnaires
Key consultation
Print media
Interviews
Group discussion
Tests
Records and reports
Work samples
(See Table 4.5 for more details)
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Needs Analysis
Sources
 Employees and managers
 Subject matter experts
 Professional shoppers
 Computer-based analysis
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Obstacles to Needs
Analysis
 Not rewarded for taking the time (and money) to
conduct a needs analysis
 Feel that they can accurately identify training
needs and that more analysis is a waste of time
and money
 Managers may even have their own agendas
 Cost and time are often viewed as constraints
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Summary
 Introduced the Needs Analysis process; the first step
in ISD model
 Three levels of needs analysis (organization, task,
and person) were identified
 The process for determining solutions to
performance problems was identified
 Data collection methods and sources of information
for needs analysis were highlighted
 Obstacles to conducting needs analysis were
discussed
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