Training Needs Assessment
Course Project: Training and Development
Objectives | Guidelines | Milestones: Project Phases—In Detail | Grading Criteria
Objectives
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The Course Project is designed to provide you with real-life, practical experience in conducting a training and OD needs assessment for a selected organization and in developing a training or intervention strategy to address the needs that have been identified.
Guidelines
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The Course Project must be comprehensive and follow the analytical stages below.
1. Select an organization to be studied.
2. Develop and conduct a needs assessment.
3. Analyze the data collected and identify training needs.
4. Develop a training or intervention strategy to address the needs.
5. Determine the training intervention cost and quantify expected results.
6. Develop an evaluation method.
Once the steps have been completed, a detailed paper outlining your processes, methodologies, results, and recommendations should be prepared. Although the length of the paper is not predetermined, a paper of 10–15 pages in length, double-spaced, is customarily necessary to cover the topic adequately. This does not include the title and reference pages.
Note: There is an excellent guide online called Human Capital: A Guide for Assessing Strategic Training and Development Efforts in the Federal Government put out by the United States General Accounting Office. Although this relates to the government and not the private sector, it contains excellent information that can be applied anywhere.
Milestones: Project Phases—In Detail
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Part 1: Select an Organization to Be Studied
There are a number of ways in which an organization can be selected. One option is to look outside your organization for companies that would be interested in participating in the project. Another is to volunteer your own organization, or if you are not currently employed, use a church, school, club, or other organization.
Once your organization has been selected, you will need to learn a lot about it. It is essential for you to understand the organization’s business, goals, objectives, and mission in order to complete this project successfully. (Submit the information on your selected organization to your Dropbox by the end of Week 1—this is an ungraded step but required and essential to help you make sure you are on the right track.) Also note that you will be submitting a progress report for this project in Week 5 in the Minipaper assignment—this is worth 100 points.
Part 2: Conduct a Needs Assessment
Training and development processes begin with a needs assessment. Given the economic pressures that businesses face today, it is imperative that those needs be connected to specific organizational performance issues.
There are three different forms of analysis you will need to complete.
1. Organizational analysis involves determining the appropriateness of training given the organization’s business strategy, its resources available for training, and support by managers and peers for training activities.
2. Person analysis involves (1) determining whether performance deficiencies result from a lack of knowledge, skill, or ability (a training issue) or from a motivational or work-design problem; (2) identifying who needs training; and (3) determining employees’ readiness for training.
3. Task analysis identifies the important tasks and knowledge, skill, and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training for employees to complete their tasks.
Hints for a Successful Needs Assessment
As you conduct your needs assessment, you may want to consider four potential sources of information that may help you in your analysis. Information such as employee turnover analysis, incident reports, long-range production goals, employee satisfaction studies, and physical plant layout can tell us a lot. Examples of other documents you may wish to consider include the following.
• Business documents: Key business documents can be used to determine areas of poor performance and developmental needs. Such documents may include
1. unit productivity reports;
2. customer satisfaction surveys;
3. communication survey reports; and
4. competitive analysis reports.
• Organization survey: Questionnaires can be created that probe for areas in which systems, structures, or processes are not functioning as intended. They can be used to look toward group, departmental, or individual issues. (Submit your survey to be used for gathering data by the end of Week 3—70 points.)
Potential questions include the following.
Questionnaire Questions
1. I am involved in decisions that directly affect my job.
2. My supervisor communicates with me on a regular basis.
3. I clearly understand what is expected of me.
4. I am rewarded for good performance.
5. My opinion has been asked regarding what needs to change in my work area.
6. I understand why the decisions that affect my job are made.
7. My supervisor gives me information that is important to me.
8. I have the skills necessary to perform my job properly.
9. I am rewarded for working well with others.
10. I receive frequent feedback on my performance.
11. I believe the information that I receive from my supervisor.
12. I have the tools necessary to perform my job properly.
13. My job leaves me with a sense of accomplishment.
14. I understand the information that I receive from my organization.
15. I am encouraged to make decisions that affect my job.
16. I am encouraged to communicate with my supervisor.
17. Team goals are supported throughout my organization.
18. My organization treats all employees well.
19. I have the information necessary to make decisions that affect my job.
20. I am encouraged to communicate with others.
21. The feedback that I receive is directly related to my job performance.
22. My organization treats all employees fairly.
23. My supervisor allows me to communicate my thoughts without fear of reprisal.
24. The feedback that I receive is constructive in nature.
25. My organization is interested in the growth and development of its employees.
26. I believe the information that I receive from my organization.
• Observations: Individuals can be observed on the job, and their interactions and activities can be noted for further analysis. Observations can include the following.
1. How individuals communicate (time spent, amount of detail, responsiveness)
2. How individuals make decisions (time spent, involvement sought, etc.)
3. How work is performed (under pressure, in groups, etc.)
• Interviews: Interviews can be conducted in person or via a distributed questionnaire that probes for areas where performance may be improved. Potential interview questions include the following.
1. What do you think the most important part of your job is? What is least important?
2. What would you like to learn to make your job easier or better? What are the programs, processes, or resources available for you to learn from?
3. How have you developed the skills that you have?
4. Who brings problems to you and what kind of problems are they? How do you usually solve them? Whom do you ask for help?
5. What do you find most frustrating about your job?
6. What would you like to be spending your time doing? What would need to happen to let you do that?
It is up to you to determine the methodology to be used in conducting the assessment. Considerations should include the willingness of the organization and its employees to provide information, the availability of information from the organization to be studied, and the availability of individuals in the organization to be interviewed and observed.
The nature of the needs analysis, of course, also should be based on the type of assessment desired. Given the broad coverage of the course, assessment may include, but would not be limited to, the following.
1. Group processes and group effectiveness
2. Departmental effectiveness
3. Decision-making process effectiveness
4. Individual skills development
5. Group skills development
6. Career development
Part 3: Analyze the Data Collected and Identify Training Needs
Analyze the data you have collected and identify one or more training needs for the organization. Be sure to fully justify your recommendations and link your recommendations to the organization’s business goals.
The data collected must be viewed in terms of the initial intent of the project. Care must be taken to evaluate the data for what they portray. Insufficient analysis or understanding of data, as well as reading more into data than what they actually portray, are equally ineffective activities. (Submit your course Minipaper that describes your needs assessment findings and other relevant project information in Week 5—100 points.)
Part 4: Develop a Training or Intervention Strategy to Address the Needs
Creating a developmental strategy is the objective of the investigative segment of the project. The strategy may include the following.
1. Training Sessions
a. Traditional classroom
b. Simulations
c. Self-managed strategies
d. Opportunity to perform
2. Career management systems
a. Self-assessment programs
b. Mentoring systems
c. Action planning
3. Organizational development intervention activities
a. Team building
b. Intergroup activities
c. Survey feedback activities
d. Education and training activities
e. Structural activities
f. Process consultation
g. Blake-Mouton grid activities
h. Third-party peacemaking
i. Coaching and counseling
j. Career planning
k. Goal setting
4. System redesign
a. Search conferences
b. Confrontation meetings
c. Strategic planning meetings
Part 5: Determine the Training or Intervention Cost and Quantify Expected Results
The fifth section of the Course Project is conducting a cost-benefit analysis. Training costs must be evaluated against anticipated results. This will only be palatable if, in the initial assessment, specific behaviors and processes and their impacts on the performance of the organization were determined. If so, conducting this final analytical segment should be possible.
Part 6: Develop a Method of Training Evaluation
Once you have completed the training, how will you know whether it has been successful? There are a variety of ways to evaluate training and development programs. Clearly identify the specific outcomes you expect from the project. Then develop a method of evaluating the effectiveness of your project.
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox located on the silver tab at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these step-by-step instructions or watch this Tutorial Dropbox Tutorial.
See the Syllabus section “Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.
Grading Criteria
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Category Points % Description
Background 50 Acquaint the reader with the organization selected, why it was selected, and the specific division or department of interest. Fully discuss the corporate agenda, its business strategy, its environment, and its objectives. A professional overview of the organizational culture and values should be included in the analysis.
Needs Assessment Design, Implementation, and Analysis 75 Design a needs assessment that analyzes organizational objectives and goals and then examines the factors that affect reaching those goals. Your analysis should look at the organization, person, and task levels. Be sure you fully describe your methodologies, process, and results.
Recommended Training Strategy and Design 75 Outline your plan for developing a training model to meet the results of the needs assessment. It is important to recognize that training is not always the most cost-effective solution to an organizational problem. Credit will be given for other creative and cost-effective developmental modalities other than training. Professional justification is expected for the choices. Clearly outline the desired learning outcomes and include your specific recommended training methods. Fully address any learning environment and transfer-of-training issues.
Cost-Benefit Analysis (ROI) 50 Outline the cost of recommended training, the potential return on investment (ROI), and the expected results. A plan should be provided on how to justify the costs.
Training Evaluation Plan 50 Detail your methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the training after it has been completed. How will the organization know whether the training has been successful?
Total Point Value 300 100 A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.
104.
RESEARCH social scientific discipline of Sociology
Students will use published, scholarly research and, where appropriate, narrative accounts, to write a research paper according to the standards and conventions of the social scientific discipline of Sociology, thereby learning
• critical thinking, reading, and reflection
• social scientific research and writing
• library research skills
• to distinguish between scholarly and non-scholarly sources
• to critically evaluate the relevance of sources for research papers
• to develop a cogent, logical, and organized discussion of a topic
• to develop an intersectional analysis that incorporates “indigenized” scholarship
• to apply the ASA method of citation
• to develop and present a reference list
• to develop an awareness and understanding of ethical scientific practice through full and open disclosure of sources of information in research
STEP 1: Learning to Collect, Analyze, and Synthesize Secondary Data
In-class engagement exercises and assignments will help students develop capacity for undertaking social scientific writing and research. Students will attend an orientation to KPU’s library collections, databases, and other sources of information that are most relevant to sociology students. A librarian will provide an interactive lecture and assignment to allow students to learn and apply research skills. Effective use of academic libraries is essential for every social scientist. Librarians are our guides and allies in this aspect of the research process.
Students should come with relevant questions and be prepared to complete a short library assignment that will allow students to gauge the effectiveness of their library research skills.
STEP 2: Choosing a Topic
Your research topic must:
• be sociological and appropriate in scope and breadth
• move beyond mere description to provide analysis of the central concern
• be developed into a clear research question to guide the research process and ensure that you have a logical and cohesive argument to advance in your paper
• be presented as a clear thesis statement in the introduction of your paper
As Canada is currently engaged in the process of “reconciliation” (see instructions for group project) students will be focusing on residential schools and the reconciliation process for their research projects. Students may choose to research the same or related topic as that chosen by their group. Students may choose a topic from the following list:
• What have been the social effects of the residential school system for Aboriginal children on the survivors? Their families? Their nations? Aboriginal peoples as a whole? (choose each one as a separate question)
• What have been the social effects of colonization on Aboriginal peoples?
• What kinds of gender roles were taught and modeled in residential schools?
• What were the social effects of residential schools on Indigenous patterns of gender roles?
• What is the relationship between residential schools and violence against Native women today?
• What have been the long term social effects of physical and sexual abuse on children in residential schools?
• Analyze the history of Indigenous peoples’ mobilization against colonization by Canada
• What is the relationship between victimization in residential schools and social problems faced by survivors today?
• What social factors explain why most Canadians don’t know about the residential school system for Aboriginal children?
• What social factors led to the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Canada)?
• What are the major social problems faced by Aboriginal residential school survivors today?
• What are Indigenous land rights and why are they central to understanding Canadian society?
SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS OF ANY OTHER TOPIC ARE ACCEPTABLE.
WHETHER OR NOT A TOPIC IS CHOSEN FROM THE ABOVE LIST, STUDENTS MUST CONFIRM THEIR TOPIC WITH THE INSTRUCTOR.
STEP 3: Selecting Sources of Information
Social scientific papers require valid, reliable, and scholarly sources of information. Nonscholarly sources (eg. Magazines, newspaper articles, pamphlets, self-help books, training manuals, Wikipedia) cannot be used to advance a main point of your argument or hypothesis, but may be used to illustrate points made in the scholarly literature. Sociological research:
• reflects a scientific focus or method of inquiry
• provides a full and open disclosure of all outside sources
• includes a full reference list that provides complete documentation of sources of information
• typically appear in peer-reviewed journals
• is also done by government agencies, community organizations, think tanks, NGOs, and other non-academic organizations
• is not always found by “Google searches”
If you are unsure of whether or not to use a particular source in your paper, err on the side of caution, or have your sources approved by your instructor. When selecting sources of information, ensure that:
• you can understand and summarize the main themes/arguments
• you can identify whether or not the source is scholarly
• you can identify the author’s sources of information
• the source is sociological and relevant to Canadian society
• the source is not a duplicate of information you already have
• you know where or how you will use the source in your paper
For this assignment, students are required to use a minimum of 3 scholarly sources in their papers:
• you may draw upon your text as a source of scholarly research
• scholarly sources provided in class may be used to satisfy the minimum requirement of four scholarly sources
• narrative accounts of members of oppressed groups are important sources of research that give voice to those who are often silenced in mainstream research and scholarship
STEP 4: REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PAPER
1. A minimum of three scholarly references are required. If you use less than three sources you will get a “D” or less on the assignment. If your sources are not scholarly, it will decrease your mark on the assignment.
2. A thesis statement that clearly indicates the focus and thrust of your discussion must be clearly presented within the abstract (see #5). It should also be part of the introduction of the paper. Failure to provide a thesis statement will result in a loss of marks.
3. Papers must be formatted using the following rules:
a. The components of the paper must be organized and presented in the following order: title page, abstract page, text of paper, reference list
b. 3-4 pages of text, typed and double-spaced (does not include cover page, abstract page, and reference list page)
c. 1” margins on the top, bottom and sides
d. Indent each paragraph and do not leave an extra line between paragraphs
e. 12-point font is required
f. Do not go more than half a page over the maximum length of 4 pages
g. You will get a “D” or less if your paper is less than 3 pages
h. Your name should only appear on the cover page of the paper
i. ASA method of documentation must be used to cite references in the text of the paper and in the reference list (see library citation guide on ASA)
4. A separate cover page is required. The title of the paper should appear on the cover page. Below the title, indicate the student’s name, course number and section, instructor’s name, and the due date of the assignment.
5. An abstract is required. Write a one-paragraph summary of your research paper that explains your thesis statement, main findings, and conclusions. This is called an abstract and it should be no more than one short paragraph. The abstract should be written on a separate page and inserted between the title page and the first page of the essay.
6. A reference list (bibliography) is required. Write the reference list on a separate page that is inserted after the last page of the paper. No reference list = a failing grade on the assignment.
7. Staple the pages together in the top lefthand corner.
8. The paper must be written by the student (please see KUC’s policy on plagiarism and cheating). Be ethical and professional in your research and writing.
9. The paper must be legible, typed, and based on sound grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and sentence/paragraph structure. It is good practice to use a writing guide, dictionary, and thesaurus when writing a paper.
10. Give it your best effort and give yourself credit for making time to develop the skills needed to accomplish this paper. These skills will help you in all your future writing and research endeavors.
I wish you great success and enjoyment in your research. I look forward to working with you, learning beside you, and offering my advice and support whenever you need it. I’m only an email away! ? Best, Seema