1. Needs Analysis
Chapter #4

2. Learning Outcomes By the conclusion of this discussion you should:
Understand the purpose and process of conducting a training needs analysis at each of the three levels:
Organizational
Operational
Person
Have the information necessary to conduct your own training needs analysis.

3. Purpose of Needs Analysis
Determines performance deficiencies (Expected Performance – Actual Performance)
reactive
proactive
Determines causes and solutions
Provides pre-training benchmark
Focuses training
Provides starting point
Systematic method for determining what caused performance to be less than expected or required.
Discuss Westcan Training page 115
TNA not necessary for mandatory training (sexual harassment), overall cultural shift training, or team-building.

4. What TNA should do?
Increase chances that the time and money spent on training will be well spent.
Determine the benchmark for evaluation of training.
Increase the motivation of participants.
Align training activities with the strategic plan.

5. Needs Analysis Process
Outcomes
Learning focus
Participants
Type
Timing
Resources
Other HR/ business solutions
What is the context?
Triggers
“Red Flags”
Lack of basic skills
Poor performance
Technology
Customer demands
Innovation
Raising the bar
New job
Regulations
New direction
Organizational change
Training
needs
Organization
analysis
Operational
analysis
Where is training needed?
Triggers can be either proactive or reactive. Proactive – anticipated deficiency due to a shift in the strategic direction or organizational change. Reactive – present deficiency identified through managers, employees or top management.
Helps determine if the deficiency can be corrected through training.
TNA ensures that right training is given to the right employees at the right time.
Person
analysis
Non-training
needs
Who needs training?

6. Organizational Analysis
Looks at the internal environment and determines its fit with organizational goals and objectives.
Define mission and strategies & current standings
Examine resources and allocation of resources
Analyze internal environment
Impact of internal environment on transfer
Outcome: A determination of where the organization wishes to be (EP) and where the organization is (AP) and which areas need to be focused on in order to close the gap.
Definition - Involves looking at the internal environment and determining its fit with organizational goals and objectives. It is also an examination of how these factors affect job performance and identifies constraints on training.
Define mission and strategies – establishes context and priorities for training, you want to spend money to train people to support the mission and strategy.
Examine resources and allocation of resources –defines what the organizations priorities are, where dollars are is where the training should be.
Analyze internal environment – structures,systems (pay, reward, discipline, etc) and how they operate. Are these things congruent with performance objectives? Identify inconsistencies early so you can ensure transfer
Impact of internal environment on transfer – Once implemented will training be supported or resisted by internal environment?
TIA 4-1 pg. 124
Data collection pg : Useful to use many sources/methods: interviews, surveys, archival data.
Outcome: Identification of where the gap is and whether or not it is worth the time, money and effort to fix.
85% of issues found in a TNA are non-training fixes.

7. Operational Analysis/Job Analysis
Examines the specific jobs to determine the tasks required and the KSAs necessary to perform job at expected level (EP)
Analysis steps:
Conduct a job analysis
Identify any roadblocks in the task environment
Outcome: Expected performance (EP) of individuals in the location specified in the organizational analysis. A list of KSAs and tasks required.
Once you’ve identified where the deficiencies are in your organization, you can focus on the jobs in that location to further your TNA.
Definition – examination of the specific jobs to determine the tasks required and the KSA necessary to get the job done (expected performance)
Job analysis – tasks required to effectively do job
Performance required – what level of performance is needed to be a success
KSAs necessary to be successful
Roadblocks – this is where organizational and operational analysis overlap – identifying what obstacles lie in the way of employees reaching required performance.
Outcome: Identification of the behavior change needed and expected performance needed in order for the job incumbents to be successful in current or future job demands. Provides a starting point for evaluation phase and also creates a test of sorts to use in person analysis.
Table 4-3 page 128 – Data Sources
Who to ask? Employees and supervisors. Select average to better employees and use a representative sample.

8. Person Needs Analysis
Examination of people performing the job to determined their actual performance levels.
Identify Performance Deficiencies
(expected performance (EP) - actual performance (AP))
Definition: examination of who is in the job and see if they have the required KSAs to do the job
Identifies who is not meeting performance requirements. Either proactive or reactive.
How to collect data? Table 4-7 pg

9. Personal Analysis Data
Performance appraisal information
360, self-ratings, supervisory ratings
Performance data
Proficiency tests
Attitude surveys

10. Group Activity
Divide into groups and discuss a performance deficiency:
Bad grades
Absenteeism and/or tardiness
Customer service
List possible causes of performance deficiency.
One scribe from each group will list ideas on board
Complete in 5 minutes

11. Lack support, authority, tools
Outcomes of TNA
Train
Don’t Know How
Lack KSA
Non-training
Give what is needed,
remove obstacles
Can’t
Lack support, authority, tools
Get back into groups and categories causes of gaps.
Training needs – don’t know how – lack KSA
Non training needs – Can’t: lack of support, structure, systems, tools, culture, etc.
Won’t: lack of motivation
Non-training
Give reasons,
create consequences
Won’t
Lack motivation

12. Group Activity Part #2
Categorize all the performance gaps into one of the three outcome categories:
Don’t Know How
Can’t
Won’t
One scribe from each group will update list ideas on board
Complete in 3 minutes

13. TNA Data All three areas are highly inter-related.
Can conduct all levels at the same time.
Development of employees should be top priority.
Employees must have a positive perceptions about the TNA process.

14. Needs Analysis Example
Fabrics Inc.
Needs Analysis Example

15. Conclusion
The training needs analysis (TNA) process is vital to designing, developing, facilitating, and evaluating an effective training program.
Conducting a TNA involves in depth investigative research on all three levels: organizational, operational and person.
Conclude and thoroughly discuss assignment.